The Wyatt Hotel Inventory

We are facing the new beginnings for a adult-girl who came to the West of Ireland to improve several skills:

- English

- Self-Discovery

- Art and Design

- Conservation - Restoration

As an important part of the journey it was necessary to go from childminder to waitressing. Connecting with people of another country and culture was essential before approaching my passion.

I happened to be working in an area that was considered an Art Gallery, so I would have the pleasure to study the inspiration and creativity that would give birth to an excellent collection of paintings in this Hotel in particular. The Wyatt Hotel in Westport, Co Mayo.

Several costumers would approach me asking for some information about the artists. Myself, always eager to learn, I enquired if there was any sort of inventory that I could use as a guide. It turned out there was not such accurate piece of information well updated that I could use. The list of preferred Irish Artist were filling a sheet with no photos as a reference.

This was my opportunity to show my skills as a Conservator and "Art Lover" to start a project agreed with the owner of the hotel Noel Kavanagh. I would work on a complete Inventory and Catalogue of his collection and offer to the hotel for use.

The project was really exciting and it needed the assistance of a experienced photographer and friend I met in town: Isabel Puy.

With her, we made our way through the hotel to photograph all the originals I was asked to include in the Catalogue. About 130 pieces were included in this rich collection of paintings, drawings, linocuts, etchings, photographs, ceramics, stained glass, sculptures, murals, and mosaics.

One of most gratifying moment of this experience was to find some notes or details of the artist. I felt like a person finding a treasure at the back of the painting. Some other times, I would need to analyze the signature - in the case it had it - to guess the identity of the artist.

This first attemp of visual cataloguing of the collection would be followed by months of research for artists, work, and biography. Some of the best experiences of this project was the opportunity to talk personally with most of them, interviewing them in search for their passion and background.

I am really glad to say that this project brought me back to the career I love the most: Art and Conservation. And as I got deep into this project I met so many artists and amazing people that gave me the best experience I could ask for.

Suffice to say that this project was my farewell "gift" for the hotel after a few years working and learning from them. But this is is not where my path ends in this field that is my career, because this personal project would lead to a mentor that would connect me with my next job in Conservation.

This is another chapter of the story that I will reveal in the next post.

Thanks for reading!