Tributes paid to Arlene Wege, painter of Derry’s iconic early murals

Arlene Wege pictured while being interviewed by the Journal back in 2019 in Derry with a depiction of one of the iconic murals she painted beside Free Derry Corner and her design for the first ever Gasyard Feile, which she hand painted onto T-shirts to sell at the time. Local man Frankie McMenamin had an original T-shirt from the time which helped Arlene to recreate the artwork for the Museum of Free Derry where she volunteered. She had also created new artworks of the Fist in the Flame mural artwork to be sold at the Museum of Free Derry during the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Bogside.

Tributes have been paid to Arlene Wege, a woman who came from America, fell in love with Derry and painted some of the city’s most iconic early murals.

Arlene Wege passed away recently and the Museum of Free Derry, where she volunteered, have dedicated their 49th Bloody Sunday anniversary programme in her memory.

Two years ago Arlene, in an interview with the Derry Journal (see link below), described how when she arrived by bus into the city for the first time as part of a group of Americans visiting Northern Ireland in 1989, she just knew she had come home. She had in recent years volunteered with numerous local charities and cultural organisations.

Maeve McLaughlin from the Bloody Sunday Trust and Museum of Free Derry said: “We are deeply saddened by the untimely passing of our friend and volunteer Arlene Wege.

“Arlene you loved Derry and Derry loved you. Thank you for many, many hours of selfless contribution. We dedicate our #BloodySunday49 to you. We will miss you.”

Foyle Pride meanwhile stated: “It is with great sadness that we learned of the sudden death of our friend Arlene.

“For many years Arlene was a great supporter of Foyle Pride, attending the parade and events and helping out whenever she could. We will miss you. Rest in power Arlene.”

Arlene also volunteered with the Foyle Foodbank. In a statement, they said: “It is with great sadness we received the news of the passing of Arlene Wege.

Arlene Wege pictured in years gone by painting Free Derry Corner.

“Arlene has been a valued volunteer with us over the last 3 years, and we will miss having her around.

“We would like to pass on our sincerest condolences to Arlene’s family and friends at this time.”

Arlene’s friend, local community activist Frankie McMenamin said: “Arlene was a very dedicated to the Civil Rights movement, women’s rights and she had a great love for the people of Derry and Irish people generally.

“She will be sadly missed but she left a legacy through her street art and the murals in the 1990s.”

After arriving in Derry, Arlene went on to leave her own mark as a muralist, artist and actress whilst living in the heart of the city during those final years of the ‘Troubles,’ and was responsible for painting and helping to paint some of the most iconic murals of the era. Among these was the commemorative Battle of the Bogside Fist of Flame mural in the Bogside, and she also helped restore the famous Mise Eire mural on Chamberlain Street back in 1990.

Despite returning to the US, her experiences here left such an indelible mark that Arlene returned to live in Derry permanently in 2017 and had wasted no time getting back into the heart of the cultural scene.

Arlene, who grew up in England before spending much of her life in New York City and State, told the Journal back in June 2019: “I came to Derry 30 years ago. It was on a Noraid tour. We travelled around the Six Counties; stayed in people’s homes, learning first hand as the ‘Troubles’ were still going on. It was really eye-opening; mind boggling; life-changing.

“All those places were wonderful and all those people were fantastic, but when that bus travelled over the Craigavon Bridge, I knew I was home. No explanation, that’s it. So I kept coming back and forth for 28 years. I hadn’t been to Ireland before that trip and something just clicked.”

Arlene said the city was very different back then, parts of it razed to the ground with bomb damaged buildings and cars. “I lived in the Bog and in the Brandywell and I experienced raids in the homes I was living in.

“I was shot at - wrong place, wrong time - but I knew from the people I met, especially the young people, that if the ‘Troubles’ could finish, I saw the seeds of this amazing beautiful flower that was going to blossom if given the chance.”

Among those in the cultural sector to pay tribute this weekend were the North West Carnival Initiative, which stated: “We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of our dear friend and colleague Arlene Wege.

“Arlene volunteered at the North West Carnival for several years, in her time with us she brought incredible energy and enthusiasm to everything she did, she was a creative dynamo.

“We can’t claim her alone, she was involved in so much across the city, she also volunteered at the Foyle Food Bank, the Museum of Free Derry and the Gasyard Feile to name but a few. Arlene was loved by many and will be sorely missed by us all.”

READ THE FULL 2019 INTERVIEW: www.derryjournal.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/painter-early-murals-returns-heart-derrys-cultural-scene-965670