For your next culture day …
Irish Design Works 25, Ballymaloe Grainstore, Co Cork
There’s still time to see this exhibition that brings together 20 Irish designers and makers across disciplines including furniture, ceramics, lighting, sculptural woodwork, artisan rugs, glass, and willow. Among the featured exhibitors are widely respected names including Ceadogán Rugmakers, Shane Holland Design, Gabriel Furniture, Glasshammer Studios, and Daniel Gill Furniture. Whether you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind piece, commissioning a bespoke design, or just wandering through the venue, enjoying the skills and objects on display, the exhibition is an opportunity to explore and admire some of the country’s top makers under one roof. @ballymaloe_grainstore
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Mary Quant – 60s Mini Revolution, Newbridge Silverware, Co Kildare
This new exhibition honours the legacy of late British fashion designer Dame Mary Quant whose playful approach to fashion helped define the Swinging Sixties and revolutionised how women dressed. It also marks the first time the collection, owned by Dubliner Jannette Flood, has been shown in Ireland. Having previously featured in the Victoria and Albert Museum’s acclaimed touring exhibition, it includes a remarkable array of original garments, make-up and accessories collected over several decades. Highlights include rare examples of Quant’s playful “Face Crayons”, her iconic black and white PVC handbags, a dramatic hot pink cape and ring pull zipper dresses. As the exhibition demonstrates, Quant’s work was never just about clothing – it was about confidence, independence and joy. @newbridgesilverware
The Bedding Planes, Pop-Up Gallery, Kilkenny Arts Festival
The annual Kilkenny Arts Festival is underway with new projects and commissions, intriguing installations and residencies. A focal point is the audio and visual projection spectacle from the genre-defying artist Laura Sheeran for Light Up the Castle. Sheeran’s work asks what it means to be human today in a world gripped by technological advancement, in an ecological crisis. There’s also a pop-up gallery and exhibition at Burnchurch where visitors can see “Bedding Planes” curated by Helena Gorey. The exhibition shows her works and introduces Roise O’Shea, alongside forms and vessels in clay by Rob Pearson and Peter Scroope. @kilkennyartsfestival
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Re-imagined Places, Gallery 545, Belfast
Gallery 545 presents an exhibition of original artworks inspired by landscapes created by accomplished artists based in Northern Ireland including Lisa Ballard, Louise Lennon, Rosie McGurran, Maria Perry, Latisha Reihill, Juste Bernotaite and Anushiya Sundaralingam. They all find inspiration in natural surroundings, from beautiful views to atmospheric imaginary lands, and vibrant abstract paintings. @gallery545online
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Reveal, Conceal, Farmleigh in The Phoenix Park, Dublin 20
Spanning textiles, glass, jewellery, ceramics, print, sculpture and painting, “Reveal, Conceal” brings together 25 Louth Craftmark artists who explore the space between the visible and the veiled – revealing hidden narratives and inner worlds. From the layered transparencies of fused glass artist Aoife Burke, who uses iris imagery to explore life’s constant expansion and contraction, to the embroidered dreamscapes of Sinéad Gregory, whose figurative stitching traces the contours of memory and imagination, each work invites the viewer to pause and look beneath the surface. Other participating artists include Krystyna Krasowska-Cicha and Colleen Eilís Murphy, who reimagines myth and tarot through experimental printmaking. @louthcraftmark
Summer Exhibition, Graphic Studio Gallery, Dublin 2
Now in its 65th year, Graphic Studio Dublin continues to be a vital space for fine art printmaking in Ireland. The current exhibition brings together new work by current members and invited artists, reflecting the wide range of styles, subjects and techniques explored in the studio today. From etching and lithography to carborundum and screenprint, the show celebrates the community and experimentation that has defined the studio for more than six decades. Featured artists include Jean Bardon, Ailbhe Barrett, Sinead McGuinness, Kate MacDonagh and many more. @graphicstudiodublin
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Garrett Cormican, Trading Places, Taylor Galleries, Dublin 2
The self-taught artist’s last exhibition explores shifting perspectives between cities, cultures, time and identity. His paintings of Istanbul capture its architecture, markets and trade routes while his still life work celebrates the joy of food, movement and travel. Also at the gallery is a summer group exhibition on the first floor. @taylorgalleries
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True Colour, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin 1
This group exhibition includes paintings by 15 artists, both represented and invited, from Ireland and abroad. It’s the latest in a series of group exhibitions presented by the gallery over the years, including the most recent entitled “Magic and Loss”. @kevinkavanaghgallery
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Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks, Dublin 1
With the Natural History Museum closed for conservation and refurbishment works, The Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks has been created to ensure the public continues to have an opportunity to see some of the most popular specimens from its natural history collection. Firm favourites include Spoticus the Giraffe and the infamous eel choking on a frog as well as many items returning to display after many years in storage, such as the dodo skeleton. The National Museum of Ireland has the world’s largest collection of Blaschka Glass Models of Marine Life created in the 19th century by world renowned glass artisan father and son team Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka, some of which have not been seen for generations. @dublindeadzoo
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And …
If you’re inspired to get creative, check out photographer Brendan Ó Sé’s street photography workshop organised by Photo Museum Ireland on August 23. Participants will spend the day walking Dublin’s streets, focusing on technique and storytelling, all while developing their photographic voice. @photomuseumirl
Plus book ahead for a special art appreciation dinner at Sheen Falls Lodge to celebrate Gormleys’ first exhibition in Co Kerry on September 16. Guests will enjoy an elegant evening including a reception and guided tour of the exhibition followed by an intimate artist conversation with Liam O’Neill, John Redmond and Jenny Belton. The experience ends with a seasonal three-course dinner with wine pairings, created by executive chef Mark Treacy. @sheenfalls @gormleysgallery
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