Barry's doing art Without Borders

An inspirational primary school teacher set Derry artist Barry Turton on the path to a career he clearly loved, art teacher.

Now retired, Barry taught art in post-primary schools throughout the city and county, including St Patrick’s College in Maghera; and St Joseph’s Boys’ School, St Brecan’s, and St Columb’s College in Derry.

His new exhibition, Without Borders, is running in Eden Place Arts Centre, which is housed within Pilots’ Row Community Centre in the Bogside, until June 8.

Barry with his wife, Catherine, and son, Michael, and Noelle McAlinden.

Speaking to Derry Now, Barry fondly recalled his St Patrick’s, Pennyburn PS teacher, Mr Jim Quinn, who made a lasting impression on him.

“I watched Mr Quinn and how he treated kids,” said Barry, “and he got me interested in teaching, right from that age.”

“I got a great sense of fairness from him. Our class had 52 in it and the teacher that had had us the previous year hadn’t covered any of the course. I remember Mr Quinn outside, giving off yards about the treatment of kids and saying we should all be given an opportunity. Even then, I remember thinking, ‘Yes, I like your style.’”

Barry Turton with Judi Logue, Manager of Eden Place Arts Centre, and Noelle McAlinden.

Barry, who hails from the Pennyburn area of Derry, said he had always enjoyed drawing and painting.

“Whenever I was a youngster, my mother, Gloria, spent a lot of time in hospital so my Da, Roy, would take her over the pictures I would do for her.

“Both my uncles, Liam and Frank Deeney, had a great love of art and music and he would have encouraged me. I enjoyed doing my GCSE Art but my uncle gave me a set of oil pastels right before the exam and instead of coming out with an A, I came out with a C,” smiled Barry.

“Everybody was ranting and raving and saying that I wouldn’t get into A’ Level Art, so I took about two months off school to myself and ended up with the top A in St Columb’s College. It was just more or less ‘thranness’ that got me through.

“My best art teacher ever was an old priest called Fr McCarron or ‘Gunner’. He was as hard as nails but  very fair and, in the best sense of the word, educated about art. He had a vast, in-depth knowledge going back to the Renaissance period and he gave me a great understanding of art.

“And then there was Philomena Grant, my A’ Level art teacher. In a sense it was the old and the new. They were both very talented.

Seamus Heaney by Barry Turton.

“I had my mind made up that I wanted to be a teacher so I did my degree in St Joseph’s College of Education, at the top of the Falls Road in Belfast, affectionately known as ‘The Ranch’. It was at a really tough time too, during the Hunger Strike,” said Barry.

Later on in his career, Barry became an advisory teacher for art and design throughout the North West, right up to Enniskillen.

“Throughout my career, I always believed that the kids came first,” mused Barry. “I always remember, when  taught in St Brecan’s, the comradeship among the staff was absolutely fantastic and there were kids there from lots of difficult backgrounds and situations. St Brecan’s just had a sense of, ‘They are our family and we look after them’. I tried to carry that with me whenever I went into my other jobs.

Clair De lune: Ruth McGinley.

“After St Patrick’s, I taught in St Joseph’s and it was just like hand in glove. It was great. By that stage I knew the way things were going as far as art and design was concerned.

“I realised the kids I was teaching needed more three dimensional, tactile stuff. I did a PGCE in Technology and Design so we were able to work on the 3D element, which appealed to a lot of the kids and their talents were able to come to the fore.

“I liked to work to their strengths and what eventually happened was the kids flourished. They were very challenging and challenged and my deal with them was this, if you follow my rules, you’ll come out with an A or a B.

“Whenever they came into the classroom at the end of the double I’d make them a cup of tea and a bun. I did that from September to Hallowe’en and by that stage, they were bringing in the buns. We built up a great sense of comradeship. We were part of a team and we worked together.

“I wanted my students to come out with a sense of pride and a sense of accomplishment. I loved my teaching and I was really sad when I had to leave due to ill health,” said Barry.

Married to Catherine, Barry has three children.

He said he did not have a particular style “just whatever interests me at that particular moment, the person or the landscape, I work in the style I am interested in.

“I had an exhibition about six years ago in the Garden of Reflection but Without Borders comprises work I’ve done now in the past three years,” explained Barry.

“I work fast. I have 70 pieces and they vary in size from pocket size to four feet. I also have some sculptures and dioramas.

“One of my favourite paintings in Beyond Borders is of Seamus Heaney. When I looked closely at the way his hand was held, I realised he had the Bloody Sunday black ribbon on. It was very subtle. I gave  the original to Richard Moore so he could auction it and I have prints of it too. 

“Without Borders originated during covid. I used to go up to the top of the Groarty Road to the telephone box and I’d be looking across to Donegal. There were different regulations in Derry and Donegal at that time but there was also the idea that there were no boundaries to art.

“It is about using your imagination and becoming absorbed in what you are doing.

“Part of the exhibition is that I have to do an interview for NI mental health. I would like to get across the idea that, with an enforced time on their hands, it is very important for people to have an outlet.

“My concern especially was that children should be able to use their time constructively rather than being stuck in front of a computer or laptop.

“Without Borders is what I have produced and I am happy with that,” laughed Barry.

Without Borders was opened by Noelle McAlinden who was involved with Ilex during Derry’s City of Culture year.

Barry said: “Noelle is now High Sheriff of Enniskillen. She is also a great art advocate and a very talented artist herself. She is great craic.

“I would also like to acknowledge all the work done by Judi Logue, the director of Eden Place Arts Centre.”

Heading to the US with his son this summer, Barry recalled working in California back in the day.

“I did restoration in a church out there. I was there for six months. I cut out stencils by hand, about 200 hours of work. It was there I met an old German Jews who taught me how to do gold leafing. He was fantastic. He had the tattoo on his arm from the concentration camp.

“There was another guy who worked there. He must have been about 70 years old. He was six foot four and ramrod straight. I remember him telling me he pulled the first hawser across the Golden Gate Bridge.”