Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:15 pm on 16 March 2022.
Thank you very much. The art foundation course at Coleg Menai was established in 1981, but the fortieth anniversary celebrations are only taking place this year due to last year’s public health situation. This was the inspiration behind Owein Prendergast’s decision, as course leader, to give the exhibition the title '40+1'. The course was established in Bangor by the artist Peter Prendergast, Owein’s father, and his contemporaries. Special artworks have been created to celebrate the anniversary, and they are currently being exhibited at Storiel art gallery and Pontio. Owein curated artworks, one for each year being celebrated in the anniversary, and work by former students, lecturers and the course’s founders. The work is testament to the major contribution made by the course over the decades. Some of the most prominent names in the Welsh arts scene launched their fledgling careers here, but I won’t start naming them in case I forget someone and cause offence by omission. But everyone pays tribute to a creative, experimental, formative period that gave them the opportunity to blossom as individuals as well as artists. So, happy anniversary to Coleg Menai’s art course, and huge congratulations for reaching such an important milestone. Long may the course make such a profound contribution to our nation’s visual arts.