Through his many roles and titles of visual artist, producer, director and curator, the figurative painter and portrait artist, Tom McLean’s love for his craft has resulted in him carving out his own place in the evolving Galway art scene.
Putting a moment’s pause on his day-to-day life, Tom brings us up to speed on his journey as an artist. From visiting his exhibited work in the National Gallery of Ireland to studying under the tutelage of established artists at the Royal Hibernian Academy, it’s been a wild and rewarding ride for Tom to get to where he is today. Back in Galway, he worked in the 126 Artist-Run Gallery, first as a studio artist in 2017 before joining the Board there and taking on more curatorial responsibilities. Arriving on an incredibly satisfying full circle moment, Tom is currently preparing for an exhibition in the 126 Artist-Run Gallery in autumn 2024. “I’m really excited to make a body of work, and the plan is to make something a bit different to what people normally expect from my work so maybe a bit more installation and multidisciplinary work. Something that’s a bit more fun because I think that is the idea of the 126 as well, because it is a funded, non-commercial space, it’s very open to ideas and experiments.” says Tom.
Crediting his time with the 126 for teaching him the ins and outs of running a gallery. Tom realised he had a lot of love for collaborating with multiple artists to show their work in one shared space. Upon speaking with Luke Reidy and Evan O’Connor, the trio soon realised they all shared the aim of making a contribution to the Galway art scene, and so Outset Gallery was created. Today, it acts as a cultural hub that provides a platform for both emerging and established artists. Outset Gallery has currently opened its doors to welcome in its 2nd annual open call to artists across Ireland. From December 1st to 23rd, 75+ artists will have their work displayed at Outset in a celebration of the Arts. At Outset, Tom’s role as curator allows him to help show the narratives other artists tell through their work in a shared space. Speaking about his work, Tom says; “I just loved the idea of producing something with artists and seeing other people enjoy it. I think that is a really special thing to be able to do. That’s the biggest payment to see other people engaging with something that you have helped either produce, facilitate or curate.”
“The reason I got into art, and the reason I became an artist is because I love narratives, I love stories and I love interacting with different people. I think that has always been the most consistent theme of my life. I'm a portrait artist and figurative painter, the paintings I make are about my own life, other people's lives, about stories I've read, always trying to explore the lived experience"
Thanks to his experience with the different stages of being an artist, Tom finds himself in a unique position of being able to see all sides of the art scene. Noting that; “There is this energy that has been building up since Covid finished across the whole sector.” Adding that; “There’s a really cool DIY scene at the minute with the likes of Ar Ais Arís, Yawlag, The Black Gate, Ethereal Magazine, The Oil Slick, Free House.. all these people are doing what they want to do because they want to see something happening in Galway. If there wasn’t something happening before it was because there wasn’t the facilities, space or energy and now people have decided that no we are going to change this.” Aligning himself to this new wave of artistic renaissance, Tom describes a strong feeling of camaraderie across the whole arts sector; “I feel like there is an undeniable sense of community here, where we are all trying to support one another because we are all trying to move towards the same goal in different ways.“
To stay update on all of Tom’s latest projects and new work, you can follow him on Instagram @tommclean_art
All photos by Ciarán MacChoncarraige
