An art exhibition called The Crow Gallery is opening in Westport, County Mayo, during the Westival 2025 arts and music festival. Housed in the vacant The Local public house on Castlebar Street, the show features work from local artists with disabilities and artists who responded to an Open Call on the theme of disability justice. The exhibition explores perceptions of disability, challenges ableism, and aims to spark dialogue about inclusion. It is the first phase of a longer-term project to establish a permanent gallery, coffee shop, gift shop, and artist studios where disabled and non-disabled artists collaborate, with people with disabilities leading the space. The project was driven by Anna Wall, inspired by local artist Maitiu Quinn and her daughter Amber Walsh, and supported by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland’s Ideas Academy and a Mayo County Council Arts Office workshop.
This exhibition matters because it addresses a significant gap in opportunities and quality of life for people with disabilities in the arts, promoting meaningful inclusion and community-led space. By centering disability justice and challenging societal attitudes, it sets a model for how local arts initiatives can foster visibility, contribution, and positive change. The project’s long-term vision—a permanent, accessible creative hub—could serve as a replicable blueprint for other communities seeking to integrate disability-led programming into the cultural landscape.