2012 Art Events

Everything can be Done, in Principle

• Exibition Poster ( pdf 1mb )
  Brochure Website ( external link )

  
  

Outlined in the banditti of the plains by A.S. Mercer, ( 1894 ) a band of fifty-two cattlemen and hired gunmen invaded Johnson Country, Wyoming, in April 1892 killing and terrorizing the settlers. Through the raising of the timber and canvas roller skating rink within the gallery, Duggan’s ambitious installation transports gallery visitors through the frontier lands of Wyoming and American Western Cinema as seen in Michael Cimino’s Heavens’s Gate ( 1980 ). Duggan invites the public to participate in a public activity, to skate in costume, in the place and time of the Johnson County’s war, suggesting this trope allows Ireland of 21st century to explore notions of its social identity.

From June 9th to August 26th, 2012

International Pan Celtic Festival

The International Pan Celtic Festival comes to Carlow from 10th to 15th April 2012 and 2nd to 7th April, 2013 with thousands of visitors from Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Isle of Man, Brittany and Cornwall. There will be huge demand for accommodation, food and activities in this 5-day action packed festival for all. There will be music, song and dance competitions, a parade and lots of fringe events with lots of local, national and international media attention.

For further information contact Emma on 059 9158105 or 085 1340047 or emma@glorcheatharlach.ie

Call for Artists Tullow Civic Offices

Carlow Local Authorities Arts Office is seeking artists, art groups and schools based in Co. Carlow who produce 2D work.  Tullow Civic Office exhibition space provides a great opportunity to all who wish to exhibit their work to the public.  If you are interested please forward samples of your work - no originals – please send either photographs, CDs or slides etc., size dimensions and the number of works you have available to exhibit. Please clearly label all material you send in, with a brief statement of the type of works you propose to exhibit, including your contact details stating your name, address telephone number and email. 

For further information contact Ann Scully on 059 9136204 or ascully@carlowcoco.ie

Past Exhibitions: China Blossoms

Amanda is originally from Dublin and now lives in Carlow with her husband and three children. Amanda has exhibited in Spain and Dublin in the Fringe Festival and with the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and also worked voluntarily with Rehab in Carlow teaching art. Since being the recipient of the Art Acts Grant from Carlow County Council in 2009 Amanda has been working on her latest body of artwork which explores the subjects of social inclusion and the options and choices we are dealt in life.

Call for Artists Carlow Town Library

Carlow Town Library is seeking artists, art groups and schools based in Co. Carlow who produce 2D work.  The Shaw Room in Carlow Town Library exhibition space provides a great opportunity to all who wish to exhibit their work to the public.  If you are interested please forward samples of your work - no originals – please send either photographs, CDs or slides etc., size dimensions and the number of works you have available to exhibit. Please clearly label all material you send in, with a brief statement of the type of works you propose to exhibit, including your contact details stating your name, address telephone number and email.

Further information contact John Shortall on 059 91 70094 or jshortall@carlowcoco.ie

2011 Art Events

Carlow African Film Festival

The Carlow African Film Festival now in its 7th year is Ireland’s First African Film Festival.  It provides an annual platform to celebrate and explore the intellectual and aesthetic diversity of African Culture and promotes social interaction and intergration by bringing together the various communities of Africa, Ireland and indeed the world.  It aims to celebrate and promote excellence in African Filmmaking by showcasing and honouring best works and also provide artistic links between African and Irish communities and artists.  Carlow African Film Festival will be held in October 2011.  For further information please log on to www.carlowafricanfilmfestival.com

Bealtaine Festival

May belonged to the Bealtaine festival, celebrating creativity in older age! Thousands of older people now take part in the Bealtaine festival, with 2011 being its 16th year. From dance to cinema, painting to theatre, Bealtaine showcases the talents and creativity of both first-time and professional older artists. It is a chance for people to make new and challenging work, a chance to communicate traditions between the generations. It is a chance for the novice to discover a talent until then unseen and a chance for a long-dormant skill to find a new outlet. Each year, Age and Opportunity invites local authorities, arts centres, libraries, Active Retirement groups, care settings, community groups and clubs, associations from every part of the country to run Bealtaine events that celebrate creativity in older age. In 2010, we had over 500 organisers. The theme for 2011 is ' push the boat out , whatever the sea '  is taken from the poem ' At Eighty ' by Scottish poet Edwin Morgan, OBE.

Dawn Chorus

 Following an extraordinary debut event on the Culdaff beach in Donegal in May 2009, Dawn Chorus is returned to waterfronts all across Ireland for Bealtaine 2011 on Sunday 29 May.  The Association of Irish Choirs and Active Retirement Ireland are encouraging choirs throughout the country to open their doors to retirement groups, to develop a short concert together and to sing on a scenic waterfront across the country to mark the end of the Bealtaine Festival 2011.  The Dawn Chorus took place in counties all over Ireland and everyone was welcome on the day to take in the beautiful and unique performance.

Eigse

Celebrating the 220th anniversary of the Barrow navigation system, which flows through Carlow town and county, with a focused programme of events at the scenic Barrow including the grand festival opening procession spectacle and a very exciting water sports weekend?  2011 also celebrates the Year of Craft in Ireland and showcase craft in partnering exhibition with Kilganey House, giving special mention and respect to the festival’s many volunteers is highlighted this year through the European year of volunteering and Eigse are delighted to have so many new and loyal returning festival volunteers each year as the festival would not be able to continue without them.  Eigse have worked closely with VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art and The GB Shaw Theatre over the past year and are delighted to host festival exhibitions and events in such a magnificent centre.

Eigse had a huge variety of high quality artists coming to town and indeed already in town participating in the 2011 festival.  There were many free outdoor events suitable for family day out, trails around Carlow, games, workshops and general fun.  Eigse encouraged people to try one event this year that they might not normally attend, guaranteeing enjoy! ‘What’s Your Doodle? was a new project this year where everyone was invited to partake, regardless of age or ability?  ‘Yours to Enjoy’.

For updates and news on the festival follow Eigse at www.twitter.com/eigsecarlow or Eigse Carlow Arts Festival page on www.facebook.com

Aspiro Youth Ensamble

Aspiro was formed in September 1997 by Mary Amond O’Brien. Since its formation Aspiro very quickly established itself as a unique and ambitious choir, promoting a world class model for choral music education practice in Ireland. It offers a musical education of the highest artistic standards through the medium of choral music for interested young people in Carlow and surrounding counties.

Today Aspiro incorporates four ensembles – Aspiro Junior, Aspiro Girls, Aspiro Male Voice Squad and Aspiro Youth Ensemble – engaging its members, male and female age 7+, in diverse choral music programmes of exemplary artistic quality. As a performance group Aspiro continues to push the boundaries of choral music beyond the standard repertoire and raise the standards not only of youth arts practice but arts practice in general – standards that are in no way age-related, purely factors of talent, experience, commitment and professionalism.

Believing in the innate musical potential of all young people and within a policy of equity and inclusiveness, no auditions are held for membership which makes this successful young choir unique. Since its formation over 400 children and young people have performed with the choir. As worthy ambassadors for Carlow and Ireland, Aspiro have represented their county and country on the local, national and in recent years, the international stage.

For further information please logo on to www.aspirochoir.ie e-mail info@aspirochoir.ie or call Mary on 087 6536143.

Barrow River Arts Festival

• ( 02-03-11 ) Barrow River Arts Festival ( pdf 76kb )
  ( 02-03-11 ) Festival events ( pdf 1.5mb )

  
  From the 4 – 6 March 2011 the small town of Borris in Co. Carlow will be host to musicians, jugglers, poets and artists from Ireland, France, Spain, the Netherlands, the U.K. and Switzerland when the very first Barrow River Arts Festival gets underway. With its diverse mixture of music (jazz, trad, baroque, avant-garde and classical), poetry, performance and visual art, it’s founders, the Swiss violinist Maya Homburger and the English bass player and composer Barry Guy, are hopeful that the Barrow River Arts Festival will become an important annual event in the Irish cultural calendar for years to come.