In 2025, around 50 Arts for Health participants at Skibbereen Day Care Centre worked together to create Granma’s Apron!
Inspired by a poem of the same name, the day care centre staff suggested the idea to visual artist Michael Greenlaw. The staff were aware that the cross-over apron was an important garment worn around the house. The poem describes the various uses of that apron, and how some may have been less than hygienic! However, it ends with the line, ‘I don’t think I ever caught anything from an apron – but love…’ With this sentiment in mind, Michael set off to chat and make with the participants.
Creating Together
The group aimed to create something meaningful which would incorporate people’s own individual thoughts and memories. To begin, Michael and the day care clients thought of the uses of the aprons and who wore them. As they chatted, they looked at old photographs of people wearing them. They made small cardboard cut-out figures. Participants dressed them with decorated paper aprons. They considered what objects people kept in the pocket of the apron. Then the group made cardboard cut outs of them, including religious medals, the larder key, and scissors.
The third phase of the project was to create a full size and wearable cross-over apron. This was made up of squares of cloth which portrayed the uses of the apron – from cleaning out children’s ears, to collecting hen’s eggs or apples from the orchard, or taking apple pies from the oven. Participants were given five inch squares of white material and painted or used collage to make around 80 images. As the project continued, stories came to life. One participant brought in an apron her mother made. Another brought in a photograph of her now 94 year old sister churning butter in a machine, as a child.
Of course, the finishing touch was the all important red bias binding edging.
Granma’s Apron is on display at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre as part of our Bealtaine Exhibition. Visit the exhibition from 1 – 31 May, 10am – 4.45pm.