Portraits in Belfast City Hall of former lord mayors Frank McCoubrey and Daniel Baker
By Brendan Hughes
BBC News NI political reporter
Belfast City Council has spent almost £150,000 in the past 10 years on portraits of its lord mayors.
It is the only council in Northern Ireland which commissions paintings of its civic leaders to mark their terms in office.
Critics have branded the portraits a “vanity project”, saying the money could be better spent to support the arts.
But the council said the paintings showcased artists and attract tourists.
The mayor or chairperson role on each council in Northern Ireland is rotated annually between political parties based on their electoral strengths.
In Belfast, each outgoing lord mayor can choose an artist to create their portrait which goes on display in the corridors of city hall.
Portraits of the Alliance Party’s Nuala McAllister and the DUP’s Brian Kingston
The gallery is included in guided tours of the building.
About £146,800 was spent on 12 portraits of former lord mayors in post between 2011-12 and 2021-22.
The most recent spending was £15,000 on a portrait of the Alliance Party’s Kate Nicholl, who was lord mayor from June 2021 until she was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in May 2022.
Her party colleague Michael Long took over for the last few weeks of her term, becoming the city’s shortest-serving lord mayor.
He declined a painted portrait, instead opting for a framed photograph costing £490 to mark his time in the largely ceremonial role.
Former Lord Mayor Kate Nicholl’s portrait
The spending emerged amid budget pressures on local authorities which has seen councils increase their rates bills for households.
Belfast artist Leah Davis was commissioned to paint a portrait of Sinn Féin MP John Finucane, who was lord mayor for about six months until his election to the UK Parliament in December 2019.
The 23-year-old said it was “exciting” to see her artwork in city hall and described the opportunity as a “great boost”.
“A career in art is really difficult especially as a freelancer, so to get a job like that as well is really helpful to many artists,” she said.
“I hope that it does continue and give more younger, emerging artists the opportunity to be involved in things like that.”
Portraits of former Sinn Féin lord mayors John Finucane and Deirdre Hargey
People Before Profit councillor Michael Collins said there were “better ways” in which the council could support artists.
“I would rather see these portraits commissioned to honour those everyday citizens whose extraordinary work is often undervalued,” he said.
“I think it would be far, far better to commemorate the many unsung heroes of Belfast through these commissions rather than it be a vanity project for the mayor.”
Ulster Unionist Party councillor Jim Rodgers, a former lord mayor, said the portraits were an important tradition.
“They do cost a lot of money but we try and keep it down to a respectable level for obvious reasons,” he said.
“We’re conscious that this is ratepayers’ money, but it’s amazing the feedback you actually get, not just from people in Belfast and Northern Ireland, but especially tourists.”
Artist Leah Davis said the portrait opportunity was a “great boost”
A Belfast City Council spokeswoman said the portraits were “viewed by thousands of visitors each year during free tours” of city hall.
“As well as enhancing the visitor experience, the portraits are considered important historical artefacts which contribute to the rich heritage of the city’s most iconic public building,” she added.
“The tradition also supports the city’s vibrant arts sector, with staff working with museum curators to identify potential up-and-coming local artists and provide them with a valuable platform to showcase their talents.
“Colin Davidson, Robert Ballagh, JB Vallely and Nicola Russell are among the renowned artists whose works are featured in this free public art collection.”
