Sara Cross, Artist and Exhibition Curator promoting the You Can Make a Difference Exhibition, the first Irish exhibition exclusively featuring artists with Cystic Fibrosis. Picture: Sophie Goodwin/ilovelimerick.
You Can Make a Difference Exhibition to shine light on artists with Cystic Fibrosis
Limerick City will host the first ever Irish Cystic Fibrosis Artists Exhibition. The exhibition will feature artworks exclusively by people with Cystic Fibrosis and will run from May 21st to June 1st in the CB1 Gallery on O’Connell Street. The You Can Make a Difference Exhibition will feature twelve artists from all over Ireland, aged between 9 years and 40 years. Three of the artists are professional artists who make their living from their craft and the other artists are talented amateurs who have embraced the arts as a personal passion.
The You Can Make a Difference Exhibition Curator is Sara Cross, a person with CF and living in Limerick City. An American by birth, Sara has made Ireland her home. According to Sara Cross, “This exhibition is about having the freedom of expression to show our communities who we are, what we can do and where we can go.” “It is also about inspiring the younger generation to be creative, branch out and find their own place in the world, whatever that might be”.

Sara Cross, Artist and Exhibition Curator promoting the first Irish Exhibition by artists with Cystic Fibrosis. Picture: Sophie Goodwin/ilovelimerick.
Sara is a talented knitter, costume designer and craftivist – a person who is passionate about supporting people to see their own potential through creative means. As a self-taught artist, she makes her living by taking on commissions for hand-crafted pieces. Sara also teaches crafting and has founded ‘Knitters 4 life’ as a voluntary knitters circle in Limerick aimed at developing skills, confidence and friendship.
The artists participating in the You Can Make a Difference Exhibition include Sara Cross (Limerick City), Katie Moore (Foxford), Rick Kelly (Portlaoise), Sorcha Kirby (Birdhill), Grace Shesgreen (Ballycommon), Jason Larner (Limerick City), Amy Cusack (Ennis), Jade Needham (Ballina Killaloe), Mary Hennessy (Cappagh), Maria Delaney (Dublin), Dan Costigan (Dublin) and Matthew De Broize (Hong Kong).
Philip Watt, Chief Executive of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, who will officially open the exhibition, comments “This is a really exciting opportunity for people with cystic fibrosis, particularly those that have never exhibited before, to showcase their talents, personality and individuality. It shows that notwithstanding the obstacles and challenges that life with this condition brings, people can still realise their amazing creativity and give full expression to their imaginations. This exhibition is a wonderful chance for people to see for themselves the artistic genius that the CF community has to offer, and I would encourage everyone to come along and to share that experience.”
The You Can Make a Difference Exhibition is open to the public for a two week period from Monday 21st May to Friday 1st June, each week-day from 11 am to 5 pm and entry to the exhibition is free.
For more information on Cystic Fibrosis, go here.
For more stories on events in Limerick, go here.
Pictures: Sophie Goodwin/ilovelimerick