Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Something of the Night


Something of the Night paintings and a sculptural installation by

Mary Noonan and Peter Burns

From 2 November – 29 November 2012

Official opening 2 November at 8 pm


Peter Burns makes paintings and objects in a variety of materials. The paintings have sculptural elements and the objects are strongly linked to the practice of painting.
Peter says about his work: ‘I have a very tactile and experimental approach to my work. In the paintings chunks of old dried oil paint are often attached to the canvas while in other areas paint is scraped off to reveal underlying layers. The objects are made using ephemeral materials such as wax combined with found objects. They are painted, small in scale and often fragile. In the paintings people are shown in relation to nature and the universe. Small figures and animals exist and roam in painted worlds. I make sculptures of heads defined by their individual personalities. Other objects play with scale and have elements of landscape. The inspiration for these works originates in my interest in literature, art history, myth and allegory amongst other things’.
His work has been described as rhizomatic, suggesting an organic practice, growing through a gradual accumulation of marks and taking myriad forms, producing works without a definite beginning or end.




Mary Noonan employs a variety of working methods, though most of her work is drawing based. The body of work she shows in the Courthouse Gallery comes from research into Irish folklore and superstition relating to “fairy-faith”, particularly from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. The materials and processes she uses such as tearing and cutting the paper become a metaphor for psychological aspects of uncovered narrative. The work is informed by the uncanny and, explores varied themes including myth, allegory and storytelling.  It forms a continuous dialogue referencing not only past work but also memory, place and mortality. November traditionally seen as the month of the dead provides the backdrop for the work shown in this exhibition.



                      



Hunger / Lullaby / Melancholia


Official opening : Friday 2 November at 8 pm

Carles Casasín  -  Animations

Hunger / Lullaby / Melancholia
 Nov 2 Nov 29,  2012


About the Animations:
My animations are allegories set in an imaginary world where fantasy and reality merge like in dreams. The atmosphere is charged with psychological undertones. The recurring goat man represents the animal side of human nature, our primary instincts gradually fading from our genetic make up.
To create my images I work with oil paintings, watercolours, ink, charcoal and pencil drawings, oil pastels, crayons, digital drawing, photography and Photoshop. Carles Casasín.  Carles is living in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare.

Entropical


Entropical an exhibition of paintings by Rupert Bagwell
In the Red Couch Space
From 2 November – 29 November 2012
Official opening 2 November at 8 pm


Rupert Bagwell’s work for this exhibition was initiated by an interaction with the ideas of emptiness and balance and taking them as reference points during the creative process.

The exhibition and the images are presented with working titles as descriptions. The thought behind this is to allow ideas of fixity to remain outside the presentation and let a primary sense of fluidity emerge from the work.


Rupert Bagwell lives in Liscannor, Co. Clare and is a studio artist at the Courthouse Gallery in Ennistymon.

Friday, October 26, 2012

“Je ne Sais Quoi”



The Courthouse Gallery will host
“Je ne Sais Quoi”
A series of French Evenings
Continuing on  Tuesday 30th October 2012 @ 8 pm
 with “Paris, je t'aime”
  €3 on the door includes a glass of wine.

The aim is to watch a movie, and afterwards have an informal discussion in French with a glass of wine.

'Stories In Clay'



'Stories In Clay' , a ceramic project by third year art students of Scoil Mhuire,  
in the Gallery
 Friday 26th Oct at 6.30pm.
All welcome



Congratulations to the Third year Art Class in Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon who  exhibited their artwork ‘Stories in Clay’ in the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Dublin on Sat 13thOctober. The exhibition showcased work by 29 of the 80 schools nationally who were awarded funding for their projects from the Creative Engagement NAPD committee in 2012.
The exhibition was officially opened by the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Jimmy Deehihan. This is the first time that Creative Engagement has held a national exhibition and it is a very prestigious event.
Minister Denehan had high praise for the students’ ceramic sculptures. The students explained the concept of their work to the minister. The five large clay vessels, with sculptural detailing illustrate the stories ‘The Salmon of Knowledge’, ‘The Children of Lir’, ‘An Glas Gaibhneach’, ‘Tír na nÓg’ and a Polish folk tale ‘The Dragon of Krakov’. Twenty six Scoil Mhuire students took part in the project which was funded jointly by the NAPD Creative Engagement and the Clare Arts Office and took place under the direction of their art teacher Mary Fahy.
It was a highly educational and thoroughly enjoyable project. The students wish to thank the NAPD, the Clare Arts Office, their principal, Seosaimhín Uí Dhomhnalláin,  art teacher MaryFahy and all who helped in any way with the project. Special thanks to Bairbre Geraghty for the use of the kiln for firing the sculptures and to our caretaker John Hayes for his help in transporting them.
This is the third ambitious art project in Scoil Mhuire that has benefited from both Creative Engagement NAPD and Arts Council funding. In 2010 the students of Scoil Mhuire performed a shadow puppet theatre show in the Courthouse Gallery with renowned Puppeteer Daragh Bradshaw, and in 2011 they held  an alumni art exhibition and series of workshops, also in the Courthouse Gallery. Thanks also to the staff of the Courthouse who regularly support our students in bringing their work to the wider community.
The ‘Stories in Clay’ sculptures will be officially launched in the Courhouse Gallery on Friday 26th October at 6.30pm. All are welcome, teas and coffees will be served on the night. An animated slide projection of the project will accompany the show.
This project was kindly supported by NAPD Creative Engagement, the Clare Arts Office and Scoil Mhuire, Ennistymon.
The students involved were as follows:
‘ TÍr na nÓg’ by Lauren McMahon, June O'Connor, Caoimhe Haran, Erin Flening, Nicole Mullane, Fiona Byrne-Boland and  Alice Creagh.
‘The Dragon of Krakov’ by Emma Waldron, Wiktoria Malicka, Rachel O'Brien and Fiona O'Brien.
‘The Salmon of Knowledge’ by Aideen Bonito, Aoife O'Gorman and Aoife Fitzgibbon.
‘An Glas Gaibhneach’ by Lily Donovan, Shannon Harriman, Katie Leigh, Chloe O'Looney, Rachel Meehan, Sarah O'Loughlin, Sarah -Mai O'Loughlin  and Aoife Rynne.
‘The Children of  Lir’ by Áine Mullane, Katie Considine, Katie O'Flaherty and Skye Stagno-Navarra.

 Pictured: Scoil Mhuire art students with Mary Henly NAPD Creative Engagement, Minister for Arts, Culture and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Denehan and the Chairperson of the NAPD.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

call for TRASNA III open submission



Dear Artists and friends of the Courthouse Gallery,

In December we will hold our third Trasna exhibition “Trasna III” in the main gallery of the Courthouse.
We will have an open theme and we cordially invite all artists, both established and emerging artists to submit max. 3 artworks through our open submission and submission is free.
The official opening will be on Friday 7th December with an auction and the reserve price will be €40 on each piece. 25% of the selling price will be donated to the running costs of the gallery the remainder to the artist.
Last year we had a great response to this exhibition which featured both national and international artists.


So anyone out there who is interested in submitting A5 size artworks or if you know an artist who would like to submit please encourage them to do  so.


How do I submit?

A5 postcard submissions from artists should be a maximum postcard size 20 x 15 cm in any medium.
You can submit maximum 3 artworks
All artworks need to include Title & Name of the artist, Telephone and E-mail address on the back of each piece.
Please include also a self addressed envelop with stamps if you want us to send the work back when it is not sold.
Deadline for submission is Thursday 29th November!

Please send us an email to request an application form to ennistymoncourthousegallery@gmail.com 
and both should be mailed or hand delivered to:

Attn : Trasna III submission,
The Courthouse Gallery,
Parliament street,
Ennistymon,
Co. Clare.

Trasna III and Christmas Party in the Courthouse Gallery
Friday 7th December at 8 pm
Trasna III  exhibition will run from 7th December to 4th January.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Nights In Shanaglish


Wednesday 24th October @ 8pm
 
A preview of
“Nights In Shanaglish” DVD, LP, CD, and transcriptions booklet

Nights in Shanaglish are a group of local performers, musicians, storytellers, and singers in North Clare / South Galway including the following:
 Susan Fogarty (fiddle), Séamus Keehan (whistle). Niall Finnegan (guitar and vocals). Joe Kearney (vocals). Colie Moran (banjo) Brian O'Halloran (vocals). Mary Noonan (vocals) Vincey Keehan (guitar, mandolin, vocals, and lilting)
 Others include: Anthony McGrath (guitar and vocals) Paddy Egan (concertina and dance) Rosie Keehan (vocals) and Paul O'Driscoll (double bass)

 Paddy Egan and Vincey Keehan are the directors of the project.

8 pm -  preview of the Film “Nights in Shanaglish” (Gallivanting Media) with an introduction by the directors of the project -  Paddy Egan and Vincey Keehan.

At 8.30pm, question and answer session about the documentary for 5 minutes.

9.45 - a performance with some of the musicians from the recording, along with friends of the project from the group "Los Paddys de las Pampas".
No admission charge
From a review of “Nights in Shanaglish” by Tony Lawless (from Tony Lawless's Blog)
Nights in Shanaglish continues a recent trend of live recordings that take place in non studio environments such as kitchens, churches and village halls.  Ideas that have germinated in the minds of musicians over a quiet pint or phone conversation finally take shape and come to fruition.  This is one such idea, and what an inspired one it is.  The idea of live music from a well known pub is not so new.  However in this instance the musicians involved have  sought to really capture the essence of a live session, portraying as it does rural life in Ireland.  For anyone that has been to one of these more rounded sessions you will know that they are not simply gatherings of purists playing only traditional music.  The best ones incorporate a lot more.  Their guiding ethos is one of raw, down to earth traditional Irish music, songs, stories and recitations. Nights in Shanaglish also steps beyond the simple CD format and is a full multimedia project which consists of a gatefold vinyl, a DVD documentary on local history and folklore, interviews with local people, footage of the natural landscape as well as the live recording in action.  The idea came from Vincey Keehan and Paddy Egan, regulars at the sessions in Whelan's Pub in Shanaglish, south Galway where the recording took place. It is therefore a community project involving many local people from south Galway and north Clare and has been independently directed and produced by Vincey and Paddy.
 (Tony Lawless)

Friday, October 12, 2012

“Je ne Sais Quoi”



The Gallery will host
“Je ne Sais Quoi”

A series of French Evenings
Starting  Tuesday 16th October 2012 @ 8 pm

The aim is to watch a movie, and afterwards have an informal discussion in French with a glass of wine.

 We will begin with “Amelie”,  with Audrey Tautou 
  €3 on the door includes a glass of wine.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

All Ireland Poetry Day


Salmon Poetry in the gallery
to Celebrate All-Ireland Poetry Day 2012
Thursday October 4th at 7.30pm
Free event
In association with Poetry Ireland, Salmon Poetry invites you to celebrate All-Ireland Poetry Day 
Poets reading on the night are:

Peadar O'Donoghue
Afric McGlinchey
Paul Casey
Angela Patten
Daniel Lusk

Afric McGlinchey whose debut collection, The lucky star of hidden things, was published by Salmon earlier this year. Afric grew up in Africa and now lives in Co. Cork.  "Afric McGlinchey belongs to an endangered species: she sees the world through the eyes of her soul."  Paul Durcan

Paul Casey whose debut collection, home more or less, was also published by Salmon this year.
"Paul Casey is a truly international poet whose work is informed by languages from Irish and French to those of Africa, and his experiences of that continent enormously enrich this book. His creatively homeless imagination enables him to respond to his themes innovatively and with great formal variety; beyond that, a linguist's ear, his sharp mind and wide-open heart make 'home more or less' a collection that truly merits international attention."  Ian Duhig

Peadar O'Donoghue, author of Jewel (Salmon, 2012). Another debut collection, from the editor of the Poetry Bus Journal.
"I'm amazed by [this] book. Stark nihilism, bittersweet, interspersed with incandescent lyricism."  John Wakeman

Angela Patten, author of Reliquaries (Salmon, 2007), was born and grew up in Dublin but now lives in the United States where she teaches at the University of Vermont.
"Poetry asks of us what we yearn for deeply-to be present each moment. Angela Patten's poems speak to that yearning. She is able to weave the accurate feelings that accompany large and small incidents. And she is able to summon the sheer texture of realization and bafflement, that bittersweet dance that even death does not undo..." Baron Wormser

- Daniel Lusk hails from Iowa in the United States and now lives in Vermont. He is author of Lake Studies: Meditations on Lake Champlain and Kissing the Ground: New & Selected Poems (Onion River, 1999) (see Books).  He is currently taking part in a reading tour of Ireland with his wife Angela Patten.

All are welcome to attend this All Ireland Poetry Day reading.  Please join us!