Butler Gallery announces bequest from Kilkenny-based artists
The O’Malley estate is managed by Butler Gallery with a building wide exhibition opening on August 8
Kilkenny’s Butler Galley has announced the receipt of the bequest of renowned artists, the late Tony and Jane O’Malley estate.
Tony O’Malley, a highly respected and beloved artist whose works are represented in all major Irish museums and included in the most significant public and private collections of Irish art died in 2003. His wife Jane O’Malley, also an artist, died in June 2023. In those intervening twenty years Jane dedicated much of her time to preserving Tony’s legacy.
Tony, a Kilkenny native, and Jane, originally from Canada, were longtime residents of Physicianstown in Callan, County Kilkenny and had a strong relationship with Butler Gallery over many years. The Gallery presented three exhibitions and produced books on different aspects of the work of Tony O’Malley: The Visual Diaries (2005), Constructions (2010), Self-Portraits (2013). The gallery also produced an exhibition and book Black & White: Works on Paper (2018) by Jane O’Malley. This dedication to their combined body of work led to Butler Gallery being entrusted with this generous donation to represent their estate into the future.
The board and the executive are honoured by this bequest and will continue to preserve and expand upon the legacy of both Tony and Jane O’Malley with ongoing displays of their work in our dedicated O’Malley Galleries, the establishment of an artist residency in their name, and a dedication to scholarly presentations of their work over time.
In addition to the important artwork that has been entrusted to us, the bequest is supplemented with funds that have been ring-fenced for the care, storage and safeguarding of this work into the future.
The O’Malley estate is managed by Butler Gallery with a building wide exhibition opening on August 8, the first stage of celebrating this bequest.
Funds are handled through Community Foundation Ireland’s Endowment Fund, a perpetual fund that supports long-term sustainable income for the estate. Butler Gallery continues to work on future decisions regarding the estate.