The Arts Office Laois County Council is beyond proud to present In Trust. In Hope. In Gratitude. 10 years at The Laois Arthouse! The milestone exhibition is composed of work from over 60 artists who have been part of the Laois Arthouse programme since its establishment in 2011. Almost ready for our audience, join us  from Tuesday 7th of December and celebrate our 10 year anniversary.  Running from Tuesday 7 December 2021 until Friday 25 March 2022, the exhibition will be open to the public to visit individually and in small, single-household groups from Tuesday-Friday 1pm to 4pm. Admission is free.

First glimpse of the work being installed

In Trust. In Gratitude. In Hope.

Laois Arthouse celebrates its 10th anniversary with a new exhibition inspired by a poem by critically-acclaimed poet Pat Boran

FEATURED ART PHOTOGRAPHY BANK

Laois County Council is pleased to present In Trust. In Gratitude. In Hope. 10 Years at the Laois Arthouse, an exhibition featuring the work of over 60 artists who have been part of the Laois Arthouse programme since its establishment in 2011 by Laois County Council Arts Service. This 10^th Anniversary exhibition will be a unique opportunity for the artists and Laois County Council to celebrate the achievement of 10 years of exhibition making, artist hosting and creative place making with the surrounding community of Stradbally, County Laois and beyond.

The exhibition will be formally opened by Kevin Kavanagh of Kevin Kavanagh Gallery Dublin on Saturday 4th December from 2pm. To adhere to COVID-19 guidelines surrounding large indoor gatherings, the event will be filmed and available to watch online for those who cannot attend in person.

Welcoming the exhibition and publication, Cllr. Conor Bergin, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council said, ‘Laois County Council is delighted to mark the tenth anniversary of the Laois Arthouse and thank the artists who have joined us in celebrating this important milestone.’

Muireann Ní Chonaill, Arts Officer, Laois County Council said ‘It is a joy to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Laois Arthouse through the creativity of the artists who have so generously responded to the poem by Pat Boran. We welcome the artists who have come together to reflect on the Laois Arthouse and we look forward to what the future holds.’

Boasting new work from artists including: esteemed members of Aosdana, Rita Duffy, Martin Gale and Nick Miller, to name but a few; the organisers  asked the artists to create artworks in response to a specially commissioned poem, The Window Seat, by one of Ireland’s leading poets Pat Boran. Pat, originally from Co. Laois was one of the sitters for Nick Miller’s portrait project, at The Laois Arthouse, in 2015.

Speaking on the role of art in society, Boran said; ‘Most of the world’s religions honour seers, visionaries, people who have an apparent ability to see beyond the surface of things. But the gift of seeing what is right there in front of us, and of translating it into images that can be shared with others, is a no-less-wondrous talent. It is also a significant part of the exchange that makes us human. I congratulate Laois Arthouse on reaching its tenth birthday, and on providing for so many a welcome and welcoming space, an essential space, for both seeing and sharing.’

The creative space that The Laois Arthouse has afforded artists and the community of Stradbally is a testimony to the strategic foresight and ongoing financial support of Laois County Council and funding partners The Arts Council and Creative Ireland.  In all, The Laois Arthouse has hosted over 50 resident artists during its first 10 years and has presented 50 exhibitions. It has also supported emerging visual artists and designers through its residency awards to graduates in association with the Design & Crafts Council Ireland and the National College of Art & Design.

The exhibition’s curator, Monica Flynn said; ‘I was honoured to have been invited to curate this exhibition in my home county.  Thinking about celebrating the achievements of The Laois Arthouse led me to think about the circumstances of artist’s studios and the gap between studio and opportunities to show work. Studio spaces are often far from ideal, thus spaces such as The Laois Arthouse offer a really precious opportunity for artists to make work away from the demands of the everyday and the opportunity for their work to meet its first audience and engage with new and stimulating places and communities.”

In Trust. In Gratitude. In Hope.

Laois Arthouse celebrates its 10th anniversary with a new exhibition inspired by a poem by critically-acclaimed poet Pat Boran

FEATURED ART PHOTOGRAPHY BANK

Laois County Council is pleased to present In Trust. In Gratitude. In Hope. 10 Years at the Laois Arthouse, an exhibition featuring the work of over 60 artists who have been part of the Laois Arthouse programme since its establishment in 2011 by Laois County Council Arts Service. This 10^th Anniversary exhibition will be a unique opportunity for the artists and Laois County Council to celebrate the achievement of 10 years of exhibition making, artist hosting and creative place making with the surrounding community of Stradbally, County Laois and beyond.

The exhibition will be formally opened by Kevin Kavanagh of Kevin Kavanagh Gallery Dublin on Saturday 4th December from 2pm. To adhere to COVID-19 guidelines surrounding large indoor gatherings, the event will be filmed and available to watch online for those who cannot attend in person.

Welcoming the exhibition and publication, Cllr. Conor Bergin, Cathaoirleach of Laois County Council said, ‘Laois County Council is delighted to mark the tenth anniversary of the Laois Arthouse and thank the artists who have joined us in celebrating this important milestone.’

Muireann Ní Chonaill, Arts Officer, Laois County Council said ‘It is a joy to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Laois Arthouse through the creativity of the artists who have so generously responded to the poem by Pat Boran. We welcome the artists who have come together to reflect on the Laois Arthouse and we look forward to what the future holds.’

Boasting new work from artists including: esteemed members of Aosdana, Rita Duffy, Martin Gale and Nick Miller, to name but a few; the organisers  asked the artists to create artworks in response to a specially commissioned poem, The Window Seat, by one of Ireland’s leading poets Pat Boran. Pat, originally from Co. Laois was one of the sitters for Nick Miller’s portrait project, at The Laois Arthouse, in 2015.

Speaking on the role of art in society, Boran said; ‘Most of the world’s religions honour seers, visionaries, people who have an apparent ability to see beyond the surface of things. But the gift of seeing what is right there in front of us, and of translating it into images that can be shared with others, is a no-less-wondrous talent. It is also a significant part of the exchange that makes us human. I congratulate Laois Arthouse on reaching its tenth birthday, and on providing for so many a welcome and welcoming space, an essential space, for both seeing and sharing.’

The creative space that The Laois Arthouse has afforded artists and the community of Stradbally is a testimony to the strategic foresight and ongoing financial support of Laois County Council and funding partners The Arts Council and Creative Ireland.  In all, The Laois Arthouse has hosted over 50 resident artists during its first 10 years and has presented 50 exhibitions. It has also supported emerging visual artists and designers through its residency awards to graduates in association with the Design & Crafts Council Ireland and the National College of Art & Design.

The exhibition’s curator, Monica Flynn said; ‘I was honoured to have been invited to curate this exhibition in my home county.  Thinking about celebrating the achievements of The Laois Arthouse led me to think about the circumstances of artist’s studios and the gap between studio and opportunities to show work. Studio spaces are often far from ideal, thus spaces such as The Laois Arthouse offer a really precious opportunity for artists to make work away from the demands of the everyday and the opportunity for their work to meet its first audience and engage with new and stimulating places and communities.”

Running from Tuesday 7 December 2021 until Friday 25 March 2022, the exhibition will be open to the public to visit individually and in small, single-household groups from Tuesday-Friday 1pm to 4pm. Admission is free.

Saoirse Nisbett – saoirse@wethepeoplecomms.ie – 0857192416

Notes to Editor

Interviews are available with:

• Monica Flynn; Exhibition Curator
• Muireann Ní Chonaill; Arts Officer, Laois County Council

Private exhibition Preview: from 14:00 Saturday 2 December 2021

Exhibition Runs: Tuesday 7 December – Friday 25 March 2022.

Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 1pm to 4pm. Admission is free.

Admission to the exhibition and events are free. Full details about the opening and events at: www.arthouse.ie

Web & Social Media Links

Facebook: @LaoisArts     Twitter: @LaoisArts    Instagram: @LaoisArts

In Trust. In Gratitude. In Hope. has been supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council and the Arts Council.

Press queries:

Saoirse Nisbett – saoirse@wethepeoplecomms.ie – 0857192416

Private exhibition Preview: from 14:00 Saturday 2 December 2021

Exhibition Runs: Tuesday 7 December – Friday 25 March 2022.

Opening Times: Tuesday-Friday 1pm to 4pm. Admission is free.

Admission to the exhibition and events are free. Full details about the opening and events at: www.arthouse.ie

Web & Social Media Links

www.arthouse.ie       Facebook: @LaoisArts     Twitter: @LaoisArts    Instagram: @LaoisArts

In Trust. In Gratitude. In Hope. has been supported by Creative Ireland Laois as part of the Creative Ireland Programme in partnership with Laois County Council and the Arts Council.

Celebrating a return for audiences to the arts in seven towns across Laois, DunamaiseArts Centre is proud to present a major new project entitled re: CENTRING, a combination of free, live events between now and April 2022, led by artists and curators with origins in and strong connections to the county. re: CENTRING, which is funded by the Arts Council Initiative In the Open / Faoin Spéir, takes place in collaboration with Laois County Council Arts Office and Music Generation Laois. The first event will be headlined by singer-songwriter Jack L on Sunday 26 September in Stradbally – to book tickets for the evening concert, see dunamaise.ie and Dunamaise socials. And a range of free outdoor events will take place across the town throughout the day from 12pm – 6pm, with no advance booking requirements, guided by safe distancing outdoors. Members of the community can stroll through Stradbally and enjoy all that they encounter.

The Market Square will be a hive of activity with the Laois Arthouse Collective exhibiting a selection of art works, ceramics and sculptures with a live performance art event also taking place, coordinated by Ballyfin based artist, Kevin Mc Cann. The public can engage with artists to discuss their processes, as they create paintings live on site!

The Bandwagon will visit the Green at Courthouse Square, with an afternoon of live music and workshops, including Laois band Paper Planes and Portlaoise Singer-Songwriter James O’Connor.

From 12 noon entertaining puppet shows for all the family will colour and energise the garden of Laois Arthouse while the Arthouse Gallery will be open throughout the day for visitors to enjoy ‘Moving On’ – an Exhibition of ceramics by Artist Monica O’Meara.  All events will be presented in line with current Government Guidelines and restrictions and capacities will be managed. Please follow instructions from festival stewards to ensure everyone’s health, safety and enjoyment of events on the day.

Laois Arthouse Gallery presents  ‘Moving On’ – An Exhibition of Ceramics from 4pm-8pm  – Artist Monica O’Meara will exhibit a selection of her abstract ceramic works both wall and plinth mounted.  Meet the artist Monica O’ Meara in the Arthouse, Stradbally on Culture Night 2021.  “I feel deeply connected to untamed landscapes prevalent in the Irish uplands and coast – the physical marks, exposed rocks, cracks and folds, contrasting colours and textures that evidence their creation.  My work explores geology and the concept of time, investigating the notion of capturing and accelerating unfathomable time through ceramic processes. Ceramic construction methods and materials echo the brute natural forces intrinsic to the formation of geological strata and their subsequent breakdown and exposure through erosion – crushing, crashing, scorching, rupturing and shattering. My approach of using layers to emphasise on a micro level to convey what is evident in the natural world on a macro level has resonances with the passing of time in the life of humankind. ‘Moving On’ explores our responses to both time and nature in the rapidly changing times we presently find ourselves.”   Join Monica at ‘Moving On’ for informal conversations on the day.

Painting the Particular

The Laois Arthouse Gallery , Stradbally, Co Laois is delighted to re-open with an exhibtion entitled Painting the Particular – Paintings of Suburban Dublin 2004-2016 by Mary Burke.

Mary Burke studied Fine Art at NCAD graduating in 1982. 
She has exhibited extensively both in Ireland and abroad and she has been awarded residencies at the Leighton Artists’ Colony at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada and a United States Information Agency fellowship to work at the Vermont Studio Center, USA. She has received several awards including three Arts Council bursaries, a bursary from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation (Montreal), a Golden Fleece Merit Award from the Lillias Mitchell Trust and two Professional Development grants from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council. Her work has been purchased for many public and corporate collections including The Arts Council, AIB International Financial Services Centre, Ulster Bank, KBC Bank, Eircom, Dublin Airport Authority, Aer Motive Ireland, South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council, Laois County Council and the Office of Public Works. She also has a Masters degrees in Anthropology and Digital Media Technologies. Recent projects include House Portraits (in partnership with Tallaght Community Arts and Maynooth University 2015) and TOWNSCAPE (in collaboration with Laois County Council Arts Office and the Sociology Department of Maynooth University 2018-19). Her most recent project At Home on the Farm is a commissioned exhibition for the Limerick City Gallery of Art (2021) A selection of Mary Burkes paintings will be on display in the Laois Arthouse.

Mary conducted this years annual Adult Summer Art course in the Malthouse, located in the centre of  Stradbally, Co Laois.  Eight particpants enjoyed the four day course and Mary shared her work methods and experience to assist and guide students in making art works that responded to the town of Stradbally. The Laois Arthouse is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.

The exhibition open from 20 July until  3^rd September and from Tuesday to Friday, 1pm-4pm. and Saturday 10am-1pm.  The Gallery can be accessed through the Public Library each day except for Friday when it can be accessed through the Arthouse, on the Timahoe Road. Admission is free.

For further informaiton about the exhibition, please contact Muireann Ní Chonaill  and /or the Arts Office team at artsoff@laoiscoco.ie on  057 86 64109

Painting-the-Particular-List-of-Works

For 2021 Laois Arts Office on behalf of the Culture & Creativity team launch the Cruinniú na nÓg Art Competition  –  Laois Series: A Sense of Place and invite  children and young people up to 18 (living in Laois) to create a piece of art inspired by their ‘sense of place’.  The artwork can be in any visual art medium such as, drawing, painting, lego, sculpture, print, collage, digital photography, mixed media, graffiti, etc.  The age categories for submissions are under 6, 6-8, 9-11, 12-14 & 15-18.  One winner from each age category will be selected.  Their artworks will be professionally photographed and exhibited at Dunamaise Arts Centre.  The five artworks selected will also become part of a series of postcards reflecting the many facets of Laois and our ‘sense of place’ and will be available to the public for free.  The Competition is open for submissions until Wed 23^rd June.  For all entry details go to dunamaise.ie.

The Arts Office are currently  exhibiting  work by resident artists; Sarah Delany, Rennie Buenting and Jen Donnery from Laois Arthouse Stradbally online as part of the Laois Bealtaine programme of events.  The exhibition is titled  “A Road Less Travelled” in memory of those who lost their lives in care settings during this tragic journey through the pandemic.  Artists in residence at the Arthouse Stradbally were asked to respond to the theme of Caring and Sharing to create a piece of artwork for St Vincents Hospital Mountmellick, Abbeyleix District Hospital and St Brigids’ Hospital Shaen.  Selection of the work was made by a panel from each of the hospitals.  The artwork submitted as well as the  selected pieces can be viewed online until the end of  May to give people a  chance to consider purchasing a piece for themselves or to donate to a Care Home of their choice in the county.  Great credit goes to resident artist David Tully who curated and presented the online showcase.

Sarah Delany  is an award-winning artist living in Laois. She began her artistic training at the Byam Shaw School of painting and drawing London graduating in Fine Art.  Since then she has emerged as a gifted painter specialising in animals and landscape. Sarah intuitively applies her paint in thick broad, highly spirited brushstrokes that not only convey the essence of her subject but also highlights an artist who understands what paint is about. Sarah has exhibited widely in  both England and Ireland and her work is held in  public and private collections. She is currently a resident at Laois Arthouse Stradbally.

Rennie Buenting commenced her professional art career after many years of teaching in schools and education centres while running a thoroughbred racing stud farm.  Rennie submerges herself in her subject and allows it to dictate the medium she uses.  These include painting, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, installation, film and performance that deliver a unique experience of a space, a place, a cause, or a landscape, and often serve as a discussion platform.  Rennie has been awarded numerous bursaries and residencies and has exhibited in Ireland, Scotland, and on the continent.  In February 2021 she was awarded a month’s residency for the painting and song “Joya” in the Dunamaise Open Submission Exhibition.  The two most popular exhibitions to date, The Magdalen Laundries and Where has all the sugar gone? (an exhibition about the cessation of the Irish Sugar Industry) include large installations and audience participation and attract much interest and discussion.  Her work also features in the Prince of Wales’ art collection. ww.renniebuenting.weebly.com

Jen Donnery’s 2020 solo show Mater Materia took place in the Dunamaise Arts Centre; she was shortlisted for the DCCI Future Makers Awards in the same year. Her drawings, paintings and ceramic sculptures engage with themes of maternity, femininity, and the capacity of a woman’s body to produce and nurture human life. Donnery’s work has been selected for the 2019 Ceramics Ireland Selected Members Exhibition at Rathfarnham Castle, Dublin, and Sculpture in Context, 2019 & 2020, in the National Botanic Gardens. In 2017, she was awarded a residency at the Laois Arthouse for her work in the Dunamaise Open Submission Exhibition. www.jendonnery.com

For more info or to purchase a piece of work contact:  E artsoff@laoiscoco.ie or T: 057 8664000 or visit www.laois.ie