Pixel website and A&D graphics open Kilkenny Arts Festival

This week sees the opening of the Kilkenny Arts Festival, Ireland, showcasing work by a raft of designers and artists.

It aims to promote local talent and encourage international artists in the fields of visual art, music and drama to display their work in Kilkenny from 8-17 August. It is funded by the Arts Council and local councils in Kilkenny.

Consultancy Pixel Design has created the website – www. kilkennyarts.ie – which went live in July, and graphics group A&D has created the printed promotional material.

Both consultancies are basing their designs on images created by the illustrator for this year’s festival, Ale Mercado. The Spanish designer-illustrator found inspiration in the festival’s main parade, Helios II, named after the Greek sun god, and used an orange and yellow colour scheme (pictured). The website design highlights the 50 events at the festival. Pixel’s creative director Karen Hanratty says, ‘One of the challenges in creating the website is we have to keep refreshing the concept to encourage people to keep returning.’

New features this year include a link to artists’ MySpace and YouTube sites, and a video of the 2007 festival. Pixel was appointed three years ago to work on the website following an unpaid credentials pitch to the festival committee, headed by chief executive officer Damian Downes.

A&D is designing all print material including the festival’s 64-page information booklet, the visual arts catalogue and the music and theatre programmes, as well as creating posters, flyers and window stickers.

The consultancy was appointed following a ten-year ongoing relationship with the festival organisers.

A panel of curators will organise events across a number of arts strands. The visual arts section will be curated by Hugh Mulholland, the owner of Belfast gallery The Third Space. Artists and sculptors involved include Mary McIntyre, Mark Garry, Richard Mosse and Brian Hand.