About

South Dublin County Council invited proposals from Artists for six new Public Art commissions which will focus on the artist working with early years, children and young people (and their wider families and communities) to create new artworks.

Imagined as a series of dynamic and ambitious public art commissions, IN CONTEXT 5 aims to gather temporary communities around inspirational ideas. Collaboration between artists and local and national partners helps to extend the depth of public engagement.

IN CONTEXT 5 aims to build upon the strengths of earlier phases of the programme, which are widely considered models of best practice in Public Art commissioning. The most recent phase, IN CONTEXT 4 – In Our Time, created a framework for artists to reflect on the situation of the County, respond to themes and issues that are prominent in our time, gathering temporary communities around an inspirational idea that aspires to a legacy. 

Artists were asked to take into account that South Dublin County Council administrative area is formed by multiple cultural backgrounds and stories of its people. It is a place for experimentation and new forward thinking that respects the foundations upon which it has been built. Its future is made up of the individual and community life stories of the people who have chosen to live there. Its outward face is made up of the pride that people find in the local communities that they have built.

Every INDIVIDUAL is part of OUR story.

IN CONTEXT 5 - CONNECT is aligned with South Dublin County Council’s Arts Development Strategy 2022-2026 and in particular, it supports South Dublin County Children’s and Early Years Arts Strategy 2020-2025

IN CONTEXT 5 Strand 2 Programme Manager

Rina Whyte

Rina is a Public Art Curator and Consultant. A graduate of NCAD with a career in Design and Art Management in both corporate and social contexts for over 25 years.

Now working independently, she previously lectured in Professional Practice in NCAD and held the position of Public Art Coordinator in Kildare County Council where she was responsible for publishing their Public Art Policy and commissioning many well-loved artworks such as ‘Fionn and His Hounds’ and ‘Hidden Wonders of Kildare’.

More recently, Rina was commissioned by the Arts Council of Ireland to provide a researched report on An Overview of Public Art (Per Cent for Art Scheme) in Education for the period of 2015-2020. Rina’s document and her further engagement as a consultant on a panel of experts, is currently feeding into the overall Public Art Policy led by The Arts Council ‘PUBLIC ART IN IRELAND 2024-2028 A Whole of Government Policy Framework to implement the Per Cent for Arts Scheme.’

In her role as a Public Art Curator and Consultant Rina’s objective has been to maximise the opportunity for both commissioner, artist and audience/community to create dynamic and site specific interventions, programmes and artworks for their given location, context and benefit to the wider community.

Rina also acted as curator and project coordinator on a commission that was awarded Platinum Winner in 2023 in the International Design Skill Awards for ‘The Trinity Loop’ Per Cent for Art Commission, Scoil Phadraig, Portarlington.

Rina has demonstrated experience in successfully commissioning Public Art for Local Authorities, schools, hospitals, communities, housing associations and private clients.