Bridge Street artists in shop window
The resourceful artists and makers from Bridge Street Studios are thinking outside the box for their exhibition ‘Silver’ which celebrates the studio’s 25th anniversary.
The exhibition was due to have taken place in The Basement Gallery but the current restrictions meant that no one would be able to view it. So, working alongside Paul Hayes, Director, An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk Town Centre Commercial Manager Martin McElligott, and developer Ronan Halpin, the artists will be showcasing their work in the windows of vacant shop premises in the town centre.
This means that shoppers and anyone out for a walk will be able to enjoy over 45 pieces of artwork by the eight members of the studio and three founder members.
‘We are really excited about to be bringing our exhibition to a different audience, to people who maybe wouldn’t have gone to the gallery,’ says Sarah McKenna, who has been a member of the studios since
‘We knew from March that we would have to be prepared to do something different this year and we are delighted that we have come up with a solution.’
For this exhibition, the artists in Bridge Street Studios, commissioned the award-winning poet Barbara Smith, who lives in Dundalk, to compose a poem and their work has been created in response to her words Founded by four ceramic artists in 1996, Bridge Street Studios is one of the oldest and largest independent artist run studios in Ireland, outside of Dublin.
The current members are textile and fibre artist Caoilfionn Murphy O’Hanlon, mixed media textile artist Fiona Quigley, Lisa Sherry who works with fine art textiles, Mary Cowan who specialises in ceramics and sculpture, artists Orla Barry and Orlaith Cullinane, mixed media textile artist Rachel Tinniswood and ceramicist Sarah McKenna. For this exhibition the artists will be joined by founding members Joanne McKenna, Frances Lambe and Declan Honan.
The Bridge Street Studio artists encourage the public to visit each venue to view the
artworks through the shop windows, while adhering to social distancing guidelines. All artworks are for sale from the Bridge Street Studios website.
A map of each location will also be displayed on their website and QR codes will be in place to direct those interested to online information about each of the artworks.
The exhibition will have a virtual opening on Thursday night at 7pm when Paul Hayes will interview a number of the artists. To attend, check out An Táin Arts Centre’s Facebook page.