Val's Launch on the 10th January

New Co-ordinator at the Courthouse Gallery

Trudi van der Elsen has taken over as gallery co-ordinator from Maria Kerin. She is looking forward to working with all the artists and deve loping the gallery. Trudi will be in the office on Mondays and Tuesday afternoons from the 12th of January. As the gallery building is closed on Mondays please phone 065 7071630 or email: ennistymoncourthousegallery@gmail.com
if you want to contact Trudi.

Valerie Driscoll exhibition- Sceal Eile

You are invited to the opening reception of :


SCEAL EILE -

Photography and sculptural installation by

VALERIE DRISCOLL


on Saturday 10th January at 4pm for afternoon tea and to meet the artist

At the Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon, Co. Clare

The show runs from the 10th to the 29th January, Tuesday to Saturday, 12 to 4pm. free.

The Courthouse Gallery,Ennistymon, Co Clare presents 'Sceal Eile'-the first solo show of London-based, Clare artist Valerie Driscoll. It is an exhibition of photographic and sculptural installation that tells the story, as a courthouse might, of something that is hidden. The daily engaging in the private domestic procosses is played out in the gallery as home. Driscoll explores the dichotemy between domestic realities and public display. Phrases such as 'behind closed doors' and 'airing dirty laundry',she says add to the ambiguity as well as to the curiosity.

The inherent hardship,banility and private experience of the Irish domestic situtation is exposed and shown to be infused with hope. A series of photographs entitled 'A few things around my father's kitchen' is an intimate portrait that reveals a quirky and private universe. Driscoll uses object and image to reveal experienced as well as created environments.

This is a poignent,revelatory body of work that at the same time betrays and comforts.

Driscoll worked as a teacher in London for 10 years. She recently gave up teaching to persue a career in photographic art.

Driscoll has exhibited in London at the Sassoon Gallery and Nolias Gallery. She also showed work at Isaacs in Cork City during the European City of Culture.

VAI Clinic 27 November

Aileen Barry was here to talk to artists from all over the county who were interested in the Visual Artists Ireland has to offer artists.

Submissions- thank you

Dear Artists,

Thank you all for the fantastic submissions that the Courthouse Gallery received this year. We regret any inconvenience caused by the late replies and hope that you all got a letter in the post by now. Although we would like to support all the artists, unfortunately we had over 60 submissions and had just to programme a dozen. We have a fantastic line-up for 2009. Just watch this space for the details of upcoming shows.

We would like to thank you all for applying to the gallery and wish you all success in your artistic careers.
All the best from the Staff at the Courthouse Gallery

Weekend events at the Courthouse Gallery

Warm your winter weekend with some singing and art. You are invited to attend 2 fabulous events at the Courthouse with a Portuguese theme- Portuguese singing on the Saturday night and Sunday a talk by Anne McMahon on her photographs of Olive trees in Portugal.
Looking forward to seeing you over the weekend.
All the best,
Courthouse Gallery Staff.

Saturday night:

Enchanting rhythms of Rio

combined with sweet, harmonious melodies sung in

Brazilian Portuguese -A ray of tropical bliss

to your Irish Winter!

Canto Brasil

Saturday 22nd November

8pm-10pm

10€ or 8€ concession

Contact: pagodeiras@yahoogroups.com

http://www.myspace.com/cantabrasilpagode
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Sunday 3.30pm:

-Artist talk and reception-

Photographer

Anne McMahon

Sunday, 23 November at 3.30pm

Afternoon tea and discussion with the artist at the Courthouse gallery, Ennistymon.

All welcome. Free.

See blog: ennistymoncourthousegallery.blogspot.com

ART APPRECIATION?! DISCOURSE

ART APPRECIATION?! DISCOURSE

FINOLA GRAHAM will present the first of our art appreciation discursive evenings in the Courthouse Gallery next TUESDAY , 11 NOVEMBER AT 8PM sharp. The topic for discussion in the RENAISSANCE Period and Finola will show some slides and explore and discuss some of the central themes of this creative period.
This is an ideal educational evening for the Leaving Cert art students as well as anyone interested in this magnificant period in art history.

Adults €7, unwaged 5€, students 3€.

AnneMcMahon- rescheduled artist talk

International photographer Anne McMahon will give an artists talk and host a reception in the Courthouse gallery on SUNDAY 23 November 2008 at 3.30pm.
Unfortunately we have to cancel the opening reception advertised for the 6th November and we regret any inconvenience caused. However we hope that you will join us for afternoon tea on the 23rd at 3.30pm and meet the artist.

LEGITIMATE BODIES DANCE COMPANY is coming to the COURTHOUSE GALLERY,

on Friday, 17^TH of OCTOBER 2008 AT 8PM.

Touching Distance is an exciting new dance work, choreographed by Legitimate Bodies’ artistic director Nick Bryson featuring three highly skilled dancers, Cristina Goletti (who is also an artistic director), Aine Stapleton and Federica Esposito. It deals with touch between human beings as well as the dynamics within relationships. Touching Distance is an impassioned and full-length dance work of around 50 minutes duration. Real people on stage portray a dance able to touch a wide audience. This is a very special occasion, the first international contemporary dance company to perform in Ennistymon and the Courthouse Gallery is delighted to host this exciting live performance.

Tickets available at the door cost 10€ with 8€ for unemployed/senior citizens and 5€ for children.

Workshops:

Legitimate Bodies also are running workshops for adults on Thursday evening 7-9pm in the Courthouse (10€),

School going teenagers are welcome with their teachers to attend class on Friday morning- 10.30 to 12 (8€ per student)

Children aged 7-9 can participate on Saturday morning, 18th October from 10.30am-12.

Pre-book please with the Courthouse Gallery- 065 7071630 or email: ennistymoncourthousegallery@gmail.com.

"Can’t Stop the Rock"

An exhibition of paintings by

Cóilín Rush.

at 8pm on Thursday evening,

9th October

Exhibition runs until 30^th October

**Gallery co-ordinator Maria Kerin will give a short talk at Ten Past Three on Tuesdays during the exhibition - all the family are welcome, especially the children.


Artist statement:

“‘I am he who can play many games!’ That is the essence of the happy child….”- The Dice Man.

I dislike themes. Too often an exhibition statement begins with-‘The single unifying theme of this exhibition of works is…..’.Or better again in the case of a call to Artists- ‘This is a an open submission call for Artworks and the theme is….’. An Artist who hears that call can now take a work and bend its meaning and pervert it’s destiny until it meets the proposed theme. The theme which has been set is a challenge. It is an obstacle. How can an Artist triumph over it? In this way the theme is the engine of creativity! Possibly, but perhaps not. I think themes sometimes prevent us from seeing the work that Artist’s do when left alone.

I make paintings based on photographs of images that appeal to me. The selection of images is not altogether arbitrary. The images are usually from feature films that I appreciate the aesthetic of. I use the excess paint left at the end of some rendering to begin abstract works which I like to think then in turn inform the qualities of my figurative works and I occasionally unsuccessfully try to find the painting that works as both. I take other photographs from life, often portraits of friends. I get commissioned to do other things. I get ideas about flow mediums and how they might react with one another and so I take a small canvas and make an experiment and then so as not to waste it I make a painting of it. This exhibition is filled with all of these things.
I have a short attention span. I have to break up the pursuit of one idea with interjections of the meaningless. If I think- ‘This work deals with issues of…..’I have to concede that, without a theme, it does not. It is dumb. It will not speak to you. Do you hear me? If you do, you have failed to observe things as they really are. As such the theme of this show is a lack of themes. Silly me! In this way the theme of this exhibition is theme.