William Kelly
I went to Queens University Belfast after a formal education at St. Columbs College Derry. Nobel Laureate John Hume and world playwright Brian Friel also studied there. I ended up studying French because I liked the language, and Philosophy because the world made no sense to me whatsoever. I decided to leave after the first Christmas break. Growing political unrest in my home town Derry and throughout the North helped me to decide. My parents figured I would be better off elsewhere. I emigrated to England and worked in Carlisle as a Post Office counter clerk. A year later I returned to study art at the Belfast Art College and later to take up a post back in Derry as an assistant librarian.
Around that time I met my future wife and moved to Dublin to resume my modest ambition to make my bread as an artist. I won a scholarship to study at the National College of Art/Design Dublin.
Three years later, I had an honours degree in painting. The year of my graduation I moved to Wicklow with wife and daughter and took a job at a sawmill. A degree in fine art wasn’t worth much in those days. Throughout this period I was painting steadily but could gain no assistance from the Arts Council of Southern Ireland.
In 1994, with The Troubles still raging, I became a muralist and joined my brother and our mutual friend Kevin Hasson in that capacity. Jointly, we have exhibited widely in the USA and Europe and in Australia.
I now live with my second wife in Cardross, near to Mildura. I have a studio there and peace to work which is more than any artist has a right to expect. My intention is to exhibit in Australasia and in Europe. I would like to have the honour of reminding Europeans that humanity is alive and well and living in Australia.
2008
Arts Centre Mildura
2007
Brunswick Street Gallery, Melbourne
2005
Arts Centre Mildura
2004
ACU National Gallery
1994
Derry - The Foyle Arts Centre
1992
Belfast - The Crescent Arts Centre
Portstewart - Flowerfield Arts Centre
Dublin - The Projects Arts Centre
1991
Limerick- The Limerick City Gallery
1990
Derry- The Orchard Gallery
1989
Newry - Newry and Mourne Art Centre
Portstewart - Flowerfield Arts Centre
1987
Belfast - The Otter Gallery
1986
Derry - The Heritage Gallery
1984
Derry - The Heritage Gallery
1983
Derry - The Heritage Gallery
The following are the Bogside Artists' exhibitions and Ergo, my own, as a member of that illustrious trio.
2007
The Smithsoanian, Folklife Festival, Washington. U.S
2005
Miramachi, Canada
2004
Irish Centre, New York
2001
Brisbane, The QLD Irish Association
Brisbane, ACU, McAuley Campus
2000
Sydney, ACU, St. Marys Campus
Newcastle Regional University
Melbourne, ACU, St. Patricks Campus
Ballarat, ACU
Adelaide, The Onkaparinga Arts Centre
Port Macarthur, The Fountain Gallery
Adelaide, The Red House Community Gallery
Perth, The Perth International Fringe Festival. This exhibition at the
PICA gallery was put together by the artists especially for the festival
used text, slides, film and cibachromes of work already on tour in
Australia. They also painted in public a large-scale mural at the
gallery during the show.
Mildura Arts Centre, Victoria
Philadelphia, Villanova University Gallery
Philadelphia, USA - The John Moore Col. Gallery
1999
Boston, Boston College, The Rolesham Arts Centre
Boston, The Boston State House (The show here at the venerated was
extended from an initial week to over four).
1998
New York, The Irish Centre, Manhattan
Orange County, USA - Rocklands Community College
Boston, USA - Bapst Library, Boston College (This show hosted by
Professors Raymond Helmick and John Michalcyzk marked the first
time ever the magnificent Bapst Library was given over to an art exhibition).
Sydney, The Uni. Sydney, College of The Arts (These two exhibitions
running concurrently marked the first ever collaboration on an art
exhibition by these two institutions).
Sydney, Aus - ACU (Aus. Catholic Uni), St Marys Campus
Mildura, The Mildura Arts
Derry, The Calgach Centre (the artist’s studio)