Irish Women’s Award for artist Katie
ARTIST Katie Watchorn has won an Irish Women’s Award for an exhibition of work completed as a Wexford Emerging Visual Arts Award winner.
The awards which were inaugurated this year, recognise the achievement of women in various industries and professions including law, medicine, technology, arts, sport, education and charity work.
Katie whose solo exhibition A Calf Remembered was hosted by Wexford Arts Centre in 2018, won the national prize for her contribution to arts and culture.
Lisa Byrne, Visual Arts Manager at Wexford Arts Centre and the Presentation Centre in Enniscorthy, accepted the award on her behalf at a black tie event in Dublin which was hosted by the radio broadcaster and author Aideen Hand.
Lisa said everyone in the Arts Centre is thrilled for Katie and she is a very deserving winner.
Katie’s art practice is rooted in rural and farming life and is inspired by her childhood on a dairy farm in County Carlow.
The BA (Hons) graduate in Fine painting from the National College of Art and Design, works with materials derived directly from the farmyard, agri-shops, creameries as well as the animals themselves.
The Emerging Visual Artist Award which is presented annually, is a joint initiative between the Arts Council, Wexford County Council and Wexford Arts Centre and supports the development of committed visual artists in Ireland, providing funding to enable them to produce and exhibit a body of work.