• Picture This: Your National Visual Arts Guide – Education

    June 13, 2016 - By 

    The three shows that make up this week’s edition of Picture This are as diverse and seemingly contrasting as the come. One features the retrospective of an Irish painter born a hundred years ago (Ulster Museum in Belfast), another is a graduation show of 16 photographers (Gallery of Photography in Dublin), while the third (Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda) takes a look at an altogether more national subject – The 1916 Rising. While the dates of 1916 and 2016, as both departure and reflection points, feature in each exhibition it’s the themes of education and understanding the ring out loudest from these four…

  • Picture This: Your National Visual Arts Guide – Retrospective Viewpoints

    May 27, 2016 - By 

    Merlin James, Fence, 2002 The themes of retrospectives and viewpoints, in terms of personal, institutional and national culture, resonate in the shows from Dublin, Carlow and Limerick chosen in this edition of Picture This. In Dublin, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios’ latest exhibition looks at the last 100 years history of Trinity College and casts a light on some of the institution’s lesser known fables. A more critical look at the role of educational institutions can be found in Limerick and Ormston House, this show also looks at the cultural appropriation of languages in Ireland and further afield. Cultural appropriation…

  • Visual Arts Outlook (4/8)

    August 4, 2015 - By 

    So after a longer than intended yet still brief hiatus (when I say hiatus I mean holidays in the rain!), I’m back with all your Visual Arts events, wants and needs. As usual July was a quiet month, with many shows continuing on, or galleries preparing for the busy Autumn period (don’t worry – I know we’re not there yet). The beginning of August sees lots of new events on the Irish art scene, including a three day exhibition at Pollen, The Lime Walk Project featuring work by Aiden Deery, Gail Mahon, Heather Dornan Wilson, Stuart Cairns, Alice Clarke and…