For most of October, Waterford can enjoy a glimpse of the so-called "Art of the State", a selection of the thousands of works of art owned by the Government departments - North and South - which are responsible for the provision of art works in State buildings.
An exhibition, entitled Landscapes North and South, which opened in Waterford City Hall at the weekend, is the result of a collaborative venture between the Office of Public Works and the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland.
This is the first time both departments have joined together to tour a selection of their paintings around venues in the Republic and Northern Ireland.
The OPW owns some 2,500 works, mostly paintings, which normally hang on the walls of Government offices. The Department of the Environment in Northern Ireland owns a further 1,000 works.
The landscapes exhibition comprises 67 works from the two collections and they range from late 19th century to contemporary paintings by artists associated with Ireland and Northern Ireland, by birth or residence.
Half of these went on display last month in the Glebe House and Gallery, Donegal, and more than 30 are now exhibited in Waterford until October 25th, accompanied by a fine catalogue with colour plates.
The Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Mr Martin Cullen, noted at the opening that this collection of works by artists from both parts of the island "is just one of the many things we share in common".
He pointed out that the purchase of art works by the OPW arises under the Government's Per Cent for Art scheme, under which 1 per cent of the construction-refurbishment budget for a State project is spent on art work.
The scheme has been in place since 1978, and this year the Government approved an increase in the ceiling to a maximum of £50,000 on a project of £5 million.
The Northern Ireland Department of the Environment is less generously endowed, having to operate within a fixed budget of £30,000 for art purchases each year.
However, both departments are committed to supporting the work of local artists, and their combined collections represent an important and varied selection of Irish artists' work.
The landscapes show is the seventh annual touring exhibition which the OPW has been engaged in organising. The complete exhibition of 67 paintings will move to Belfast's Waterfront Hall in November and to New York early next year.