From beach installations to sculpture trails, arty parties to bicentenary celebrations, there’s plenty of visual inspiration to enjoy this summer at the following exhibitions …
IMMA Outdoors 2023
Two days of music and art combine in the grounds of IMMA for its Summer Party on July 14 and 15. The musical lineup includes Jape, Talos, Bricknasty, Qbaana, Dreamcycles, Caoi de Barra, Ailbhe Reddy and Efa O Neill. There’s also a programme of talks curated by Siobhan Kane, who takes her cue from the Aldous Huxley quote “Consciousness is only possible through change; change is only possible through movement…”?A raft of diverse and interesting contributors will explore this idea reflecting on how we contribute and why, and if we can affect an element of change. There will also be a bespoke “live art” experience from multimedia artist Farouk Alao. “Summer Breeze” is inspired by the experience of being present and living in the moment; feeling the summer breeze on a hot summer’s day when the sun is beaming. There will also be two sets of IMMA Tours on the evening of July 14 only. Guests can look forward to delicious nibbles (from Caminero Bakery, Ginger BBQ, Tribal Burger) and refreshments (from Whiplash Beer, Tanqueray Gin and Craft Cocktails).?Day tickets cost €35. For more information on this party and the IMMA Outdoors events which include curator talks, film screenings, workshops and mindfulness sessions, visit www.imma.ie
It Took a Century: Women Artists and the RHA, The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
This exhibition forms part of the RHA bicentenary celebrations and showcases women’s membership of the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts from the election in 1923 of the first woman member, Sarah Purser, to the first woman President, Dr Abigail O’Brien, in 2018. The works, drawn almost exclusively from the collections of the National Gallery of Ireland and the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, are displayed in Room 21 in which Irish art from the late 17th to early 19th centuries is usually displayed. Dr O’Brien explains: “It Took a Century’ is a celebratory exhibition of the contribution of women artists to the life of the RHA and the cultural life of the nation in general. It is also an admonishment to the male establishment that excluded women for so long – to be precise, a century. While noting this indictment, our emphasis here is on the skill, talent and ambition of the 59 artists included, namely, 26 current Academicians of the RHA and 33 deceased members from the past century.” This free exhibition runs until October 22; www.nationalgallery.ie
Giles Norman, The Shape of Water, Kinsale, Co Cork
Coinciding with Kinsale Arts Weekend, from July 6-9, Giles Norman’s first exhibition in five years takes an intimate look at the sea and its delicate subjects from battered barnacles to strings of seaweed, reflecting Giles’ belief that “beauty can be found in the simplest of subjects.” The exhibition takes place at the Giles Norman Gallery, 45 Main Street, Kinsale, which is adjacent to the Giles Norman Townhouse. This offers luxury accommodation and is a great base for exploring the region; www.gilesnorman.com
Niamh McCann, Sentinels, Cork City
Look up on Carey’s Lane, Cork and visitors will see the first of five contemporary sculptures, part of a cultural trail intended to enhance the city centre. The first sculpture is “Sentinels”, a seagull, by artist Niamh McCann, who explains, “‘Sentinels’ is a nod to the old and the new – from Cork City’s diverse and migratory history and its merchant and yachting tradition to its welcoming of new cultures and its urban adaptability. Using a combination of contemporary materials and craft, the installation explores the themes of travel and landscape and draws a line from one end of the lane to the other. I was also influenced by the inhabitants and geography of the lane such as the history of craft, culture and the presence of the Huguenot graveyard. I worked with sustainable materials that work well in outdoor settings such as bronze, jesmonite, and cedar wood. The red rope that links the pieces is a nod to the Rebel county’s traditional colour.” The remaining four sculptures will be installed on the Exchange Building on Princes Street, Cook Street, The Coal Quay and Triskel Christchurch. To learn more follow @islandcitycorksculpture
Double Shuffle, Kerlin Gallery, Dublin 2
“Double Shuffle” is a two-person exhibition by Victoria Morton and Merlin James. Presenting the artists’ work side by side the exhibition showcases two different but interlinked approaches to painting. Presented together their works promise a mutually enriching and illuminating push/pull, between figuration and abstraction, surface and depth, flow and resistance, dynamism and stillness, translucency and opacity: a double shuffle. The exhibition runs at Kerlin Gallery, Anne’s Lane, South Anne Street, Dublin 2; www.kerlingallery.com
Margo Banks, Crow Voice, Fox Voice, Wolf Voice, Solomon Fine Art, Dublin 2
This exhibition, which runs until July 22, includes a range of Margo Banks’s popular mixed media studies of Irish wildlife. In these large, energetic works the artist hopes to capture the freedom, autonomy and sense of otherness enjoyed by creatures of the wild. Margo also responds to the evolution and the decline of the natural environment of Ireland. Familiar Irish fauna such as the hare, fox, deer and crow are observed and portrayed alongside those which have been lost over time such as the wolf and bear. The exhibition is a reminder of our fragile, declining biodiversity; it celebrates what has endured and what has been lost. For further information visit www.solomonfineart.ie
Emily Quinn, Art of Strength, Dundrum Town Centre
Emily Quinn’s “Art of Strength” exhibition has arrived at Pembroke Square in Dundrum Town Centre until July 20. Bringing together art, history, design and photography, the exhibition explores Irish womanhood through a clever collaboration of celebrated contemporary Irish women and notable historical figures. Fashion stylist Catherine Condell worked alongside Emily on this series, drawing inspiration from Irish historical figures and tradition for the styling. The exhibition features portraits including those of Hanna Sheehy-Skeffington (portrayed by Vicky Phelan), Lady Gregory (portrayed by actress Kate O’Toole), Eileen Gray (portrayed by actress Simone Kirby, pictured above), Mainie Jellett (portrayed by Domino Whisker), Grace O’Malley (portrayed by Imelda May) and Maud Gonne (portrayed by actress Cathy Belton); www.dundrum.ie
Fatti Burke, Guinness Storehouse, Dublin
“Lovely Day for a Visit” is a summer experience that captures the best of the Irish outdoors under one roof. Everyone’s favourites – the beach and the park – have been reimagined throughout the Guinness Storehouse by Irish illustrator Fatti Burke. This includes an indoor beach installation, and a busking piano for visitors to enjoy. Irish designer Cyan Ryan’s work will iso be featured throughout the building, reimagining the Guinness archives in a new way. Aches’ “We’ll be Dancin’ in the Sun” artwork also serves as the perfect Instagram background. “A Lovely Day for a Visit” is open daily from 10am. The exhibition is included in each experience ticket, which starts at €26; www.guinness-storehouse.com
My Favourite Artwork, The Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin 1
In December 2022, the gallery encouraged its interns and volunteers, mainly art history students, to write about their favourite artworks from the gallery’s stockroom. This mid-summer exhibition will feature all of these works accompanied by the texts. Exhibiting artists include Annika Berglund, Sheila Naughton, Yanny Petters (pictured above), Kelly Ratchford, Vicky Smith and Susanne Wawra. The exhibition, which will open on Thursday, July 13 until August 27, will also allow collectors to acquire important works at a discounted price, a special offer only valid for the duration of the show; www.oliviercornetgallery.com
Gillian Lawler, Edgelands, The Molesworth Gallery, Dublin
A subtle treatment of colour, texture and scale are the hallmarks of Gillian Lawler’s paintings. Her new exhibition at The Molesworth Gallery, 16 Molesworth Street, runs until July 20 and has been described as “a celebration of everything that is good in painting” by the former head of collections at IMMA. www.molesworthgallery.com
Picking Up The Pieces, Signal Art Centre, Bray, Co Wicklow
“Picking Up the Pieces”, is a three woman show featuring the works of Darina Meagher, Cathy O’Reilly Hayes, and Ann Marie Webb. Working with installation, film and paint, it is a celebration of the human experience, of imperfection and the beauty that comes with it, and a reminder that we are all works in progress. The exhibition will run from July 10 to July 23, at Signal Art Centre, 1a Albert Avenue, Bray; www.signalartscentre.ie
Sculpture Exhibition, The Montenotte Hotel, Cork
If you’re at The Montenotte Hotel for a cocktail or lunch on its panoramic terrace, do pop down to see the hotel’s beautiful Victorian Gardens, which is the setting for an exhibition by some of Ireland’s best sculptors including Dawn Conn, Donnacha Cahill and Stephanie Hess (pictured). The exhibition, curated by The Kildare Gallery, with whom the hotel has an interesting ongoing partnership, runs until the end of August; www.themontenottehotel.com
Anna McKeever, I Brought You Flowers, Ormeau Road, Belfast
This series of vibrant floral paintings has been inspired by the Belfast-based artist’s observations on mental health, formed as a doctor working within the National Health Service and also in dealing with various life experiences. “I have given flowers to say Happy Birthday, or congratulations. I have given daffodils at Easter and received red roses from my Valentine. I have caught a bride’s bouquet. I have given flowers to say goodbye or I’m sorry. I have laid flowers on a grave of a loved one,” explains Anna. Through this collection Anna reflects on the the struggle to communicate or open up to others, and how the simple act of giving flowers is a way to transcend constraints caused by language.The exhibition runs throughout the summer at her studio and gallery, 455 Ormeau Road, Belfast; www.annamckeever.com