Visual Artists' News Sheet – 2018 September October

Special Issue: September – October 2018

The Visual Artists' News Sheet

Inside This Graduate-Themed Issue HOW TO WORK WITH GALLERIES A GUIDE TO ARTISTS' RESIDENCIES OVERVIEW OF EMERGING ARTIST AWARDS HOW TO WRITE ABOUT YOUR WORK

Contents On The Cover Celina Muldoon, Untitled, Live Installation Performance, Live Collision Festival, 2018; photograph by Abe Neihum.

Galleries & Workspaces 6.

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Working with Galleries. Hugh Mulholland discusses how artists work with different types of galleries throughout their careers.

Artist-Led Spaces. Chloe Brenan of Ormond Studios outlines the role of artist-led workspaces in the careers of emerging artists.

Keep Making Art. Mark Garry offers some strategic advice on persevering as an artist.

Space is the Place. Christopher Steenson outlines some of the main considerations when renting an artist's studio.

Residencies 12.

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Regional Retreats. Suzanne Walsh provides an overview of Irish artist residencies.

Performance and Narrative. Avril Corroon talks about her graduate residency at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios.

Performing in Real-time. Elaine Hoey reflects on her recent residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris.

Awards & Opportunities 16.

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Where to Now? Jonathan Carroll provides an overview of prominent graduate awards and nationwide opportunities.

Best Foot Forward. Kevin O'Kelly talks about his experience as winner of the RDS Visual Arts Award 2017.

RHA Graduate Supports. Colin Martin outlines the RHA Futures and RHA Graduate Award.

Seed to Stem. Susanne Wawra on recieving the 2016 Talbot Gallery & Studios Most Promising Graduate Award.

Live Art Infiltration. Celina Muldoon reflects on her experiences as a recipient of an Arts Council Next Generation Bursary Award.

Postgraduate Education 20.

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Lifelong Learning. Gianna Tasha Tomasso discusses art-related postgraduate study options.

Discursive Collaboration. Eoghan McIntyre discusses IADT’s MA in Art and Research Collaboration.

Theory and Practice. Dorothy Hunter and Hannah Tiernan discuss NCAD’s MA course, Art in the Contemporary World.

A Route into Practice-Led Research. Ruby Wallis discusses her former practice-based PhD with GradCAM at NCAD.

Editorial WELCOME to the September – October 2018 special issue of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet.

Muldoon describes her experiences receiving an Arts Council Next Generation bursary award.

This graduate-themed issue takes a close look at the infrastructure and supports in place for emerging artists nationwide. A range of specially commissioned extended essays, profiles and case studies offer practical advice across a range of themed sections including: Galleries & Workspaces; Residencies; Graduate Awards & Opportunities; Postgraduate Education; Career Development and a graduate-focused Critique section.

Suzanne Walsh provides an extended overview of residency programmes nationwide, while Avril Corroon and Elaine Hoey report on their residencies at Temple Bar Gallery + Studios and the Culturel Centre Irlandais respectively. On the theme of postgraduate art education, Gianna Tasha Tomasso provides an extended overview of postgraduate courses and funding options nationwide. In addition, Dorothy Hunter and Hannah Tiernan profile the Art and the Contemporary World MA course at NCAD, Eoghan McIntyre discusses the MA in Art Research Collaboration at IADT, and Ruby Wallis discusses the realities of pursuing a practice-based PhD.

Hugh Mulholland’s extended essay, ‘Working with Galleries’, considers how artists might work with different types of galleries throughout their careers. Chloe Brenan from Ormond Studios highlights the role of artist-led workspaces in the careers of graduates and emerging artists, while Mark Garry discusses strategies for sustaining your practice after graduation. In addition, Christopher Steenson outlines some of the main considerations when renting an artist's studio.

Jonathan Carroll outlines some of the main long-running opportunities for emerging artists north and south, including prominent graduate awards and annual open-calls. Colin Martin profiles the RHA’s Graduate Studio Award and ‘RHA Futures’. This section also offers insights from previous recipients of some of these awards: Susanne Wawra reflects on her experience as recipient of the Talbot Gallery & Studios Most Promising Graduate Award; Kevin O’Kelly discusses his experience as winner of the 2017 RDS Visual Art Awards; and Celina The Visual Artists' News Sheet:

Features Editor: Joanne Laws Production Editor/Design: Christopher Steenson News/Opportunities: Shelly McDonnell, Siobhán Mooney

Visual Artists Ireland:

CEO/Director: Noel Kelly Office Manager: Bernadette Beecher Northern Ireland Manager: Rob Hilken Communications Officer: Shelly McDonnell Membership Officer: Siobhan Mooney Publications: Joanne Laws, Christopher Steenson Professional Development Officer: Monica Flynn Website Listings: Shelly McDonnell & Christopher Steenson Bookkeeping: Dina Mulchrone

Career Development 26.

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Finding the Line. Joanne Laws interviews three early-career artists about their experiences of maintaining a professional art practice.

Communicating Your Work. Joanne Laws offers practical advice on the critical aspects of maintaining a professional arts practice.

Developing Creative Proposals. Annette Maloney provides guidance on writing creative proposals Take Your Passion (and Make it Happen). Pádraic E. Moore reflects on his experience of working as an independent curator.

Terms and Conditions. Henry Lydiate outlines what artists should consider when using digital and social media platforms to promote their work.

IVARO Column. Good Exposure? Adrian Colwell offers advice to artists on copyright and licensing issues.

VAI Column. The Help-Desk. VAI's Communications and Advocacy Officer, Shelly McDonnell, outlines the supports for emerging artists offered through the Help-Desk.

VAI Column. Graduate Supports. Rob Hilken details the Professional Development opportunities and supports for emerging artists offered

by Visual Artists Ireland.

Critique Supplement i. ii. ii. iii. iii. iv.

Cover Image: Justine McDonnell, 'A composition of she' ‘Substance of Things’ at Pallas Project/Studios, Dublin.

‘51.791384, -8.291099’ at Studio 12, Backwater Artists Group, Cork.

‘Outflow’ at 126 Artist-Run Gallery, Galway.

‘A composition of she’ at Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast.

Critical Exposure. Joanne Laws offers some pratical advice on how to get your work reviewed.

The Career Development section provides extensive information across a range of issues.

Joanne Laws offers advice on artist statements, CVs and public engagement, and also interviews emerging artists Cecilia Dannell, Marcel Vidal and Bassam Al-Sabah. Pádraic E. Moore reflects on the realities of working as a freelance curator, while international art law specialist, Henry Lydiate, offers legal insights into artist copyright across digital platforms. A column from IVARO addresses licencing agreements for artists; Annette Maloney provides guidance on writing proposals; VAI Communications Officer, Shelly McDonnell, tackles a range of FAQ’s concerning emerging artists; while VAI NI Manager Rob Hilken outlines various graduate supports offered through VAI’s Professional Development programme.

Board of Directors: Mary Kelly (Chair), Michael Fitzpatrick, Richard Forrest, Paul Moore, Mary-Ruth Walsh, Dónall Curtin, Michael Corrigan, Cliodhna Ní Anluain Republic of Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office

Visual Artists Ireland Windmill View House 4 Oliver Bond Street Merchants Quay, Dublin 8 T: +353 (0)1 672 9488 E: info@visualartists.ie W: visualartists.ie

Visual Artists Ireland 109 Royal Avenue Belfast BT1 1FF T: +44 (0)28 958 70361 E: info@visualartists-ni.org W: visualartists-ni.org

Principle Funders

Project Funders

Corporate Sponsors

Project Partners

International Memberships

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Galleries & Workspaces

Núria Güell, La Feria de las Flores (The Flower Fair), 2016, video, installation view, ‘MAC International’, The MAC, Belfast (28 October 2016 – 19 February 2017); image courtesy The MAC

Top: Richard Forrest, From the Mouth of Chrysippus, 2017, installation view, ‘Futures, Series 3, Episode 1’, RHA Gallery I, (17 March – 23 April 2017); photograph by Katie Bowe O’Brien; Bottom: Katie Watchorn, ‘BalehomeBalehome’, VISUAL Carlow (6 June – 2 September 2018); photograph by Ros Kavanagh

Working With Galleries HUGH MULHOLLAND DISCUSSES HOW EMERGING ARTISTS MIGHT WORK WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF GALLERIES THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREERS. IT IS LITTLE WONDER that visual artists are unsure what their relationship with a

gallery should be, when there seems to be a concerted effort in the art world to create a hierarchy of galleries, of both private and public spaces, for the promotion of a small number of artists. In this system, artists sometimes find themselves not only trying to navigate their way through a complex network of galleries, but also having to second guess the motivation of the individuals running them. With curators of public spaces programming as if they are running private foundations and directors of commercial galleries taking a perverse pleasure in their aloofness, approaching galleries can be an intimidating prospect. This may seem a cynical introduction and whilst I accept that not all curators are self-serving egotists and not all commercial spaces are unapproachable, unfortunately this is sometimes the reality. This makes it more difficult, but not impossible, to get your work noticed. I am convinced that in the end, good work wins out – it just takes longer! However, deciding to become an artist means accepting that you are part of the art world and that no artist operates outside it. Whether claiming to be mainstream, alternative, accepted or marginalised, artists, galleries, curators and critics are dependent on each other.

APPROACHING A GALLERY

If you are to become a successful or fulfilled artist, you must take control of your own career. It is not enough to hope that curators will discover your work and seek you out.

You will largely have to create your own opportunities, by truly understanding your own ambitions for your practice. An honest appraisal of your aspirations will inform the path you take. Your working relationships with galleries will evolve along with the development of your work; your exhibiting profile will mature as your work does. It is important therefore to have a clear strategy for the promotion of your work and to identify galleries which are compatible with the development of your practice. Therefore, before you go any further, I suggest you ask yourself the following questions....

What kind of work do you do?

• In what art context do you see your work operating?

• Can you identify a historical and contemporary context for your work?

• What are your long-term aims and ambitions?

• Are you ready to exhibit?

• Do you have a coherent body of work?

• Do you feel confident about your work and your ideas and are you able to articulate them clearly?

Why do you want to exhibit?

• To get feedback • To communicate with an audience • To make sales • To test out new ideas • To develop work which needs a particular kind of space • To further your career • To gain national or international recognition • To develop a fulfilling and enjoyable career

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Galleries & Workspaces

Examples of Artist-Run Galleries and Studios

Examples of Subsidised and Public Galleries

Examples of Commericial Galleries

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Catalyst Arts, Belfast Flax Art Studios, Belfast Paragon Studios/Project Space (PS2), Belfast Platform Arts, Belfast Cork Artists Collective, Cork The Guesthouse Project, Cork TACTIC, Cork Backwater Artists Group, Cork A4 Sounds, Dublin Basic Space, Dublin The Complex, Dublin Ormond Studios, Dublin Pallas Projects/Studios, Dublin 126 Artist-Run Gallery, Galway Askeaton Contemporary Arts, County Limerick Ormston House, Limerick

ARTIST-RUN GALLERIES

If you are a recent graduate, it is most likely that your first exhibiting experience will come as a result of relationships developed with your peers. These collaborations are very important in gaining experience and confidence. Showing with your contemporaries takes some of the stress out of making your work public for the first time. The transition from art college or returning to one’s practice after a break can be daunting and should be done in an environment which is supportive. This is why many artists first exhibit as part of a collective, studio group or through an artist-run space.

Increasingly artists wishing to have more control over exhibiting opportunities are setting up and running galleries themselves. It goes without saying that artist-run spaces are generally more supportive of artists and their work. These spaces are often better able to accommodate a diverse range of artist’s practices, particularly those which do not sit easily within a conventional gallery setting, such as time-based or performance art. Whilst these galleries and studios are subsidised, they are often managed on a voluntary basis with very limited resources. As a result, it can be difficult for them to develop a consistent programme which meets the expectations of the exhibiting artist. This environment has however provided artists with valuable exhibition opportunities, as well as curatorial experience, which have informed their working relationships with other galleries and fostered significant artist networks internationally. Many artist-run spaces also have a membership programme, which is a good way of keeping in touch with exhibition opportunities at home and abroad, such as open-submission or member exhibitions, which provide an important platform for emerging artists.

It is advisable to make connections with artist-run spaces in your area.

SUBSIDISED/PUBLIC GALLERIES

As you gain more experience of exhibiting, you should begin to direct proposals to more established galleries within the public sector. Subsidised or publicly funded galleries are those which draw financial support from central or local government, arts councils, and regional arts boards for example. All galleries operating at this level will require artists to have a very clear idea about the context in which their work is made and to demonstrate a long-term commitment to their practice. At this point in your career, you should expect a more meaningful and supportive relationship with the gallery and curator. An opportunity to exhibit with a prominent public space should involve their personal and financial investment in the development of your work. The relationship with the curator may evolve over a period of time and should result in a genuine discourse about the work, building a relationship of mutual trust and make the daunting process of presenting your work in a public space easier. Whilst their personal commitment to the successful exhibition of your work is paramount, there is also a financial obligation, which one should

The Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast The Metropolitan Arts Centre (MAC), Belfast Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon Linenhall Arts Centre, Castlebar Crawford Gallery, Cork The Glucksman, Cork Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre, County Cork Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, Dublin Project Arts Centre, Dublin Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, Dublin The Model, Sligo Luan Gallery, Athlone Galway Arts Centre, Galway Limerick City Gallery of Art, Limerick

expect from a publicly-funded gallery. Depending on the organisation’s available funding, you should receive an artist fee, financial support towards the production and transport of your work and importantly, the production of a catalogue.

However, you should not assume that every publicly-funded gallery can offer you all of the above. In the early stages of your career, the opportunity to work with an established curator and to show your work in a high-profile space, may be of more benefit to your profile long-term than financial gain. Insist on a contract or written agreement outlining your responsibilities and those of the gallery. For example, will the work be insured in transit? If you are asked to give a gallery talk, will you be paid a fee? If your work sells during the show, what is the gallery’s commission?

Selection Procedure The selection of artists to exhibit in this type of gallery generally comes through the direct invitation of the curator.

However, most subsidised galleries will also receive proposals from artists on an ongoing basis or at specified times during the year. It is important that you make your work known to curators, as early in your career as possible. A good curator will have knowledge of you as an artist, and the development of your work long before they may be in the position to offer you a show. It is vital to keep them updated about the progress of your work. Add them to your mailing list, invite them to your upcoming shows and don’t be afraid to make appointments with curators to show recent work. However, be sensible about how often you make contact and be aware that these galleries are inundated with applications.

COMMERCIAL GALLERIES

As your career develops, and you gain critical acclaim for your work, you can or should expect interest from commercial galleries. There is no doubt that representation by a creditable commercial gallery marks an important point in any artist’s career, but it may not suit all artists. There are obvious benefits to commercial representation, but there are also disadvantages, which should be carefully considered. As the primary aim of a commercial gallery is to sell art, these principles affect not only what they show and how they select artists, but also what commission they charge. Most commercial galleries are now taking percentages of 50% or more on the sale of artwork. What you get in exchange for this percentage will vary depending on the gallery. When a gallery decides to represent you on an exclusive basis, you should expect at least one solo exhibition every two to three years, depending on your productivity. In addition, the gallery should feature your work in gallery group shows in the alternate years, as well as taking your work to important international art fairs. Whilst having your work shown at international fairs is extremely important in terms of your marketability, you should not confuse this with international profile-raising. Art fairs are essentially about selling, not about presenting coherent bodies of work.

ArtisAnn Gallery, Belfast Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast Gormley’s Fine Art, Belfast and Dublin The Third Space, Belfast Sarah Walker Gallery, Cork Green on Red, Dublin Kerlin Gallery, Dublin Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin Hillsboro Fine Art, Dublin Mothers’ Tankstation, Dublin and London Molesworth Gallery, Dublin Oliver Cornet Gallery, Dublin Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin Rubicon Gallery, Dublin Hambly & Hambly Gallery, Enniskillen Hamilton Gallery, Sligo

Your career development depends, in part, on being included in important collections, including museums. Cultivating relationships with other dealers, museum curators and critics is just as important as selling to collectors. It is the ultimate sign of support if your gallery is willing to embrace the responsibility of stimulating interest in your work outside of their area of exclusivity. If picked up by an important commercial gallery, the advantages are clear: sales of work, prestige and a regular showcase for your work, ads in international art publications and reviews as well as the opportunity to show in major international art fairs. Disadvantages can include problems when changes occur in your work. If your early work sold well but your latest work is not as commercially successful, the gallery may only be interested in keeping you on if the work continues to be profitable for them.

Selection Procedure Most commercial galleries will not accept unsolicited applications. Thus, relationships between artists and commercial spaces evolve slowly, as commercial galleries will often take time to weigh up your commercial viability. This should not prevent you from making yourself known to gallery owners.

Go to their openings and be seen but remember what I said about stalking -­ this applies to all galleries, not just public spaces! Some commercial galleries initiate summer shows in order to introduce clients to new artists. This can often lead to being represented by the gallery.

CONCLUSION

The exhibiting opportunities offered by the different types of galleries outlined above will depend on the stage of your career and your ability to bring your work to the attention of influential curators, gallery owners and directors. This type of exposure will inevitably lead to invitations from curators to exhibit in more prominent spaces, either in a group or solo capacity. It is important to remember that while all artists would ideally like the glory of a solo show, it is often more beneficial in the early stages of your career to be included in a coherent and pertinent group exhibition selected by a respected curator. It should go without saying that before approaching any gallery you should be confident that your documentation and supporting material is going to represent your practice in a clear and accessible way. Your documentation should provide enough information to excite the interest of the curator, which may result in a meeting or studio visit, providing you with the opportunity to expand on your practice and ultimately lead to your work being exhibited.

Hugh Mulholland is Senior Curator at the Metropolitan Art Centre (MAC), Belfast.

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Galleries & Workspaces

Artist-Led Spaces

Keep Making Art

CHLOE BRENAN DISCUSSES THE BENEFITS OF ARTIST-LED STUDIOS AND GALLERIES FOR EMERGING ARTISTS.

MARK GARRY OFFERS SOME STRATEGIC ADVICE ON PERSEVERING AS AN ARTIST. AFTER FINISHING ART college, you are in one

Opening Reception at Ormond Project Space; photograph by Deirdre Brennan

IN CONTRAST TO larger art institutions and

commercial gallery spaces, which can seem inaccessible, independent artist collectives, cooperatives and artist-led studios can offer alternative means for sustaining and developing artistic practice outside the established and highly stratified art economy. Such initiatives can take many forms, ranging from nomadic reading groups and small gatherings, to periodic performative events and annual festivals. Some are intended to be ephemeral and temporary, while others strive to be sustainable, offering long-term models for cultural production in the face of unpredictable economic conditions. These manifold practices, which often operate on the margins and frequently go undocumented, in fact constitute a vital and significant proportion of cultural activity.

For the past two years, I have been involved with Ormond Studios, an artist-led space on Dublin’s Ormond Quay. The studio was founded in 2009 by a group of graduates as a collectively-managed, centrally-situated workspace for visual artists. The organisation endeavours to support the development of arts practice through affordable studio provision, critical discourse, residencies and programmes of events and exhibitions. Since its inception, there has been a steady turnover in membership: new members join for an average of two to four years, before moving on to new stages in their careers.

Operating as a non-hierarchal enterprise, each member has an equal say in governance and takes responsibility for running the studio.

Through regular meetings, members continually assess and address the specific needs of the collective group, whilst also bearing in mind the potential implications that decisions may have on future members and the studio’s sustainability. This perpetual renewal of membership has meant that the studio exists as a malleable space through which many practices intersect and emerge, shaped by the collective energies of current and past members, without fixed ideas of ownership or authorship.

Artist-led organisations not only benefit those immediately involved (through access to resources, critique and peer support) but also make communities into more hospitable environments for artists in general. Unlike many

larger institutions, artist-led organisations can engage with and respond to their local publics with relative spontaneity, creating new cultural activities with fewer barriers around participation. This is evident in the impact that such spaces continue to have on communities across the country, including Ormston House in Limerick, The Guesthouse Project in Cork and Catalyst Arts in Belfast, to name a few.

As a small, urban artist-led organisation, Ormond Studios is mindful of the many challenges facing artists within the Dublin context, including rising rents, competitive funding and the shortage of affordable workspaces. This has led, in part, to the development of a residency programme as a form of outreach. The studio offers an annual, peer-supported month-long Graduate Residency, which culminates in a solo exhibition in the Ormond Project Space. The studio also provides an annual Project Residency for a visual artist lacking access to studio facilities to develop work in the run-up to a specific exhibition or event. In addition to working with local and national communities, our residency programme is presently expanding to include international exchanges with artist-led initiatives in Finland and the Netherlands.

Crucially, the running costs of Ormond Studios are subsidised by the Arts Council’s annual Visual Artists Workspace Scheme which is integral to the studio’s current viability. With this funding, we have been able to keep the rent as low as possible for members, who contribute their labour to studio running, in addition to working other jobs. There is always a precarious backdrop to such arrangements; issues can quickly arise, and solutions need to be activated swiftly. However, with financial support, a cooperative ethos and clear lines of communication, independent artist initiatives can be vital hubs of cultural activity. Viewed as nodes within the broader ecology of long-term and ephemeral, large and small artist-led enterprises, these sites can continue to nurture a dynamic, inclusive and sustainable scene for artistic production and dissemination.

Chloe Brenan is a Dublin-based artist and part-time lecturer at NCAD. ormondstudios.wordpress.com

of the most exciting stages on your pathway as an artist. A world of possibilities is opening up to you. The most obvious and most difficult thing to do after college is to keep making art.

You won’t have the support network of staff and peers or the studio space you once had in college.

All your planning and strategising will only be of benefit if you have work to show curators and to put in the world.

As an artist, your central focus should be making art. Like most important things, you need to keep practicing in order to maintain a standard. If you can continue your studio practice, then do so, even if this is just a wall in your rented accommodation or a space in your parents’ garage. Get into a habit of thinking about and making art on a daily basis. If you don’t have access to a studio, keep a daily notebook of ideas and a hard drive of your photos and videos. If you have another job, make sure it is part-time and allows you time each week to make art.

MAINTAINING NETWORKS

It is really important to try to maintain a range of networks. As an art graduate, you are part of a larger institutional network of museums and galleries. You are not separate from these institutions; you should aim to cultivate reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationships with them.

They need you as much as you need them. Signing up to the mailing lists of local and national galleries is a great way to keep updated with exhibition programmes, as well as upcoming

events, artist’s talks, performances and conferences. If you can afford the time, I would urge you to apply for jobs or volunteer in galleries.

Galleries always need people to work within their education departments or help out on installs and other tasks. I learned so much about the art world and being a professional artist from assisting Irish and international artists to install their work. What’s equally or more important is to maintain the relationships you established in college. Your classmates, many of whom are now your friends and peers, are in the same position as you. Hang out, visit exhibitions, go to openings and attend artist’s talks together. Continue to engage in the activities you enjoyed in college – talk about art, show your work to one other and engage in (constructive) critiques of each other’s work. Be supportive of one another.

CREATE YOUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES

After a period of making, it’s really important that you get your work out in the world, so that other people can see it, but also so that you can get feedback and continue to learn about your work.

Become a collective: In addition to being good fun, working as a group is often the most effective way of obtaining exhibition opportunities and shared studios. By working in this way, you are enabling a collective skillset. Someone will be good at sourcing a venue, someone else will be skilled at writing applications and press releases, others might excel at marketing or design, while someone else will be good at installing.

Someone will hopefully have a car. Working as a collective, you have the scope to propose fully-formed group shows to galleries. This was how my friends and I began to exhibit.

Do it yourself: If you can’t get exhibition opportunities in established galleries, you should simply host your own. Don’t wait for institutional approval to make art. Remember exhibitions don’t need to take place in a gallery. Be creative about it. Have an exhibition in a room of your house, in your garden shed, in a space at the back of a pub, in a shipping container, project a film onto the gable-end of your house, create a YouTube channel, make a zine, place sculptures in a field along a train line... The more unorthodox the venue, the more attention it will garner. Treat each of these opportunities as if they were institutionally supported. Give them a title, write a press release and make an invite or poster for them. The use of non-traditional exhibition spaces can be remarkably useful, in learning about display mechanisms and how readings of your work are altered, based on the context it is presented in. Not having to conform to the conventions and social contracts of a white-cube space is highly liberating.

DOCUMENTATION/ARCHIVE

Top: Mark Garry, A Sky, photograph Bottom: Mark Garry, Hunters Moon, photograph; both images courtesy of the artist

Take photographs of everything you do, including all the artworks and installs you make. They may not seem important or relevant at the time but may be useful down the line in prompting ideas for new work or triggering conversations with curators. Stick with it. Perseverance is often the most important element of being an artist.

Above all, have fun.

Mark Garry is an artist and educator.

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Galleries & Workspaces

Creative Exchange Studios, Belfast; photograph by Malachy McCrudden

Space is the Place CHRISTOPHER STEENSON DISCUSSES SOME OF THE MAIN CHALLENGES FOR ARTISTS IN SECURING STUDIO SPACES.

THE WORDS “ARTIST” and “studio” seem to go hand-in-

hand. If you are one, you need one. Workspaces can sometimes be as revered as the artists themselves. Just look at Francis Bacon – his studio was deemed so significant that conservators at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane painstakingly moved its entire contents from its original location in 7 Reece Mews in London. An extreme example, but, as outlined in other articles featured in this issue, studios are an important – if not essential – part of an artist’s practice.

Studios aren’t just a place for making work. They are also a space for community, networking and learning – important aspects of an artist’s practice after leaving art college. Being part of a studio group means that you can stay connected with your peers, learn from one another and collaborate on projects. Reading groups are a common activity and often studio members will band together to put on group exhibitions and other DIY events. More established studios will often have a website where members’ work is profiled, offering online visibility. Studio spaces can also be valuable for arranging visits with curators, allowing them to view your making processes and understand how your art will work in a space. However, with current and ongoing challenges in the Irish context – such as funding cuts, rising property prices, a volatile rental market and the negative consequences of urban regeneration – you will more-than-likely encounter a range of obstacles in finding a studio, before you ever set foot inside one.

SPACE/TIME PARADOX

If you’re a recent graduate, it’s quite likely that you’re living in rental accommodation. With this comes a distinct set of challenges when trying to make art. Rent is expensive and, at present, is continually rising. In Dublin, people spend an

average of 55% of their take-home pay on rent. Renting a studio on top of paying for accommodation can be a major additional expense.

‘Option One’ is to try and work from home. If you have the luxury of a spare room (or a bedroom bigger than a shoebox), this might be a perfectly sensible solution – especially if your work is small-scale and doesn’t require too much space.

However, if you work in sculpture, ceramics or some other art form that requires the use of tools, machinery or a lot of floor space, you will need to seek out a dedicated studio. So now you’re onto ‘Option Two’ – renting a studio. Unless your parents invested well in shares – or you’ve struck gold selling your work – you will probably need a part-time or full-time job, in order to afford a studio. Herein lies a predicament.

Whilst spending all your time working to pay for your studio, you may not have a lot of time to actually use it. In this case, it will be important to have a studio with 24-hour access, so that you can fit studio time around your work schedule.

In order to reduce studio costs, you may also consider sharing your space with another artist. It will be important to find someone who works in a way that is sympathetic to your own practice and work schedule. For example, if you’re a performance artist, you don’t want to suffocate from your studio mate’s oil painting fumes, whilst rehearsing your durational performance. You will also have to consider how sharing your studio will reduce the space you have to work with. This factor will become increasingly important as you make and accumulate artworks. Slowly but surely, your studio will become swamped with works from exhibitions past – material ghosts, if you will.

Now you have another predicament – storage. Do you rent a storage space somewhere (which can cost you an extra

around €200 a year, depending on your needs and the location) or bite the bullet and donate/destroy/recycle old artworks? Some artists I’ve talked to have a general rule that unless they can sell an artwork (or reuse it) within a threeyear period, they destroy it. Others depend on the generosity of relatives to store older works indefinitely, in spare rooms or garden sheds.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Beyond the aforementioned issues, it is best practice to find out about the health and safety situation in any prospective studio spaces. A serious problem with artist studios is a lack of central heating or air conditioning. Amidst the unfolding realities of global warming, Ireland’s recent weather patterns have become increasingly volatile, with all-year-round dreary conditions shifting towards blisteringly hot summers and bitingly cold winters. You will want a studio that has proper ventilation and some way of regulating the temperature, otherwise it could be unbearable (and technically unsafe) to work in.

Studios with workshops have an obligation to look after their equipment and to train studio members in how to use the equipment safely to avoid injury. Unfortunately, with the financial challenges facing many studios, this can often be a difficult obligation to fulfill. Fire safety is another important factor to bear in mind when viewing different studio spaces. You should try to find out whether buildings conform to regulations. The risk of fire needs little explication. Glasgow School of Art’s historic Mackintosh building was engulfed in flames for the second time in four years last June. The first fire was caused by gases emitted from a foam canister used in a student’s art project. Closer to home, Outpost Studios in

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Galleries & Workspaces

Top: A4 Sounds, Dublin, Workshop Studio Space; image courtesy of A4 Sounds

Tara Building, Dublin; image courtesy of Zak Milofsky

Bottom: Vault Artist Studios, Belfast;. photograph by Cambell Photography

Bray suffered a devastating fire in February, which resulted in the total destruction of their building and the eight studios it housed. A fundraiser for Outpost is planned on 8 September at Mermaid Arts Centre, to help recover the cost of tools and artworks lost in the blaze.

What follows is a brief overview of studio provision in Belfast and Dublin – capital cities facing distinct yet similar problems, in terms of affordable workspaces for artists.

BELFAST

Between funding cuts and building insecurity, 2018 has been a tumultuous year for studios in Belfast. The city’s oldest studio group, QSS, had their Arts Council of Northern Ireland funding cut completely, threatening the loss of space for 38 artists. However, after an appeal, QSS reported that their funding has been reinstated. QSS have opened a new satellite space in Norwich Union House, which has eight new studios, priced between £60 to £105 per month. However, the lease on their Bedford Street building is nearly up, meaning their main studio and gallery space needs to find a new home by the end of March 2019.

Another studio provider to have their ACNI funding cut was Paragon Studios/Project Space (PS2), threatening the loss of seven studios. A significant grant from the Freelands Foundation allowed the group to survive this blow, and PS2 have since relocated to Spencer House on Royal Avenue, with studios currently under construction.

Other studios in the area include Platform Arts, who have 12 studios spaces ranging from £75–85 per month, with one larger studio costing £140. Platform do not receive ACNI funding, with revenue from their studios being funneled back into the gallery space and exhibition programme. Their building is also rent-free, but with recent trends towards redevelopment of buildings in the city centre, there is the ongoing threat that their building may be repurposed or sold.

Other notable studios in the city centre are Flax Art/Orchid Studios, the fourth-floor studios on Queen’s Street and the artist-run Lombard Studios.

East Belfast is brimming with studios at present. A significant addition to the studio ecosystem is Vault Artist Studios.

Formerly known as the Belfast Bankers (previously situated in a disused Ulster Bank building on the Newtonards Road),

this studio group has recently acquired the use of the old Belfast Metropolitan College building on Tower Street. The capacity of this new premises means that the studio group has grown from 30 members to 88, providing space for a range of creatives including visual artists, musicians and writers.

Membership with Vault Artist Studios is £20 plus the cost of studio, which varies depending on size and how many people are sharing.

Another studio group, Creative Exchange, provides 12 modern studios. Prices are around £30 per month for a desk space. Despite the promising number of new studios, East Belfast has the fastest growing property prices in Northern Ireland, which could potentially lead to many artists being forced out in the future. Property prices are not rising as quickly in the north or west of the city, so more studios (such as Artists at the Mill) are being established in these areas.

However, with the uncertainties surrounding Brexit, there is a chance that UK property prices could plummet in the coming months and years. Outside of the Northern Ireland capital, Clarendon Studios in Derry and Shore Collective in Lurgan are other significant artist-led studios operating regionally.

DUBLIN

According to a recent survey by the Economist, it’s now more expensive to live in Dublin than it is to live in London. This is attributable to a continuing housing shortage and rising property prices, all of which spells bad news for affordable artist studio in Dublin city centre. Competition is fierce, and you will need to search. MART continues to be the major provider in Dublin, with over 170 studios across the city. Studio rental ranges from €150 to €600 per month, with studio sizes ranging from five to 25 m2. Access hours for all of MART’s studios are 7am to 11pm. Even as a relatively successful business, MART are feeling the effects of the property crisis in the city. Their Creative Hub, located on Portobello Harbour, was opened in mid-2017 but will be forced to close in December 2018 because of a planned hotel development in the area. Commenting on the current situation, MART have said that the continuing rise in property prices is making it increasingly difficult for them to maintain a sustainable business model.

Other longstanding studio providers include Pallas Proj-

ects/Studios, who have operated studios in 14 premises across the city over the last twenty years, in order to stay one step ahead of the developers. Pallas currently provide studio spaces to 20 artists, with rent starting at €200 per month.

Independent Studio Artists Ltd are supported by the Temple Bar Cultural Trust and offer 10 purpose-built studios at €160 a month. Temple Bar Gallery + Studios have 30 spaces.

Around 12 new studios are offered each annually. There is also Graduate Studio Award available, with applications in January each year.

In the north of the city, A4 Sounds are another affordable option, offering ‘modular’ studio memberships. Membership is €75 per month plus options for a private studio desk (€100 per month), private workshop desk (€130 per month) and personal storage (€10–30 per month). Membership also gives access to a discount scheme with a number of businesses in the city, as well as access to studio facilities, including a workshop, darkroom and screen-printing equipment. Ormond Studios, an artist-run studio space on Ormond Quay, currently offers studio membership to eight artists.

As well as the general workspaces mentioned above, there are a few temporary studio spaces that artists can avail of in the city. Since 2012, DIT’s ‘Summer Studio Initiative’ has let artists use their studios from 21 June until 1 September free of charge, along with access to the DIT Library. The only requirement is that artists should be completing a body of work for exhibition, with an open-call usually going out in April each year.

To save on rent for a studio and accommodation, it is also worth applying for residential studios like Fire Station Artists’ Studios. Located on Lower Buckingham Street, FSAS provides access to live/work studios (which cost €411 to €628 per month), sculpture workshops and innovative digital technology such as 3D modelling. Fire Station’s International Curators programme means that residents can meet up to ten curators per year. Other studios of note in Dublin include Block T, Talbot Gallery and Studios, Tara Building and Steambox (the studio group for the Independent Museum of Contemporary Arts).

Christopher Steenson is Production Editor of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet.

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Residencies

Laura Fitzgerald, Brian Rock, video research still from video Portrait of a Stone, 2018; image courtesy of the artist. Fitzgerald is currently in residence at Fire Station Artists' Studios.

Regional Retreats SUZANNE WALSH PROVIDES A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF PROMINENT IRISH RESIDENCIES.

BALLINGLEN ARTS FOUNDATION

Set in the village of Ballycastle in County Mayo, the Ballinglen residency has been running since 1994. BAF seeks to support artists in an inspiring setting, while also encouraging them to interact with the local community during their stay.

Resident artists stay in a cottage free of charge, but no bursary is offered. The duration of the residency is one-to-two months, with facilities including printmaking, purpose-built studios and an art library. Applications can be made throughout the year. Artists with a professional standing in their field, or emerging artists of recognised ability are eligible.

CILL RIALAIG

Situated in the remote Gaeltacht village of Dungeagan in Ballinskelligs, County Kerry, Cill Rialaig residency is open to artists of “national and international repute”. It was built in 1995 and resources include seven studios, a meeting house and a library. Residents stay free of charge in a self-catering cottage, paying a minimal utility fee. The residency aims to provide artists with a peaceful retreat to focus on their work in a quiet environment without any expected outcomes. Interested artists can request an application pack. There is an administration charge when applying for this residency.

ballinglenartsfoundation.org

INTERFACE

This residency is set in Recess, County Galway, and explores the intersections between science and art. Artists of all disciplines are encouraged to apply in spring or autumn of each year. Residencies are normally between two and six weeks.

Facilities include a private studio, as well as access to a much larger workspace. The residency also offers accommodation in a self-contained apartment, but residents need to have their own transport. The programme proposes to introduce artists to the local community through artist’s talks. interfaceinagh.com

cillrialaigartscentre.com

IRISH MUSEUM OF MODERN ART

This residency programme, located in the grounds of IMMA, Dublin, has been running since 1994, offering various residency options for both national and international artists.

Bursaries are awarded as part of IMMA’s ‘themed’ residencies, providing accommodation and studio for a maximum of six months, with a stipend dependant on duration. Artists are expected to engage with the museum programme through talks and open studios. Residents stay in the large shared Flanker house, or in one of three self-catering coach houses, which include workspaces. There are regular open-calls, so it is advisable to sign up to IMMA’s residency mailing list. imma.ie

DIGITAL ARTISTS STUDIOS

This residency in the centre of Belfast concentrates on programmes for digital artists. DAS offers 12 studio residencies to local artists and three to international artists. Residents pay £60 per month for facilities, which include a personal iMac workstation with software (such as Final Cut Pro and Adobe C86). No accommodation is included. Artists have 24-hour access to a shared studio space and digital equipment (DSLRs and recording equipment), as well as technical support and advice. After a four-month residency working on a specific project, artists can apply for the ‘Annual Review’ exhibition and other opportunities. digitalartsstudios.com

LEITRIM SCULPTURE CENTRE

Situated in Manorhamilton, Leitrim Sculpture Centre (est.

1997) hosts an extensive residency programme for artists working across a range of disciplines. The centre’s facilities include equipment for working with stone, glass, metal, ceramics and digital media. The eight-week Exhibition Residencies include accommodation, studio, access to facilities and an artist’s stipend of €2,400 and conclude with a one-person exhibition at LSC. Professional Development Residencies provide the time and space to research new work, offering a stipend of €1,000, studio and accommodation for a minimum of four weeks. Call-outs usually happen in December. leitrimsculpturecentre.ie

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Residencies

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Top Left: Jasmin Märker, My Immortals, silk wall hanging. Märker has recently been awarded a Professional Development Residency 2018 at Leitrim Sculpture Centre.

Top Right: Siobhan Ferguson, Water Border, 2018; photograph courtesy the artist. Ferguson is currently artist-inresidence at Digital Arts Studios, Belfast.

Bottom Left: Laura McMorrow, Sugidama, 2018; image courtesy of the artist. McMorrow is due to undertake a residency at Cill Rialaig in 2019.

Bottom Right: Lar O'Toole, The Unfurled Ruled Non-Surface, 2018, acrylic paint and monofilament nylon, 244 x 120 x 60 cm; image courtesy of the artist. O'Toole was recipient of the Student Residency Award at IMMA.

FIRE STATION ARTIST STUDIOS

Fire Station Artist Studios (est. 1993) is a large residential studio and workshop facility on Buckingham street in Dublin city centre. Facilities include a sculpture workshop, digital media resource centre and project space. The combined living/ working spaces are subsidised. Residencies are self-directed, with access to facilities, support and training programmes.

Graduate awards provide non-accommodation residencies in sculpture and digital media, offering a stipend and curatorial mentoring. Longer residential awards are offered to more established artists. The application deadline this year is 14 October at 5pm. firestation.ie

THE MODEL

The Model, Sligo, was built in 1862 as a Model school. The original building was renovated and expanded in 2000 and 2010, with additions including studios and one apartment/ studio at the very top of the building. The gallery programme at The Model offers residents access to exhibitions, open days, events, talks, performances and screenings. The studios are rental fee and are currently available on a three-year basis, supporting both established and emerging artists, while the residential studio is currently available by invitation only to Irish artists. These residencies last two-to-four weeks and no stipend is offered. themodel.ie

GUESTHOUSE PROJECT

HEINRICH BÖLL RESIDENCY

Situated in Cork City, this artist-led initiative provides a social hub for creative production. The Guesthouse Project began offering ‘time and space’ residencies in 2007 free of charge. Accommodation is available for two-month residencies, with artists selected through invitation and regular call-outs. Resident artists are expected to host a lunch and give a presentation, workshop or exhibition. In return, they have access to a workspace, digital equipment, facilities and opportunities to meet other artists. Project-based residencies (without accommodation) are allocated on an ongoing basis.

The next open-call is in late September.

This cottage on Achill Island, County Mayo, once belonged to the German writer, Heinrich Böll, and was left as a residence to The Heinrich Böll Foundation. Open to artists and writers, submissions are taken before September each year.

The residency has been running since 2003 and offers time and space to those who need quietness and escape. Artists are encouraged to visit schools or community organisations or to give a public talk during their stay. No bursary is provided. During two-week residencies, artists stay in the cottage which comprises two writing rooms and a studio, with a phoneline but no internet.

TYRONE GUTHRIE CENTRE

UCD PARITY STUDIOS

theguesthouse.ie

The Tyrone Guthrie Centre (est. 1981) at Annaghmakerrig is a residential workplace for artists of all disciplines, in County Monaghan. Facilities include eight studio spaces, performance space and print studio. Artists can stay a maximum of one month in the big house (€350 per week for full-board) or two months in one of the self-catering cottages (€200 per week), with no outcomes expected. Applications are received all year-round. Practitioners of all artforms with a proven track record are welcome to apply. Many local authorities offer Tyrone Guthrie residency awards to individual artists – contact your local Arts Office for further information. tyroneguthrie.ie

heinrichboellcottage.com

UCD offers year-long residencies to professional artists seeking to develop collaborative projects in a university environment.

Developed in 2012 as an Art and Science initiative, the programme has since expanded to include Arts and Humanities, Business, Engineering and Architecture, Social Sciences and Law. It includes a stipend and 24-hour studio access. Artists-in-Residence work alongside UCD’s academics, researchers and students, with access to talks, lectures, symposia and libraries. Artists are expected to take part in a public engagement programme. Online applications are made to individual departments, following a callout in spring each year. ucdartinscience.com

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Residencies

Performance and Narrative

Performing in Real-time

AVRIL CORROON DISCUSSES HER GRADUATE RESIDENCY AT TEMPLE BAR GALLERY + STUDIOS.

ELAINE HOEY REFLECTS ON HER RECENT RESIDENCY AT THE CENTRE CULTUREL IRLANDAIS IN PARIS.

Avril Corroon, Wish You Were Here, 2017, performance documentation; image courtesy of the artist

I WAS VERY FORTUNATE to have been select-

ed for the Temple Bar Gallery + Studios Recent Graduate Residency Award in 2016, receiving a stipend and the free use of an exceptionally large studio. I received the award three years after graduating from NCAD. In the time between, I was given a taste of how difficult and truly disheartening it can be to continue practicing and sustaining oneself in Dublin with minimum-wage zero-hour contracts, rising rent, studio closures, no medical card, high competition and few opportunities. Obviously, a graduate residency didn’t solve all of this precarity, but it did make me feel more confident about practicing under these circumstances. I felt justified in dedicating as much time and effort as I could to my art practice, given that what I make seems worthwhile for others.

During the residency I made Fresh Paint on the Walls, a nine-minute video that was exhibited in Temple Bar Gallery as part of the group exhibition ‘My Brilliant Friend’ in July 2016. It is a satirical take on gentrification and the private rental market, addressing the difficulty of living in Dublin city, through the ‘monsterising’ of the landlord and his overuse of magnolia paint in rental accommodation. In the exhibition, the video was displayed on a wall-mounted flat screen TV, with the gallery walls painted magnolia. During production of the film, I converted the studio into a film set (with enough room to use a wide-angel lens), a makeup and costume area and a dedicated space for editing. Towards the end of the residency period I turned my focus to the more performative elements of my practice. A distinct privilege I enjoyed on residency was having the privacy to experiment with live acting and rehearsing without causing disturbance to others or, frankly, being embarrassed about being overheard. I concluded the residency with a site-specific live work, Wish You Were Here, for which I performed a narration from the rooftop of an Airbnb apartment, with two accompanying actors featuring in the domestic space below. The action taking place on this two-storey ‘stage’ was observed by an audience situated on the balcony of TBG+S, directly across the road.

The studio also played a major role in hosting

part of the activist organising of Strike 4 Repeal, a national strike that took place on 8 March demanding a referendum on the Eight Amendment. Concurrent with my art practice, the studio provided a base for collective organising.

This took many forms – from hosting meetings and direct-action workshops, to banner-making and media training – but also offered a safe environment where organisers could speak openly and give collective care. In having the space used jointly for both art and activism, these practices influenced each other – for example, climbing onto the roof of an Airbnb apartment to denounce neoliberalism and the company’s actions in Ireland.

Other than the space and aid of a stipend, what made the residency so beneficial was the countless forms of support I received at TBG+S, such as studio visits, speaking with fellow studio artists, letters of reference and mock interviews for my MFA application. On the evening before my flight to London for my MFA interview, Mary Cremin (then acting curator) was on her hands and knees with me in my studio, searching between the cracks in the floorboards for my missing passport!

In Ireland there is a scarcity of recent graduate awards like the one offered annually by TBG+S. Unaffordable rents, zero-hour contracts and poor social welfare supports are all colossal deterrents for new graduates wishing to work as artists. An increase in support is necessary and should particularly address people from working class and under represented backgrounds. The work made during my residency aided me in securing a place on the MFA in Goldsmiths University, London. I’m still living under the same precarious conditions as before, and after I graduate I will have to seek out similar recent graduate awards once again. But for now, I still have the privilege of maintaining an arts practice.

Avril Corroon is an artist from County Westmeath who currently lives in London.

IN JUNE OF this year, I was lucky enough to commence a three-month residency at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. My residency was supported through a bursary I received from the RDS Visual Arts Awards in 2017, funded by Mason Hayes Curran. It was an amazing opportunity to swap my isolated studio on the borders of Monaghan for a bustling and happening cultural epicentre. Situated in the 5th arrondissement in the heart of Paris, CCI is perfectly placed to engage with all that the city has to offer. Notre Dame, Centre de Pompidou and many more visitor attractions are within 15 minutes walking distance. I was given a large comfortable suite with a sitting room, bedroom and bathroom.

My studio was located in the centre’s wonderful courtyard, a rather grand former monastery. In the studio next door, Irish artist Damien Flood was also on residency and painting up a storm.

He provided the perfect guide and partner for visiting galleries. I was also immediately made welcome by CCI staff and the wonderful director Nora Hickey, who became a valuable mentor during my stay, offering help, advice and introducing my work to numerous curators.

The first few weeks in Paris went very quickly, with many trips to exhibitions, curator visits and the beginnings of research into a new body of work. What interested me about being in France was the possibility of gaining a different perspective on the current political climate in Europe. Ireland is geographically on the outskirts of Europe and, with the exception of the impending Brexit crisis has, up until now, largely remained unaffected by the political trends currently sweeping across the EU – in particular the renewed interest in nationalism and a sharp rise in right-wing conservative politics. With nationalism on my mind, I watched as nations battled it out on the pitch during the World Cup. I was an outsider, viewing the spectacle as the games unfolded. France’s victory was accompanied by a sea of flags, anthems and a swelling of national pride. An intense atmosphere of patriotism was palpable, and riots later erupted.

As an artist who utilises virtual reality technologies, I wanted to use this time to experiment and explore its potential for real-time performative work. Accessing virtual servers via the

internet allowed me to construct a 3D world online, providing a stage for multiple actors from various countries to connect and perform in real-time. Not I, That is Myself, is a real-time virtual reality performance that explores the myth of nationhood, blurring the boundaries between real and imagined spaces and what it means to be the ‘self ’ and the ‘other’. The technology speaks to the nature of contemporary fluidness and challenges current perceptions of fixed identity. Because the focus of my residency was so experimental, it allowed me to produce a number of additional smaller works exploring the same theme. The Running Man is a three-screen interactive video game, complete with Xbox controllers. It is a dystopian view of a barren world colonised by one white player.

Once Upon A Time (2018) is a machinima-style video essay shot inside an online virtual world, suitably called ‘The Wild West’. This work explores notions of nostalgia and the imagined past greatness of the nation state. This is Not a Representative Body, is a real-time generated algorithm which continually spawns people while articulating a white-centric view of the world.

I am grateful to the RDS Visual Arts Awards and Mason Hayes Curran for their generous bursary award and kind support. Having space and freedom away from everyday distractions proved to be a very productive experience. When distraction was called for, a wealth of culture lay outside my door. Living and working in Paris afforded me many opportunities to make contact with curators in France and to develop connections with other artists, writers and musicians.

I left my residency and Paris with sadness but returned to Ireland happy to take up a post with Digital Arts Studio in Belfast at the end of August. Kindly, Nora Hickey has asked me to take part in a panel discussion at CCI in mid-September, which coincides with an exhibition titled ‘Surveillance’, meaning that I will return to Paris once more!

Elaine Hoey creates interactive installations, appropriating current digital art practices to explore the politics of contemporary humanity.

Elaine Hoey, Not I, That is Myself, 2018, three-channel video installation; image courtesy the artist

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Awards & Opportunities

Where to Now? JONATHAN CARROLL PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF GRADUATE AWARDS AND OPPORTUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

Competitions

Festivals & Annual Exhibitions

GOLDEN FLEECE AWARD

CAIRDE FESTIVAL

IN THE ART WORLD, people seem to

love a competition and a winner, which explains the long-running success of awards like the Turner Prize in the UK. Increasingly, the work of Irish art college graduates is ‘verified’ through the awarding of various prizes, bursaries and residencies during the final year exhibitions. Generally, on the opening night, the various stickers marking out award-winners have already been allocated. During the first few days of this year’s graduate shows, I felt for the artists tasked with invigilating their own work and waiting for those red dots to materialise, denoting sales – or the ‘audience awards’, as I like to call them. All of a sudden, judgements on the quality of your work – perceived as possible signifiers of a future in your chosen career – come thick and fast. If you do pursue a career as an artist, this will only be the beginning of having to constantly seek validation for your work.

Now that you have graduated, you might be wondering what opportunities are open to you. What follows is an overview of some of the main graduate awards – many of the deadlines for this year have passed, however it is worth noting them for next year, particularly for current students. Other prominent or long-running awards and annual opportunities are also listed here, such as festivals and open-calls, open to visual artists at any stage of their career, including emerging artists and recent graduates. VAN readers are advised to sign up for VAI’s twice-weekly eBulletin, which provides details on a range of ongoing regional, national and international opportunities.

The Golden Fleece Award is an independent artistic prize fund, established as a charitable bequest by the late Helen Lillias Mitchell. The prize fund varies from year to year, but is usually in the region of €20,000, offering one major award and several smaller merit awards. In 2018, the award was split between 3 winners: Paul Hallahan, Ursula Burke and Cecilia Moore. The award is open to visual artists and those working in crafts and is by application, with the deadline usually in November.

The fifth edition of Cairde Sligo Arts Festival’s annual exhibition, ‘Visual Cairde’, was presented at The Model, Sligo, from 11 July to 19 August.

The Model Cara Award, The Hamilton Gallery Award and the inaugural Cosgrove’s Delicatessen Award were presented this year as part of the exhibition. Over one hundred artworks were selected from local, national and international artists, across a range of media. The open-call is advertised in May each year, with a deadline of early June.

goldenfleeceaward.com

SUKI TEA ART PRIZE

Now in its second year, the Suki Tea Art Prize is open to all professional artists resident in Northern Ireland and all Visual Artists Ireland members in the Republic of Ireland at all career stages, working across all visual artforms. The prize includes a three-month research-based residency in the Centre Culturel Irlandais (CCI) in Paris, accommodation, one return flight, and a stipend of €700 per month. Application is through CCI. The 2018 recipient is Ursula Burke.

themodel.ie

CATALYST ARTS MEMBERS SHOW

Established in 1993, Catalyst Arts is Belfast’s longest running artist-led space. An annual exhibition of members’ work normally takes place in May. A themed open-call (usually advertised in March) invites Catalyst members to submit a recent artwork in any medium. Specifications regarding the maximum dimensions of artworks are outlined in the brief. Being a member is a great way to support Catalyst and to avail of various benefits and opportunities throughout the year. Memberships rates are £20/£10 (unwaged).

centreculturelirlandais.com

ZURICH PORTRAIT PRIZE

The Hennessy Portrait Prize has been rebranded as the Zurich Portrait Prize this year. The prize is open to artists in all disciplines. One artist receives a prize of €15,000 and a commission worth €5,000 to produce a new work for inclusion in the National Portrait Collection. Two additional prizes of €1,500 are awarded to highly-commended works. In 2017, 24 shortlisted artists exhibited at the National Gallery of Ireland, with Jack Hickey being announced as the overall winner. Entry is by application, usually by mid-July each year.

nationalgallery.ie

Kevin Flynn, Fake Fight, 2017; exhibited as part of the 188th RHA Annual Exhibition 2018; photograph by Joanne Laws

CARLOW ARTS FESTIVAL

Now in its 39th year, Carlow Arts Festival and VISUAL Carlow hold an Annual Open Submission and Art Award. The exhibition takes place in VISUAL and is selected by a panel of experts, which this year included artist and farmer Orla Barry, IMMA curator Seán Kissane, and VISUAL curator Emma Lucy O’Brien. The Hotron Artworks Award and the Éigse Prize are announced at the festival launch. This year’s exhibition, ‘Encountering the Land’, ran at VISUAL from 6 June – 2 September. The deadline for submissions is usually in early March. visualcarlow.ie

EVA INTERNATIONAL

Ireland’s biennale of contemporary art, EVA International, has been held in various venues across Limerick City since 1977 and has always been an advocate of the open-call system. This year’s EVA, curated by Inti Guerrero, invited applicants to “respond to the current state” – be it personal circumstances or a wider political response. The 39th edition will take place in 2020, with the invited curator to be announced soon.

Information about the online application process will be available in early 2019.

catalystarts.org

RHA ANNUAL EXHIBITION

Ireland’s longest running and largest exhibition of visual art, the RHA Annual Exhibition, celebrated its 188th edition this year. With a prize fund of €55,000 – including the RCSI Art Award of €15,000 combined prize and commission – the RHA Annual Exhibition is by far the most prestigious for artists. A committee selects work submitted through the open-call, making up approximately 13% of the total artworks exhibited each year. There is a €15 fee for each artwork submitted and work must be submitted and collected in person. rhagallery.ie

Jack Hickey, My Time, 2017, oil on canvas, 57 x 72 cm. Winner of the Hennessy Portrait Prize 2017; © The Artist, photograph © National Gallery of Ireland

eva.ie

TULCA FESTIVAL OF VISUAL ARTS

This year marks the 16th edition of TULCA, an annual exhibition held in Galway since 2002.

Each year artists are invited to respond to a festival thematic, developed by an Irish-based curator. Open-calls are normally announced in March and submissions should be received before the May deadline. Curated by Roscommon-based curator Linda Shevlin, the 2018 edition of TULCA, ‘Syntonic State’, “takes dual cues from Galway’s merchant and mariner histories and from the concept of nostalgia” (2 – 18 November 2018). tulcafestival.com

Gavin McCrea, 'Untitled 3'; image courtesy artist. McCrea exhibited as part of Caidre Arts Festival 2018 at The Model.

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Awards & Opportunities

Jesse Hallaway, Vivarium Electronica, 2018. Hallaway was a recipient of the National Sculptue Factory Graduate Residency Award in 2018.

Róisín McGannon, Unititled, 2017, resarch images taken at Block T. McGannon received the Fingal Arts Office Graduate Award in 2017.

Dublin Graduate Awards

Regional Graduate Awards

A4 SOUNDS – DIT GRADUATE AWARD

This award is open to all disciplines and selected by a judging panel from the DIT graduate exhibition. There is no application or entry requirements. The award comprises: An exhibition in the A4 Sounds Gallery, with support for the installation and duration; Three months free studio membership; Access to the studio’s shared workspaces, facilities, equipment and training to prepare for an exhibition. Recent recipients include Monika Bogyos (2017) and Justyna Kielbowicz (2016).

BLACK CHURCH GRADUATE AWARDS

Black Church Print Studio offers three awards annually to graduates of DIT, NCAD or IADT, while one National Undergraduate Award is offered to Fine Art students of third level colleges nationwide specialising in print. The Black Church Cabinet Award showcases the work of undergraduates in an experimental exhibition space. A new initiative offers memberships to five emerging artists who have graduated from a Fine Art degree within the last 2 years.

a4sounds.org

FINGAL ARTS OFFICE GRADUATE AWARD

This new award is delivered in partnership between Fingal County Council Arts Office and Block T, offering a studio for one year in Block T with a solo exhibition in 2019. This is an open-submission award, available to undergraduate and postgraduate students graduating in 2018. The candidate must live in, be originally from, or have studied in Fingal. The 2018 application deadline was in August.

fingalarts.ie

RDS VISUAL ART AWARDS

The RDS Visual Art Awards provide an exhibition platform and €30,000 prize fund for emerging visual artists. Up to 15 artists are included in the exhibition. Individual prizes include: RDS Taylor Art Award (€10,000); R.C. Lewis-Crosby Award (€5,000); three-month summer residency award at CCI, Paris (funded by Mason Hayes & Curran); RHA Graduate Studio Award; and a cash award (€2,500). The 2018 exhibition, curated by Amanda Coogan, runs from October 23-29 in the RDS Concert Hall. rds.ie

AN TÁIN ARTS ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE

Now in its third year, this residency is open to recent graduates looking to establish a collaborative practice in a community setting. The award provides a studio space for a three-month period, €1500 stipend plus €500 materials grant and a solo exhibition in the main gallery space of An Táin Arts Centre – an independent arts space in Dundalk, County Louth. Current recipient of the award is Sean McGuill. The deadline is in March each year.

blackchurchprint.ie

FSAS GRADUATE AWARD

Fire Station Artists' Studios offers four threemonth residencies for NCAD and DIT graduates, providing free access to workspaces and equipment, as well as technical support, curatorial advice and small bursaries. Graduates submit a detailed application via their college tutors

by May. FSAS staff make a final selection after visiting the graduate exhibition. The FSAS 2018 Graduate Awards went to Heidi Dwyer and Gemma Brown (Sculpture), and Emily Brennan and Jessica McCumisky (Digital Media). firestation.ie

TBG+S RECENT GRADUATE RESIDENCY

Now in its fifth year, the residency offers a free studio for one year, a €1,000 stipend, €500 international travel bursary and various institutional supports. The award is open to emerging artists who have graduated in the previous 3 years from a BA/BFA in Fine Art in any recognised university or third level institution in Ireland or Irish artists who have graduated from a non-Irish BA/BFA in Fine Art. Entry is by application in early 2019. Bassam Al-Sabah was the 2018 recipient. templebargallery.com

antain.ie

BELFAST EXPOSED PHOTOGRAPHY AWARD

Students graduating from BA and MFA Photography and Fine Art Programmes (Northern Ireland/Republic of Ireland) are eligible to apply.

The award offers: A three-week exhibition OR residency at Belfast Exposed Gallery 2 during the month of September; £400 Artist Fee and contribution towards production costs of up to £600; Travel/accommodation contribution of up to £100; Access to Belfast Exposed resources and mentorship from staff. The deadline is in June each year. belfastexposed.org

NSF GRADUATE RESIDENCY AWARD

Since 2011, National Sculpture Factory Graduate Residency Award award has expanded to include graduates from the Munster region, comprising four students from the region’s three art colleges: CCAD, LSAD and Waterford IT. The award includes a studio for 3–6 months, materials and use of kilns as well as a stipend.

The 2018 recipients were: Sue Dolan (CCAD Fine Art); Catherine Callanan (Contemporary Applied Art); Joseph Fogarty (WIT); and Jesse Hallaway (LIT). nationalsculpturefactory.com

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BACKWATER GRADUATE RESIDENCY

The Backwater Artists Studio Graduate Residency is awarded by the Crawford College of Art & Design (CCAD). The successful applicant receives studio space in Backwater Artists Group Studios for 9 months and access to CCAD library. There is a stipulation that the applicant work in the materials shop of CCAD for 5 hours per week. Selection is through written proposal. The deadline is usually late May, before the graduation shows. The selection panel comprises lecturing and technical staff of CCAD. blackwaterartists.ie

BURREN COLLEGE RESIDENCY AWARD

Since 2015, Burren College of Art, located in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, has offered four 'Emerging Irish Artist Residency Awards' to recent graduates and emerging artists residing in Ireland. The successful candidates have to pay a €250 fee for accommodation and are responsible for their own material and food costs. The award offers access to a studio for month and exhibitions at BCA Gallery & 126 Artist-run Galway, Galway. The deadline is usually in July. burrencollege.ie

PLATFORM ARTS GRADUATE AWARD

Platform Arts in Belfast offers annual Graduate Residency Awards for two students graduating from the University of Ulster. The Award includes 24-hour access to a communal workshop area and private studio space for a period of five months, followed by an exhibition at Gallery 2 of Platform Arts in the sixth month of the residency. The award is by application each May, and selections are made following a visit by the panel to the graduate exhibition. platformbelfast.com

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Awards & Opportunities

Best Foot Forward

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

RHA Graduate Supports

KEVIN O’KELLY TALKS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE AS WINNER OF THE COLIN MATRIN OUTLINES THE GRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES 2017 RDS VISUAL ART AWARDS. OFFERED BY THE RHA.

Kevin O’Kelly, Put your best self forward, 2018, installation view, ‘All Other Places’, Point Square; photograph by Steven Maybury

AS ONE OF THE shortlisted artists for the 2017 RDS Visual Art Awards, I was invited to exhibit Something about the way you look – an immersive installation that explores the line between solitude and loneliness. From a small corridor, lone viewers enter a room featuring dated, drab and worn decor. A window looks into another room in the distance and viewers become aware that someone is looking back at them. A certain ambiguity persists as to who is actually being watched, creating a self-consciousness about being visibly alone.

The RDS Visual Art Awards aims to support and showcase graduating Irish visual artists as they transition from students into early professional careers. Awarded as first prize, the RDS Taylor Art Award offers a stipend of €10,000 to the most promising graduate artist that year, to assist with the development of their career.

Winning the RDS Taylor Art Award has meant different things for different artists. For many, it means being invited to take part in numerous exhibitions, something I was aware might not easily happen in my case. My work is large-scale and demands highly individual engagement. By incorporating performance and installation, it requires my constant presence. From outside my RDS installation, all you could see was a doorway – intriguing but not entirely visually appealing. The experience for the viewer is unnerving and sometimes stressful. Because of this, I wasn’t expecting the phone to hop off the hook; but winning the award has still given me a confidence boost. It has provided a certain validation of my work and a platform from which to apply for different opportunities.

Nick Miller, the invited curator of the 2017 exhibition, and everyone at the RDS were happy to take on the logistical challenges involved in this work. I initially offered an alternative work to the installation shown at the NCAD graduate exhibition, which would have omitted the movement of the rooms. This was a small element of the work which added complexity, tilting two rooms ten degrees to the left and back again, allowing the viewer to experience a subtle sense of movement. However, they wanted the whole thing, assuring me that it was achievable within the three-day install and that any poten-

tial issues could be resolved. The process was incredibly personal and supportive, with Miller even going as far as making sure I was getting enough sleep in the lead up to the installation.

Notwithstanding the award itself, the experience of building a complex installation – which originally took two months to fabricate – within a tight timeframe also reassured me of my ability to deliver on proposals, to adapt and to approach my work in new ways. Part of the work is a social experiment to observe how a person behaves in a space and to see if this can be controlled, manipulated or encouraged. The viewer experience requires a series of actions. If these are not carried out, then I need to ask why not. I then consider how to alter the environment, or what might incentivise the person.

Put your best self forward is a more recent work – exhibited in May as part of the first-year MFA show, ‘All Other Places’, in Point Square – which further examines some of the themes I explored at the RDS. This work combines performance and installation to consider factors that can lead to a sense of disconnection within urban living. It consists of a room that ‘judges’ you, as if adding to existing pressures of ‘self-optimisation’ and being ‘always on’. In order to experience the work, viewers must agree with a clerk/host/ringmaster that they are, in fact, there for an interview. Already nervous about what information may be required from them, they enter and find themselves as both the subject and object of surveillance, in a room that attempts to control their movements and experiences.

The intended out-of-sync character of these installations is starting to take shape and a flow is beginning to emerge. I’m still trying to find what it is that connects these various projects across my wider practice. My feeling is that this graduate award has done its job, if it assures recipients that what they are doing has relevance and value.

Kevin O’Kelly is currently studying an MFA in Digital Art at NCAD. kevinokelly.net

THE ROYAL HIBERNIAN ACADEMY (RHA) offers a number of opportunities and supports to graduates and emerging artists, through the gallery and school programmes. In keeping with its ethos of serving artists and the public, the RHA provides a supportive platform for exhibiting and creating art. The gallery’s programme works with a diversity of practice and a spectrum of career stages. ‘RHA Futures’ was initiated in 2002 as an exhibiting platform for emerging artists with a burgeoning critical consensus. The exhibition runs in five-year cycles, with anthology exhibitions bookending each cycle, featuring all participating artists from that period. ‘RHA Futures’ offers artists an opportunity to work with the curatorial team and to negotiate the space with other exhibiting artists. ‘Futures’ is often the first museum show for artists; a significant rollcall of ‘Futures’ alumni have subsequently developed international profiles such as Brendan Early, John Gerrard and Maria McKinney.

RHA Director Patrick Murphy and RHA Curator Ruth Carroll curate the annual exhibition, embarking on studio and gallery visits, while closely monitoring graduate shows, artist-run spaces and regional programmes to inform their decisions. This consensus around an artist’s practice can often take a number of years to build after graduation, however it is noticeable that platforms such as the RDS Visual Art Awards have heightened visibility around emerging practices and recently artists such as Elaine Hoey and Jennifer Meighan have also participated while studying on MA programmes. The 2018 ‘RHA Futures’ will feature artists Marcel Vidal, Laura Fitzgerald, Bassam Al-Sabbah, Joanne Reid, Cecilia Danell and Jennifer Meighan.

Attracting an audience of 40,000, the exhibition is a platform for bringing artists to the attention of a broader public, while amplifying growing discussions around emerging practices within the visual art community. The show has been a space for deepening working relationships between artists and the RHA. Previous ‘Futures’ artists, including Amanda Coogan, Mark Garry and Aideen Barry, went on to develop ambitious solo projects with the gallery.

The RHA School programme also offers a number of opportunities to recent graduates and

emerging artists. The RHA School Graduate Studio Award was inaugurated in 2016 to provide a rent-free studio to a recent graduate for a one-year period. The purpose-built workspace is north-facing and well-proportioned. The recipient has the opportunity to develop their practice within the institutional framework of the RHA, while also accessing courses, drawing groups and masterclasses held at the RHA School. This was funded by generous donations from Friends of the RHA and is now entering its third year. A panel consisting of critic James Merrigan, Ruth Carroll and myself, visited the graduation shows in Dublin and shortlisted artists. It was important that practices were recognised from critical, curatorial and practice-based perspectives. The first recipient, IADT graduate Bassam Al-Sabbah, used the residency to develop ‘Illusions of Love Dyed by Sunset’, recently presented at the LAB Gallery (16 March – 3 June). DIT graduate, Kevin Smith, received the 2017 award for his film Love in Technicolor. This year the award will be made through the RDS Visual Art Awards, ensuring an all-island reach and an additional stipend of €2,500, bringing the total value of the award to €7,500.

In addition, the RHA Ashford Gallery holds annual open-submissions for artists who are not represented by a commercial gallery, providing opportunities for graduates to submit proposals.

Forthcoming shows by recent graduates include Riin Kaljurand and Kurt Opperman. Furthermore, the RHA School has been inviting graduates to participate in peer residencies in the drawing studio. This culture of peer-to-peer learning and support is a continued value of the scheme that offers graduates some of the sustaining aspects of the college environment, such as quality studio provision, institutional support and peer engagement. Participants of the scheme have included Gum Collective (NCAD) and most recently Eve O’Callaghan (NCAD), Mónika Bögyös and Claire Tobin Dunne (DIT).

Susan Buttner and Elaine Grainger, graduates of the NCAD MFA programme, will commence a peer residency in 2019.

Colin Martin is an artist and current Principal of the RHA School.

Kevin Smith, Love in Technicolor, 2017, video still. Smith was the 2017 recipient of the RHA School Graduate Studio Award.

The Visual Artists' News Sheet

Critique Edition 39: Emerging Artists

Justine McDonnell ‘A composition of she’, installation view, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast (19 July – 25 August 2018)

Critique

Visual Artists' News Sheet | September – October 2018

Bren Smyth ‘Substance of Things’ Pallas Projects/Studios, Dublin 25 July – 4 August 2018

BREN SMYTH’S ‘Substance of Things’ at Pallas

Projects/Studios consisted of nine framed works on paper. Curated by Róisín Bohan, this was Smyth’s first solo exhibition, which was funded

by Dublin City Council. The Artist-Initiated Programme at Pallas has proved crucial in the Dublin context, where accessible platforms for emerging artists to exhibit their work appear to be diminishing.

The nine works displayed were mostly monochromatic, made using charcoal and gesso. The surface quality of each work has a tension between the chalky dry white gesso and the greasy application of the black charcoal. Most works tend towards grisaille, although there are flashes of red under-painting, referencing ideas of layering in the painting process. Gesso – more commonly used as a ground and surface to work over – is used here as a primary material. The works are gestural, with materials being dragged, rubbed, dripped and mixed. There is a sense that the works are formed in the process of application. The Fabriano paper bears the folds and creases of contraction, often emanating from a central point. There is also a conscious choice in using paper that buckles under moisture, with some surfaces being reminiscent of the hydrophobic bleeds commonly seen in lithography.

There are other formal tensions in the work between abstract gesturalism and suggested figuration or architectural drawing (which have been previously described as ‘Portraits of Cities’). However, these representational possibilities are more hinted at than explicitly shown, and there are discrepancies between drawn and painted application. Titles such as Corinthian or Ban hint at the impetus behind each work. The compositional structures are often dense and active, framed by areas of sparseness where the paper is untouched. Smyth seeks to combine a playful haphazard primitivism with a considered and refined approach. The material application seems to eschew brushwork in favour of a haptic tactility, where gesso is mixed by rubbing or spilling by hand. The surfaces are mutable, provisional and fluid and delight in the viscosity of the medium.

In a written response to the exhibition, Sue

Klaudia Olszyńska ‘51.791384, -8.291099’ Studio 12, Backwater Artists Group, Cork 20 July – 17 August 2018

Rainsford reflects on the signification of the embodied mark as something that is “immediate and inscriptive or extrapolative and expressive” and leads to ask the question “at what other levels do they function?” Contextually, the work makes reference to the Altamira cave paintings and the eternal essence of painting, with an intuitive free play of materials that has been a constant throughout painting’s history.

They also recall the gestural materiality of High Modernism, found in the paintings of artists like Cy Twombly, Jackson Pollack or Philip Guston.

Guston’s transition from early gestural abstraction to the late cartoonish representation is often referenced in illustrating a shift away from the purity of High Modernism – an elitist world free from meaning – towards the untidy resolutions and cultural impurity of later work. Indeed, there has been a recent turn in painting towards a materiality that is uninterested in the ideological positions of Modernism and instead uses materials as a thought process, freeing painters to take more individualistic approaches to the language of painting. There is a stated interest in contemporary painting being both the subject and the object.

It is perhaps the in-between-ness of these works – situated between gesture and consideration, accident and deliberation, subject and object – that aims at an open ambiguity and layered enquiry within Smyth’s practice, generating constructive ambiguity and a simultaneous occupation of various positions. This positioning can result in poised tension between binary points or it can fall into a greyness, where neither position has been pulled to a significant degree. Smyth evidently lives in the moment of making these works, tapping into the eternal primacies in painting, where most painters experience the seduction of the material’s tactile qualities. However, a critical conversation with the chronology of gestural painting and how that functions in the contemporary context would deepen the concerns of the artist’s emerging practice, as it continues to unfold.

Colin Martin is a visual artist, lecturer and RHA School Principal.

Left: Bren Smyth, Hoist, 2018, Charcoal, gesso, whiting on Fabriano watercolour, 105 x 70 cm; Right: Bren Smyth, Finn (detail), 2018, Charcoal, gesso, whiting on Fabriano watercolour, 105 x 70 cm; photographs by Kate Bowe O’Brien

Klaudia Olysznska, '51.791384, -8.29109', installation view, Studio 12, Backwater Artist Studios, Cork; photography by Johnny Bulger

KLAUDIA OLSZYŃSKA’S EXHIBITION at Studio 12 in Backwater Artists Group consists of four mixed-media works that could be best described as ‘expanded paintings’. The exhibition takes its title from the GPS map coordinates of an area revealed via Google maps to be along Fennell’s Bay Road in Myrtleville, County Cork.

The resonance of the works is posited (in a paragraph-long contextualisation) as residing in the abandoned buildings present at the places with which they share coordinates.

The colour scheme of the works revolves around blacks, greys, off-white plaster shades and diffused, near mould-coloured greens. All contain the downward drips of watery paint.

They also feature areas of exaggeratedly built-up paint, forming porous structures that protrude an inch or two from the board onto which they are applied. Two works are in portrait format, the other two in landscape, with slight variations in size. The general aesthetic scheme quite clearly signals decay, with stains and spills signifying the wearing down of constructions over time.

The paintings’ glazed surfaces are what struck me most, when viewing them up close. Echoing the gloss of ceramic tiles, these varnished surfaces seem caught or fixed in place. Visually, they contrast with the implied movement found in the spill patterns. As things deteriorate, they are said to ‘lose their sheen’. Patently, these works are in a state of ‘constructed deterioration’, rather than being the products of destruction or gradual deconstruction.

However, it is hard to feel upbeat in the presence of these works. They capture a field of aesthetics that is too often presented in a romanticised manner – think of the ruins depicted in a Caspar David Friedrich painting, for example.

In traditional Japanese aesthetics, the notion of wabi-sabi centres on a belief that the workings of time should be appreciated. The gloss and sheen of the new are deemed fleeting and trivial, while aging and impermanence – manifested through imperfections, such as a rustic patina – are venerated. There is no sublime persistence of an object in time; there is only its engulfment in the mouldy stains of decay, until these features are all that remain. Time can express itself aesthetically and affectively in many ways, through

blossoming, maturing and decaying. Decay continues long after death and is consequently something that is not specific to its object.

Olszynska’s paintings, motivated by experience of ruins, transform a natural occurrence into an artwork, thus valorising this process. However, in contrast to wabi-sabi principles, this decay is fixed in a specific configuration and prevented from continued decay.

Interestingly, photographic reproductions of Olszyńska’s paintings seem to aestheticise the works too much. In this digital format – with everything flattened and illuminated onscreen – the works do, in fact, hold a sublime aspect.

The hardness of the glaze disappears from view, replaced by ‘pretty’ diffusions, as opposed to stains. However, in reality, these works are more confrontational, as they actively investigate how to properly capture and present decay. We must read these works according to how decay marches forward, becoming harsher and more brute, as opposed to notions about entropy. There is a sapping and slowness to the entropic process – a gradual depletion. By contrast, the aesthetics of decay are built upon a flourish of sorts, evident in the piles of paint and mounds of plaster, their heavy textures veering towards organic sculptural forms.

Decay is an omnipresent phenomenon, yet Olszyńska responds to a concrete instance with a bleak palette, abstract title and sculptural forms, thus bridging the gap between something local and something universal. According to the exhibition text, the artist was moved by the “memories ingrained in the fabric of abandoned buildings”, but as viewers, we are blocked from knowing this place in such a direct manner. However, being tied to a specific place need not foreclose our engagement with the work.

We can interpret the title’s coordinates as signifying something beyond the place they refer to, expressing a tension between abstraction and specificity – features that the works themselves embody and rely on.

John Thompson is an artist and co-curator of The Guesthouse Project, Cork.

Critique

Visual Artists' News Sheet | September – October 2018

Ronnie Hughes & Evgeniya Martirosyan 'Outflow’ 126 Artist-Run Gallery, Galway 16 – 29 July 2018

‘OUTFLOW’, A TWO-PERSON show at 126 Artist-Run Gallery, was one of the highlights of this year’s contemporary art offerings at the Galway International Arts Festival. It was a thoughtful and considered pairing of two very different artists, curated with sensitivity by Stephan Roche.

The intricate, puzzle-like, abstract paintings of Ronnie Hughes were teamed with Evgeniya Martirosyan’s sculptural mechanisms and enigmatic film. The two bodies of work both contrasted and complemented each other, each presenting different interpretations on themes of accumulation, pattern and system theories.

Numerous abstract figures and forms populate Hughes’s intimately-sized paintings, which draw the viewer in close. I was reminded of childhood colouring sessions and the pleasures of mapping geometries and setting colours against one another. The conundrum in his work lies in the viewer’s expectation that these patterns offer a solution to themselves, but like an Escher labyrinth, they end up in contradiction.

With humour, Hughes brings our eye on a journey around serpentine paths and linear motifs, but these paths lead nowhere, and his densely-layered designs are confounding. According to Hughes, the “brink of collapse” is the state he hopes to attain in his work. There is a sense of

diagrammatic or scientific formulae gone wrong here. In works such as Geolu (2011) and the ‘Refraction’ series (2017), he plays with striations in space and infinite outlines with different degrees of density. The squared, anti-perspective logic of his forms calls to mind the aesthetic of other Irish painters including Gillian Lawlor, though without the dreamlike sense of discomfort that her work often evokes. Hughes’s emphatic calligraphic lines also channel the gestural work of contemporary American painter, Brice Marden.

Working with handmade acrylic co-polymer paints, Hughes generates a milky plasticised veneer over the substrate, which sometimes includes collaged elements. This gives the eerie impression of a surface upon which something lives and obtains its nourishment. Narcissus (2014) exemplifies how his innovative techniques are put to use, with a huge sun-like form floating in condensed three-dimensional space. The viewer is reminded of Icarus, another subject of classical mythology, who perhaps suffered something of Narcissus’s complaint, being sucked close to a dangerous vanity.

Meanwhile on the floor, in front of Hughes’s paintings, a large apparatus uses another form of suction. The Shape of Emptiness by Evgeniya Martirosyan siphons foam into a precisely constructed steel armature. The flow is mesmeric; slowly changing and evolving, collapsing and reforming again like an algorithmic soufflé. The material accumulations of American sculptor Tara Donovan come to mind, in the intricate and ingenuously simple illusions created by the ethereal dispersion and accretion of frothy bubbles. The title of Martirosyan’s piece guides us to understand the enigma at the heart of her work: the material she works with is mutable and unstable; the form is transient; and chaos or transformation is her subject matter. Martirosyan’s sculptures feel like intruders in the gallery, functioning like science experiments using repurposed industrial machinery. Another work, Dream Machine, invites viewers to turn a functional handle and watch a viscous syrup ooze inside a glass tube, projecting randomised patterns on the gallery wall. The result is vertiginous and beautiful, mimicking various atmospheric or climatic phenomena occurring in nature.

Martirosyan also presents a video and sound installation that addresses similar concerns to those of Hughes’s paintings. Chaos Game plays with the subversion and corruption of patterns and energy fields, but with alternative means. The video shows the ever-changing reproduction of multiple organic cells, as they merge and mutate like incessant rain falling on a slant window. The forms onscreen could also be bacteria in a petri dish. They are animated by a repetitive and fluid sound work that fills the gallery space with sensual and hypnotic vibrations. Hughes’s paintings are also bathed in this soundscape, to their advantage. The works of these two distinct artists are juxtaposed to produce a well-composed show.

The selection is compatible and complementary, but each artist is thoroughly individual and brings their own mode of reality to the space.

Top: Ronnie Hughes, Narcissus, 2014, acrylic copolymer on plywood, 42 x 40 cm; image courtesy the artist.

Bottom: Evgeniya Martirosyan, The Shape of Emptiness; image courtesy of 126 Artist-Run Gallery

Áine Phillips is a visual artist, writer, curator and academic.

Justine McDonnell ‘A composition of she’ Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast 19 July – 25 August 2018

Justine McDonnell, A composition of she, 2018, installation view, Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast

Bare interior.

Protruding grey stage.

Stage set in darkness.

Curtains drawn.

Centre left of stage, she stands, faintly lit, from close-up and below She is enveloped from head to foot in black.

Behind She, the Other emerges out of darkness.

Motionless off stage three Narrators stand, facing directly across from the stage.

They face front, without deviation, throughout.

An invisible microphone sits beneath each mouth.

Their speech is prompted by a pronounced breath.

Each voice toneless, except where an expression is indicated.

Tempo varies throughout.

The curtain rises, the stage is almost in complete darkness.

Faint spotlights simultaneously illuminate the three faces.

The three Narrators begin to speak.

JUSTINE MCDONNELL’S sound installation

‘A composition of she’ is accompanied by three framed texts. The first, in the form of theatre stage directions, describes the environment in which it is contained. We stand on the (clumsily angled) protruding grey stage to read and thus find ourselves intruders in the diegesis around us.

There are, though, inaccuracies and omissions. The ‘physical absence of both She and the Other and the lack of curtain and darkness focus our attention on our own critical presence. This brings to mind Walter Benjamin’s writings on Bertolt Brecht’s epic theatre: “For its public, the stage is no longer ‘the planks which signify the world’, but a convenient public exhibition area.

For its stage, the public is no longer a collection of hypnotised test subjects, but an assembly of interested persons whose demands it must satisfy.”

The second written text is a composed arrangement with the appearance of random selection. Devoid of punctuation or capitalisation, it has the breathless pace and incoherence of Molly Bloom’s monologue in Joyce’s Ulysses, but this does not even pretend to be a stream of consciousness, with its clashes of unrelated grammatical forms and denial of narrative weight.

And like Molly’s “yes”, the passage has the occa-

sional appearance of the eponymous ‘She’. With its references to drama and negativity, there is a sense of tragedy and oppression about it, an appeal for sympathy through the panicked, disjointed voice of an asthma attack.

Thirdly is curator Manuela Pacella’s written response to the work – an exercise in self-loathing that makes for difficult reading. Expressing her alienation from the external world and her unhappiness with herself, the stage and its central “funnel” are simultaneously the cause of and release from her existential crisis.

Facing the stage, like Luigi Pirandello’s six characters demanding their story be told, are four audio speakers, from which the three narrators make their proclamations. Reminiscent of the second framed text, the tone, in its atonality, is now however accusatory. The three women address the “stage that commands a construction of She”, attempting to communicate with a language that is formulated to conceal her identity.

The work is a call to action, to overturn linguistic norms in order to remove their role as patriarchal instrument: “Lips bound. Raw angst. Can’t break. Scattered words unborn. Drained from the mouth. A sense of unease, deliberately constructed for She. A veil of language to be torn apart.” This Beckettian play from a female voice uses disciplined formal structure to demolish the male framework of gendered language (in her text, Pacella refers to the Italian language’s male gendering of all bodies).

The formal qualities of the self-referential dramatisation of her arguments sit uncomfortably in formal theatrical tradition (despite its adoption of long-established Brechtian alienation devices and Pirandello’s extradiegetic interruption), but sits quite happily in an art gallery, where such considerations have become commonplace. The work, though, has a constructive poignancy about it, encouraging its audience into a critical position toward existing power relations: “An unknown conclusion. It’s never forgotten. A structure that will soon collapse. Smacks of the past deliberately constructed for She. A composition of She hides in every corner.”

Colin Darke is an artist, curator and writer based in Belfast.

Critique

Visual Artists' News Sheet | September – October 2018

Critical Exposure JOANNE LAWS PROVIDES SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE ON HOW TO GET YOUR WORK CRITIQUED AND WRITTEN ABOUT.

Advice for early-career artists on building a critical profile: •

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A selection of Irish and international art publications; photograph by Christopher Steenson

AS FEATURES EDITOR of VAN, one of the most common requests I receive from artists is: “Can you review my exhibition?” Often these pitches arrive at short-notice and contain sparse information about the exhibition in question. All VAN writing proposals are discussed during bi-monthly editorial meetings and only five exhibitions are reviewed in the Critique section of each issue. We try to cover a range of media, venues and geographical regions, as well as giving coverage to artists at different career stages. Artists, curators and gallery directors are advised to submit details at least two months before an exhibition opens, to have the best chance of being considered for a review. Exhibitions not selected for the Critique section are frequently included in VAN’s Roundup section. Regardless of potential coverage in VAN, it is advisable to list your upcoming exhibition via VAI’s twice-weekly eBulletin service. With a readership of over 15,000, this is the primary way to let Irish arts audiences know that your show is happening.

There is no quick or simple way to get your work reviewed.

The most you can do is invite critics, curators and other art professionals to your exhibitions and keep them periodically informed about the development of your practice. As a freelance writer, I rarely review exhibitions based on direct contact from artists. More often, my pitches to editors are based on my existing knowledge of an artist’s work, my awareness of upcoming shows and consideration of whether particular exhibitions will suit the publication’s remit and editorial calendar. For example, Art Monthly prefer exhibitions to still be on when the review goes to print. Therefore, most exhibitions covered will run for at least another six weeks after the writing submission date. As a result, exhibitions with a short run rarely get coverage. Conversely, the Irish Times and Sunday Times Culture supplement have much more flexible editorial calendars, publishing exhibition reviews on a daily and weekly basis. It is advisable to contact the editors and writers directly, to let them know about upcoming shows – though coverage or even a response is never guaranteed.

In addition, it is worth considering why you actually want your exhibition reviewed. Receiving critical feedback on your

work is of huge long-term benefit to your practice; however, you must ask yourself whether you are ready to take the good with the bad. Would a negative review have a detrimental impact on your confidence at this stage in your career? (Note: I find it takes much longer to write a negative review than a glowing appraisal; I have to be doubly sure of my facts, taking care to develop a well-structured critical assessment of the intentions behind the work. Constructive criticism can often be productive for artists and shouldn’t always be perceived as a bad thing). Having your work reviewed in a major publication can certainly help circulate your work to wider audiences, offering a degree of recognition that your work is relevant within current critical discourse. Recent press coverage also proves useful when making funding applications; however, writers dislike their work being used solely to enhance someone else’s CV. For that reason, I personally cover shows that I find challenging and enjoyable to write about. When reviewing exhibitions, I tend to not have any direct contact with the artist or the gallery, which upholds a degree of independence in my writing.

In conclusion, one of the most effective ways of ensuring that your work receives critical attention, is to love what you do and to be committed to your work for the long-haul.

Maintaining an artistic practice is highly demanding. Artists are increasingly expected to manage a vast array of technical and administrative tasks that can erode precious studio time.

In my view, artists should make work solely for themselves and resist the urge to presuppose its critical reception. In the long-run, the values and obsessions in your work will prove infectious and will provide you with the substance and motivation to keep going.

Joanne Laws is Features Editor of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet – a bi-monthly printed publication of Visual Artists Ireland. VAI members receive an annual subscription, with six issues of VAN per year posted directly to their door. Issues are also available free of charge in galleries and arts centres nationwide.

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Familiarise yourself with the major publications – There are a range of Irish and international newspapers, magazines and journals, both printed and online, that feature reviews of exhibitions taking place in the Irish context.

Research the editorial calendars and submissions procedures – Different publications have specific timeframes, submission procedures and preferences regarding content. For example, VAN is a bi-monthly printed publication with an arts readership of over 5,000.

We receive a large number of submissions. We do not accept texts that have previously been published (in print or online). We do not accept finished texts; rather, we work with writers to oversee the development of texts, in keeping with an agreed brief – a process that involves detailed correspondence and several drafts.

Identify independent journalists and arts writers – In Ireland there are only a handful of arts writers and critics who actively contribute to various publications, yet there are hundreds of shows around the country each month.

Compile your own professional mailing list – It is useful to source contact details for a range of arts professionals including writers, critics, editors, curators, peers and other contacts. Send out regular updates, press releases and personalised invitations to upcoming exhibitions.

Develop a website – This should feature good quality documentation of previous work, projects and exhibitions, as well as your bio and contact details. When submitting images with applications, make sure you are familiar with the technical specifications regarding files sizes and make sure the respective image credits are clearly indicated.

Don’t overlook local press coverage – Getting a review in a regional newspaper is a good starting point, so don’t forget to contact local newspapers and journalists.

Develop an events calendar – This might comprise upcoming events and exhibition previews that you are planning to attend. Networking is one of the most effective ways to open up career opportunities in a competitive industry. Subscribing to the mailing lists of various galleries, publications and arts organisations is beneficial. In addition, subscribing to the VAI eBulletin will keep you informed about submission deadlines for funding opportunities, commissions, gallery open-calls, residencies and so on. You can also use the VAI website to keep a track of upcoming deadlines. This will help you organise your time while identifying opportunities that you can submit your work to.

Commission a catalogue text – Beyond exhibition reviews, another way for your work to receive critical appraisal is to directly commission a writer to develop a text, normally to coincide with a solo exhibition of new work.

The cost (which can range from approximately €300 to €800, depending on length) can be factored into funding applications or can occasionally be covered by arts organisations as part of an exhibition production budget, particularly when exhibiting with public galleries.

Consider setting up a peer review group – Opportunities to receive critical feedback on your work will diminish after college, unless you continue to work alongside or collaborate with fellow graduates. Your peers bring a fresh perspective to bear and will often be able to point out whether something is clear or not. Their input can be highly motivating. Consider joining a studio group, collaborating with other artists on a group exhibition, or joining one of VAI’s regular peer critique sessions.

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Awards & Opportunities

19

Seed to Stem

Live Art Infiltration

SUSANNE WAWRA REFLECTS ON HER TIME DURING THE TALBOT GALLERY AND STUDIOS MOST PROMISING GRADUATE AWARD.

CELINA MULDOON DISCUSSES HER EXPERIENCES AS RECIPIENT OF A NEXT GENERATION BURSARY AWARD. I GRADUATED FROM IT Sligo in 2014 and

Susanne Wawra at Talbot Studios in 2016

LECTURES, SCHEDULES, BEING tutored, asked questions, being pushed, pulled and involved with fellow students, as well as being provided with answers, supported, held; I enjoyed the comforts of studying painting at NCAD. However, life after college is where you take control, where you might get lost or found, or both. Either way, you will need the imaginative and physical space to find out.

Winning the Talbot Gallery and Studios Most Promising Graduate Award in 2016 provided me with this platform. Established by Elaine Grainger in 2005 to provide support for graduate and emerging artists, the space offers affordable studios and (for the last ten years) exhibition opportunities. It is both an active network and a real haven. Located in Dublin’s inner-city Monto District, Talbot Studios consists of nine studios, where 11 artists – working across painting, sculpture and other media – form a supportive, dedicated and inspiring community.

The annual graduate award generously offers one student a fully-subsidised studio for a full year. Previous recipients of the award include Jane Fogarty, David Lunney, Sean Grimes and most recently, Emma McKeagney. Being the 2016 awardee was hugely motivating and an immense recognition of my practice. It was absolutely fantastic to have my own free-of-charge studio straight after college as it gave me the time and space to continue exploring, experimenting and learning through the process of making new work. To have contact with someone like Grainger, who supports artists at such critical points in their careers, has opened up a whole world of opportunity that has enabled me to become a practicing artist.

I filled the walls of my 80 square-foot sunlit studio with numerous artworks. The gamechanger was embracing the sometimes daunting and challenging practice of studio visits; introducing curators to my work, engaging with their queries and reevaluating my career path. I had particularly eye-opening experiences with curators Seán Kissane and Brendan Fox. It does take time to introduce yourself to the art scene and to show that you are in it for the long-haul. I was listed in The Irish Times ‘50 People to Watch in 2017’ and subsequently invited to show at the annual

Mason Hayes & Curran exhibition. Last year I got to collaborate with nine other artists on the ‘Concerning the Other’ project at Olivier Cornet Gallery (10 September – 8 October 2017).

Earlier this year, I was invited to give an artist’s talk at the VAI Get Together 2018 in IMMA, where I connected with art collectors. Most recently, I had a show at Luan Gallery, Athlone, which continues until 30 September.

My recent work has followed a more autobiographical inquiry, focusing on the intersection of personal and collective histories. I employ photography, printed matter and documents sourced from my family and abandoned private archives (bought via the internet) to explore my upbringing in East Germany before the fall of the Berlin Wall. In Talbot Studios, I created both small and large-scale works and merged them together to create Portale (Portals) – a piece consisting of 28 individually-titled works, which function both separately and as a whole.

The work is concerned with fragments of the past; by sourcing family photographs, I am revisiting, reliving and representing the everyday lives of those depicted. It deals with personal and communal identities, the dreams and promises, as well as the propaganda and material realities of East Germany. In its symbolism, Portals deals with unknown and uncertain futures that are bound to bring about unexpected changes at individual and societal levels. I had the opportunity to exhibit Portale (Portals) at the Cube Space in The LAB Gallery at the start of this year (18 January – 4 March).

There are no instant successes. The term ‘succeed’ derives from the Latin words stem and seed, both of which imply a need for time and space, in order to bear fruit. However, the connections I made during my time in Talbot Studios linger as a vibrant part of my recent history, providing me with much-needed time and space to grow.

Susanne Wawra is a German artist based in Dublin.

in 2016 I completed an MFA in Sculpture at NCAD. I was among the 24 recipients of the 2017 Arts Council Next Generation Bursary Award, which supports promising artists from across Ireland. That year, artists working in music, literature, circus, theatre, architecture and visual arts received bursaries of €15,000. I feel very lucky to have received this support at such a pivotal point in my career. The first two years following graduation are daunting, in terms of supporting yourself financially, while trying to cultivate your practice and build a solid reputation. This award provided me with the time and space to concentrate on a number of projects.

I live in a border community between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Using my location as site and context, I am investigating the complexities of living within fringe territories. I am interested in the historical and cultural heritage of this particular area and the relationship between identity and place.

Through my performance-led practice, I am exploring collaborative methodologies best suited to creating a body of work using site as context.

The Next Generation bursary allowed me to initiate this research and receive mentorship with Ireland’s foremost performance practitioner, Amanda Coogan.

As part of the award, we took part in a weeklong collective residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre in Annaghmakerrig, County Monaghan.

This was an exhilarating experience, allowing me to share space and time with a group of innovative, intelligent and vibrant artists, with proven track records of excellence across multiple artforms. The residency helped to cultivate lasting relationships and potential collaborative partnerships with an extraordinary group of people.

We also had the opportunity to engage with invited artists Val Connor, Gerard Byrne and Olwen Fouéré. During our residency, we spent time discussing our practices and were privileged to preview current work in progress. It was an indelible experience to hear about their research and processes during transient moments.

Since receiving the award, my research has been ongoing. This opportunity has encouraged engagement with new collaborators and produc-

ers. I would like to expand my research to engage with experts in Irish history and sociology around mythological races based in the Northwest of Ireland. This research will culminate in a major live art event in 2020.

Other projects involve partnership with Connect Mental Health, to highlight issues around health and wellbeing through arts participation.

I am currently collaborating with young people from the Neighbourhood Youth Project (NYP) in Donegal, as part of the Artist in the Community scheme. We are exploring themes of identity, isolation and surveillance, with the intention of co-producing a new body of work for an exhibition. I have been investigating ways to expand this research to include other organisations that offer support to young people, both nationally and internationally. I have engaged with an organisation with a view to creating an ambitious live art co-production. This organisation offers guidance and support on mental health awareness to young people nationwide.

In November, I will take part in the Satellite Artists Residency in Cowhouse Studios, as part of ‘The Mothership Project’. In addition, I hope to travel to international residencies in the coming year, to develop my skills and further build collaborative partnerships. I strive to interrogate ways in which live art can infiltrate and respond to political, social and public spheres. This includes the exploration of nuanced expressions of the body as agency, in relation to historic and contemporary shifts within national and cultural identity. The Next Generation award provided critical support and security at a time when I was most vulnerable as an artist. It was also an acknowledgement of the verve, determination and dedication I give to my practice.

Celina Muldoon is a performance artist based in the Northwest of Ireland.

Celina Muldoon, Untitled, Live Installation Performance, Live Collision Festival 2018; photograph by Abe Neihum

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Postgraduate Education

Lifelong Learning GIANNA TASHA TOMASSO DISCUSSES ART-RELATED POSTGRADUATE STUDY OPTIONS.

Glenn Fitzgerald, Being Immensing (installation detail), 2018 at the MFA Digital and Fine Art first-year show, 'All Other Places' (2 – 5 May), at Point Square, Dublin; photograph by Steven Maybury

THERE ARE MANY considerations, when making the deci-

sion to pursue postgraduate education within the field of art and design. For example, you may wish to focus and develop your practice after your undergraduate degree, in which case there are a number of practice-based MA courses offered in art colleges nationwide. Perhaps you want to expand your professional options by developing core skills in related disciplines, including arts management, policy, event production or archival studies. You might be looking to expand your theoretical praxis by undertaking a research-based MA in art history, criticism or curatorial studies. If you are considering an arts education career in post-primary teaching, the course choices in Ireland may be geographically limited. If you are considering an art therapy career, you must consider courses with correct accreditation.

The multiple options available for postgraduate study to level 9 or 10 in Ireland can seem overwhelming. Ask yourself what you really want from the process. Postgraduate study can be an invaluable way to focus and critically reflect on your practice. My ongoing postgraduate research is allowing me the time and space to develop concise positions within my chosen specialisation. Some postgraduate courses are completely self-directed, which may not be suitable for those of us who benefit from structure. Some courses offer studio spaces, peer critiques and visiting lecturers, while others offer strong theoretical grounding and require a high level of academic literacy. Research the course content and contact the course provider, if you are unsure about the requirements. It is also worth researching the course staff, by familiarising yourself with their research interests and activities, and it is beneficial, where possible, to talk informally with previous graduates of the course. Individual colleges have their own database of student research outputs and certain websites offer open-access to research publications in Ireland (e.g. rian.ie).

While an MA or PhD qualification may be a minimum requirement in many employment situations, participating in a course that is right for you is key to getting the most out of your postgraduate experience. If you intend to focus on art practice, as opposed to an academic career, do you really need a PhD? The art practice-based PhD is a relatively new phenomenon. PhD courses are generally 4 years in the Republic of Ireland and 3 years in the UK and Northern Ire-

Yvanna Greene, SuperNatural Limpet, 2018. Greene is a student on the MA in Art and Research Collaboration at IADT

land. It is possible in some institutions to transfer to PhD after 18 months of a two-year MA. If you are considering research-led study, as opposed to a taught postgrad, you will need a supervisor. Finding a compatible supervisor to help you through each stage of your research is imperative. If you have a particular research topic in mind, actively seek an academic with similar interests and approach them. Supervisors provide critical input and challenge you. Having an engaged supervisor with a genuine interest in your topic can make all the difference to your research as it unfolds.

FUNDING CONSIDERATIONS

For those paying fees, you can expect the cost of a full-time MA to be between €4,000 and €6,000 per year (EU Students), with non-EU students expected to pay upwards of €15,000 per year. Part-time fees range from between €2,500 and €4,000 per year. This can be higher in private institutions.

SUSI, the state student funding body, offer some fees and maintenance grants for postgraduate education, but these are limited to those on low income (calculated from the previous year). The SUSI website has a handy eligibility reckoner, allowing you to calculate whether you may be eligible for funding. If you are receiving social welfare with secondary benefits such as rent allowance, you cannot receive the student grant and retain these benefits. This means that even if you are eligible for the highest rate of maintenance grant, you may be well worse off. You only qualify for the Back to Education Allowance scheme (BTEA) if you are studying either a higher diploma qualification (in any discipline) or a professional master’s in education. For details on eligibility see welfare.ie.

The Irish Research Council (IRC) is the main national funder of research across all disciplines and career stages, and the only funder that supports research in the arts, humanities and social sciences (1). Alongside a number of schemes and targeted scholarships (offered in collaboration with strategic partners), the main strand of IRC funding is the Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship Programme. This scholarship allows individuals to pursue a research MA or PhD (either traditional or structured), in any discipline, at eligible higher education institutions in Ireland. Scholarships include a stipend of €16,000 per year, with additional research expenses of €2,250 and a contribution to fees, up to a maximum

of €5,750 per year. Potential candidates submit a substantial research proposal in early November each year. It is advisable to correspond with your prospective institution and supervisor for guidance on the process.

In the UK, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) fund research across a wide range of subjects, from history and archaeology to philosophy and languages. Prospective students do not apply to the AHRC for Postgraduate Funding and Training grants, rather funding is provided to universities and they select and administer individual student awards. Candidates should contact the institution at which they wish to study to enquire about available funding. Many universities advertise themed AHRC scholarships each year, inviting proposals on the subjects from prospective students who fulfil the funding criteria (which stipulates being resident in the UK for a three-year period, prior to commencement of study).

At the time of writing, there are no MA courses advertised offering stipends for students. It remains hard to see how those on low incomes can afford to undertake postgraduate study, if colleges are not prepared to offer stipends.

Some colleges offer tuition fee scholarships for postgraduate study within certain departments, while others advertise funded research projects from time to time. Identifying potential colleges and subscribing to their mailing lists and social media is key to accessing opportunities. Bear in mind that most scholarships are extremely competitive and can have laborious application processes that may take several months to complete. Some scholarships stipulate that you cannot work, while enrolled in a full-time research course. Make sure you familiarise yourself with these terms, if awarded a scholarship.

The following list of postgraduate courses (on the opposite page) is not exhaustive. There are many creative sector postgraduate options not listed here, including arts management, archival studies, film studies, fashion, animation, digital media, design or art history. New courses are being rolled out, so always check prospectuses.

Gianna Tasha Tomasso is a postgraduate researcher at Limerick School of Art and Design.

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Postgraduate Education

21

Belfast

Galway

Dublin

ULSTER UNIVERSITY

GALWAY-MAYO INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART & DESIGN

DIT DUBLIN SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS

ulster.ac.uk

gmit.ie

ncad.ie

dit.ie

MFA Fine Art (Taught) Duration: 1yr F/T 2yr F/T Contact: Mary McIntyre (m.mcintyre2@ulster. ac.uk), +44 (0)28 9536 7414

MA in Creative Practice (Taught) Duration: 1yr F/T Contact: Gavin Murphy (gavin.murphy@gmit.ie)

MFA Fine Art (Taught) Duration: 2 yr F/T Contact: Philip Napier (napierp@ncad.ie) or Sarah Durcan (durcans@ncad.ie)

MA Graphic Design Practice (Taught) Duration: 1yr F/T Contact: Kieran Corcoran (creatart@dit.ie), +353 (0)1 402 4141

MFA Photography (Taught/Online Option) Duration: 1yr F/T or online Contact: Ken Grant (pk.grant@ulster.ac.uk), +44 (0)28 9536 7206

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND GALWAY

MFA Digital Art (Taught) Duration: 2 yr F/T Contact: Leah Hilliard (hilliardl@ncad.ie)

Taught MA courses – 1 yr F/T: • MA in Fine Art • MA Design Practice: The Dublin Project

MA/MFA Art in the Contemporary World (Taught)* Duration MA: 1 yr F/T; 2 yr P/T Duration MFA: 2yr F/T Contact: Dr Declan Long (longd@ncad.ie) or Dr Francis Halsall (halsallf@ncad.ie) *Fee scholarships available: admissions@ncad.ie

Taught MA course – 1 yr F/T; 2yr P/T: • MA Interior Design • MA Design: 3D Design • MA Visual Communication • MA Visual and Critical Studies

MFA Design (Taught) Duration: 2yr F/T Contact: Rachel Dickson (r.dickson@ulster. ac.uk), +44 (0)28 9536 7353 MSc Art Therapy (Taught) Duration: 2yr F/T; 3yr P/T Contact: Rachel Glynne (r.glynne@ulster. ac.uk), +44 (0)28 9536 7442 PhD/MA by Research The Research Institute for Art and Design (RIAD) focus on five interconnected research clusters: Art, Conflict and Society; Art and Context; Creative Ecologies; Space and Place; and Future and Virtual Worlds.

Contact: Karen Fleming (k.fleming@ulster. ac.uk), +44 (0)28 9536 7267

nuig.ie

MA/Postgraduate Diploma Digital Media (Taught) Duration: 1yr F/T Contact: Emma Hogan (ehogan@nuigalway.ie) NUIG/BURREN COLLEGE OF ART burrencollege.ie

• • • •

MFA Studio Art MA/MFA Art and Ecology Postgraduate Diploma Fine Art Higher Diploma (Baccalaureate) Fine Art

Limerick

QUEENS UNIVERSITY BELFAST

LIMERICK SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN

qub.ac.uk

lit.ie

Sonic Arts Research Centre (SARC) PhD/DPhil - Sonic Art (Taught/Research) Duration: 3yr F/T Contact: sarc@qub.ac.uk +44(0)28 9097 4867

MA and PhD by Research and Thesis in Art and Design (Research) Duration: Up to 3 years Contact: Kieran Cashell (kieran.cashell@lit.ie)

PhD in Film and Visual Studies (Creative Practice) (Research/Practice) Duration: 3yr F/T; 6yr P/T Contact: Dr Gary Rhodes (g.rhodes@qub. ac.uk), +44 (0)28 9024 5133

MA Social Practice and the Creative Environment (SPACE) (Taught) Duration: 1yr F/T; 2yr P/T Contact: space@lit.ie

Cork

MA in Interdisciplinary Design Practice (Practice) Duration: 1yr F/T or 2yr P/T Contact: Muriel Dinneen (muriel.dinneen@lit.ie)

CORK INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

MA EVA International (Practice-based Research) Duration: 2yr (35 hours per week) Stipend: €8000 per year Contact: graduatestudies@lit.ie

cit.ie

MA Art and Process (Taught) Duration: 1yr F/T; 2yr P/T Contact: Trish Brennan (trish.brennan@cit.ie), +353 (0)21 433 5200 MA in Art Therapy Duration: 2yr F/T; 3yr P/T Contact: Louise Foott (louise.foott@cit.ie), +353 (0)21 433 5256 Professional Masters of Education in Art and Design (Taught) Duration: F/T 2yr Contact: Susanna Broderick (susanna. broderick@cit.ie), +353 21 433 5229 MA Art & Design Education (Taught) Duration: 5 semesters P/T Contact: Albert Walsh (albert.walsh@cit.ie) +353 (0)21 433 5247

MA in Art & Design Education (Taught) Duration: 2 yr F/T Contact: Maria Finucane (maria.finucane@lit.ie) Professional Master of Education in Art & Design with Digital Media (Practice) Duration: 2yr F/T Contact: Muriel Dinneen (muriel.dinneen@lit.ie)

MA in Design History & Material Culture (DHMC) (Taught)* Duration: 1 Yr F/T; 2 Yr P/T Contact: Dr Lisa Godson (godsonl@ncad.ie) or Dr Paul Caffrey (caffreyp@ncad.ie) *Fee scholarships available: admissions@ncad.ie MA Socially Engaged Art + Further Education (SEA+FE) (Taught) Duration: 2 yrs F/T Contact: Nuala Hunt (huntn@ncad.ie) or Fiona Whelan (whelanf@staff.ncad.ie) Professional Master of Education (PME) (Taught) Duration: 2 Year F/T Contact: Fiona King (kingf@staff.ncad.ie) NCAD Structured PhD Options • PhD through Education • PhD in Fine Art • PhD in Visual Culture • PhD in Design Contact: research@ncad.ie NCAD also offer a number of options in their Design School.

Contact: Prof Alex Milton (miltona@staff.ncad.ie)

Contact: Tim Stott (tim.stott@dit.ie), +353 (0)1 402 4129 or creativearts@dit.ie DIT GRADUATE SCHOOL OF CREATIVE ARTS AND MEDIA (GRADCAM) gradcam.ie

GRADCAM is DIT’s centre for doctoral research education across design, visual and performing arts, media practice and their associated critical, historical and theoretical discourses.

Contact: Noel Fitzpatrick (noel.fitzpatrick@dit. ie) +353 (0)1 402 4176 INSTITUTE OF ART AND DESIGN TECHNOLOGY (IADT) arciadt.ie

MA Art and Research Collaboration (ARC) (Taught) Duration: 18 months F/T Contact: Maeve Connolly (maeve.connolly@ iadt.ie) MA Interdisciplinary Design Strategies (Taught) Duration: 15 months Contact: Clyde Doyle (clyde.doyle@iadt.ie) TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN tcd.ie

M.Phil Textual and Visual Studies (Taught) Duration: 1yr F/T Contact: Justin Doherty (jdoherty@tcd.ie) MA in Education Studies – Visual Art (Taught) This course is aimed at primary school teachers/ teaching artists Duration: 2yr P/T Contact: Marino Institute of Education (mie. ie), +353 (0)1 805 7700

22

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Postgraduate Education

Discursive Collaboration EOGHAN MCINTYRE DISCUSSES IADT’S MA IN ART AND RESEARCH COLLABORATION.

'Guest Appearance', installation view at the Museum Building, Trinity College Dublin; image courtesy of Eoghan McIntyre

IT IS DIFFICULT for art colleges to keep pace with the increasingly expansive methods of art production, particularly in the growth, and now perhaps ubiquity, of collaborative and dialogical art practices. Work that is socially-engaged or made collaboratively often does not ally with the rigid division of arts practice into fine art, design or theory. Relatedly, such work may not fit within the set spaces of the degree show or the customs of the academic thesis.

The Art and Research Collaboration (ARC) programme at IADT Dún Laoghaire – a full-time, practical, taught masters course – seems to have been developed with such conditions of contemporary art production in mind. Coordinated by Dr Maeve Connolly and Dr Sinead Hogan, ARC was preceded by the MA in Visual Arts Practices (MAVIS) programme delivered at IADT from 2004 to 2014. What has remained consistent throughout the lifetime of the programme is an emphasis on the public dissemination of research and practice, with a special focus on the discursive and collaborative aspects of contemporary art.

ARC students work towards public-oriented outcomes that include exhibitions, publications, performances and talks.

Often these projects operate across disciplines and include partnerships with collaborators who work within and beyond the field of art. I studied on the ARC programme between 2016 and 2018, and over the past few months my colleagues and I have taken part in a series of events that are broadly representative of the programme’s diverse forms of research.

Recent work by students on the ARC programme reflects a resurgence in contemporary art concerning the ocean.

Whereas in the past, art reflected a deference to the sea’s mystery, timelessness and mutability, more and more practices are beginning to analyse the subject with a disturbing awareness.

The sea is no longer seen as separate from humanity, but indelibly linked to it, primarily through the persistent shaping of human-caused pollution.

A recent study has suggested that by 2050, plastic will outnumber fish in the world’s oceans. Responding to the concerns surrounding microplastic ocean pollution, ARC student Yvanna Greene gave a talk in the Science Gallery on 7 March, titled ‘SuperNatural Plastic Eaters’. The talk featured

Juan-A Han, Voice: 목소리: Moksoli at Rua Red, Dublin; image courtesy of Eoghan McIntyre

illuminating presentations by researcher and lecturer Dr Heidi Acampora and marine biologist Karin Dubsky on the effects of plastic pollution on the marine environment. It culminated with a presentation-cum-performance by Greene, in which she presented her plastic sculptures of colourful limpets, crab claws and bird beaks as examples of new species that had absorbed plastic biologically. The absurd and humorous content of Greene’s lecture conflicted with her matter-offact and deadpan delivery, causing confusion amongst some audience members, that became evident in the concluding Q&A session. ‘SuperNatural Plastic Eaters’ was engaging and original in its presentation of scientific research and artistic practice delivered together in the same tenor, showing the value of reciprocal exchange between the arts and sciences.

Moving away from the political dimension of the world’s oceans and looking at the sea’s surface as connective system was Petra Berntsson’s long-term and multiform collaborative project, Casting Invisible Lines, which was showcased in The LAB, Dublin, on 22 March. A film by Berntsson showed video material she had compiled from various invited international artists, who each represented their relationship with the sea’s surface. The film was accompanied by a soundtrack by sound artist Jane Pitt and was followed by an essay written in response to the film by artist and writer Colin Glen. While artists have historically depicted the ocean as immeasurably vast, Casting Invisible Lines showed the sea’s surface as a point of familiarity and connection, that can act as a versatile medium of communication.

Irish galleries and museums are increasingly aware of the need to work in a broader partnership across their locality and responding to the social and political aspects of their site.

Jung-A Han’s performance and audio installation, Voice: 목 소리: Moksoli, was part of Rua Red and Civic Theatre’s symposium and group show, ‘Forum – Transcultural Dialogues’, which took place from 11 – 13 April. This project was an exploration of aspects of dual-identity and the hybridity of culture and language, featuring a performance by Han and performer and choreographer Yoon Kyung Chung, exploring themes of immigration and disorientation by combining calligraphy, writing and dance. The audio installation consist-

ed of a series of interviews featuring personal reflections on diverse cultural identities. The piece expressed a conviction in the potential of performance and personal narratives in exploring transcultural experience.

All of these projects were inherently collaborative and were often produced collectively. The artworks were made in a process of exchange in which collaborators’ responses evolved the form of the work. Emblematic of this mode of artmaking was ‘Guest Appearance’, an exhibition and performance in Trinity College Dublin’s Museum Building on 27 April. It featured the work of six ARC students: Sophie Behal, Isadora Epstein, Maeve Lynch, Rosie O’Reilly, Benjamin Stafford (in collaboration with Vanessa Donoso López) and myself.

During our time on the ARC programme, our collaborative practice has resulted in the production of a series of performances, exhibitions and events in the Douglas Hyde Gallery, CIT Wandesford Quay Gallery and KuvA/Exhibition Laboratory, Helsinki.

‘Guest Appearance’ was both a response to the politics and conditions of hospitality, and to the materiality of TCD's Museum Building – constructed using a range of contrasting stone, imitating the Byzantine architecture of Venice. In the show, we explored the contradictions of hospitality, made evident in the display of visual art, as viewing art demands a localised and ever-changing set of behaviours and adherence to regulations on the part of the viewer. ‘Guest Appearance’ saw a diverse series of responses to this thematic – from Isadora Epstein’s engaging and comic performance as Medusa, to Rosie O’Reilly’s installation and performance thrown up by the sea – which questioned ideas of borders between temporalities, species and things.

In conclusion, the ARC programme at IADT continues to provide a space for formal notions of artistic production to be redefined and renegotiated. Above all, the course helps postgraduate students to develop a critical framework for their ongoing projects, while offering assurance in the process of collaborative production.

Eoghan McIntyre is a Dublin-based artist and writer.

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Postgraduate Education

23

Theory and Practice DOROTHY HUNTER AND HANNAH TIERNAN DISCUSS THE MA/MFA COURSE, ART IN THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD, AT NCAD.

AGAINST A BACKDROP of studio-based postgraduate pro-

grammes, ‘Art in the Contemporary World’ initially seems like an oddly quantified name. Aren’t all artists today working in the contemporary world? Yet in effect, the title of this research-based MA/MFA is a perfect fit. The course is rooted in art as a shifting, awkward, category-breaking arena, seeping into and feeding back theory, philosophy, historiography, literature, culture industries, identity and existence. As such, the course fits perfectly with the progressive rise of multifarious practices. Artists are increasingly working in ways that are no longer stand-alone in fine art, but as artists/curators/ critics/cultural producers and many more tangential roles; increasingly, those without a visual art practice are locating themselves within this (messy, irregular) sphere. ACW is a means by which to address issues across a diagonal line of art, investigating how it does (or more commonly, doesn’t) fit in the wider world.

When studying full-time, the 12-month MA and 18-month MFA initially have the same structure of two days per week over two semesters. There is also the option of one day a week over four semesters for part-time students.

A broadly-themed lecture series on contemporary art practices is accompanied by elective classes as well as seminars on theoretical texts, issues and examples of art and writing – the ‘and’ being an important cleaver of both forms. Last year, lectures were grounded in bodies and concepts, using the famous quote “I would prefer not to” (by American novelist Herman Melville’s character, Bartleby the Scrivener) as a springboard into themes of rebellion and awkwardness in contemporary artistic work. Over the previous academic year, course electives were varied yet inter-relative. For example, the elective ‘Rising from the Hill’, was delivered in conjunction with a residency programme in Cow House Studios, County Wexford. It focused on the aesthetics of systems on a theoretical, historical and local to international level, bringing students and artists together as the residents prepared for a show at NCAD Gallery. Similarly, ‘Petrified’ was delivered

by IMMA/ACW Artist-in-Residence, Amelia Groom, who used the mineral world’s overwriting by the human world to consider new materialisms.

Engaging with arts professionals at work in Ireland and further afield is a huge strength of the ACW course, giving an immediate relevance and an international foothold to outcomes that extend beyond the college environment. Affiliations with the Irish pavilion in the Venice Biennale and the Kerlin Gallery, for example, have given past students opportunities to work within different arenas of the art world, while past contributors to the course have included diverse practitioners, such as Walid Raad, Mark Fisher, Stewart Lee and the Guerrilla Girls. In the most recent academic year, students worked with Livia Paldi, Curator of Visual Art at Project Arts Centre, on the institution’s archive which formed the beginnings of deeper research collaboration with the students. A regular course contributor is also Nathan O’Donnell, editor of Paper Visual Art Journal. Along with course co-director Sarah Pierce, Nathan supervised the authorship of an experimental collective novella, entitled The Inexquisite Corpse. The publication formed another platform to push student work outside of NCAD, as it was launched in Eblana House and is currently stocked in the Library Project in Temple Bar. Course co-directors Declan Long, Francis Halsall and Sarah Pierce bring their experience in overlapping realms of contemporary criticism, history, theory and art practice.

The course modules are autonomous yet interlinked, and the theoretical texts that ground them extend beyond the art sphere to draw from philosophy, psychoanalysis, politics and broader criticism to interrogate both artistic practices and the writings that surround them. Texts that have recently informed the course range from Albert Camus’s The Rebel

(which formed the basis for a module investigating the effects of rebellion on late twentieth and early twenty-first century philosophy) to Donna Haraway’s Tentacular Thinking, which traversed a module on twenty-first century thinkers and the ‘Petrified’ elective, to consider the era of the anthropocene and effects on ecology. In an art and literature elective, W. G. Sebald’s genre-breaking writing was read alongside that of Tacita Dean, with students exploring art-like effects of unseated fiction and fact within the experience of reading.

Alongside the taught content, students are encouraged to engage with current artistic events in Ireland and beyond. Through connections with the History of Art course at Glasgow University, ACW hosts an annual ‘dayennial’, involving a day of gallery visits including talks by curators, managers and artists in Dublin. To tie in with this, ACW staff and students visit Glasgow International in spring, taking part in an intensive weekend of openings and performances.

One very positive aspect of the 2017/18 class was the cohesion of the students themselves. Through the inclusive nature of course seminars, the students developed a strong rapport and a communicative attitude to research. Although the lectures and seminars are planned and guided by the tutors, the ACW ethos encourages students to participate through peer learning as well as through taught practice.

In 2017 the course introduced an option to transfer from an MA into an MFA. Whilst MA students complete a thesis over the summer for September, in the MFA an additional period of independent learning can be carried out from September to April. Whilst theory and practice are inextricably linked in the ideology of the programme as a whole, the MFA strand allows the option of an additional year of extended practice. Within ACW, practice extends beyond art-making and can be classified as curatorial, archival, theoretical and beyond; the resulting MFA work therefore often combines these arenas through writing and public presentations.

As an MFA student, Hannah Tiernan is considering the effects of alternative narratives as a means of informing our understanding of normativity. She will investigate this through both theoretical readings and archival study in collaboration with the Project Arts Centre, exploring how queer history has been informed through a male-centric narrative.

Meanwhile, MA student Sara Muthi will be writing a thesis analysing the role of materiality within performance, building her research around states of objecthood in contrast to body-centric analysis of performance art. ACW’s forthcoming two-year collaboration with the Goethe Institut should prove to be another exciting development for the programme.

A long-standing affiliation with the organisation has led to an invitation to curate their new space from September 2018–2020, allowing students’ work to be responsive to this long-term project. Regardless of the area of study, Art in the Contemporary World allows students to situate what they do within the coordinates of contemporary art, providing the strengthened foundation of a (rather exploded) contemporary art practice.

Top: Art in the Contemporary World student site visit to Cow House Studios, Wexford (November 2017) as part of the ‘Rising from the Hill’ elective, delivered in conjunction with the residency programme; photograph by Frank Abruzzese Bottom: Launch of The Inexquisite Corpse, a collectively authored novella, at Eblana House (June 2018); photograph by Misha Beglin

Dorothy Hunter is an artist and writer based in Belfast. She is a current MA student of Art in the Contemporary World.

Hannah Tiernan has a photographic and text-based practice. She lives and works in Dublin and is a current MFA student of Art in the Contemporary World.

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Postgraduate Education

A Route into Practice-Led Research RUBY WALLIS TALKS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES UNDERTAKING A PRACTICE-LED PHD.

Ruby Wallis, Landscape 2, from the series ‘Revising the Sublime’, photograph printed on cotton with embroidered silk, mounted on wood; image courtesy the artist

I SUBMITTED A PhD research proposal to

NCAD in 2011, after completing an MA at The Centre for Photographic Research, University of Wales. I came from a painting background, having studied visual art in Galway, but became interested in photography and its potential to convey personal and often intimate experiences.

I developed a fascination for the immediacy of the medium in relation to the human subject.

The masters programme combined practice and research and the centre was a hive of activity and discussion on the nature of subjectivity in relation to the photographic document. I built up a body of work thematically exploring notions of self and other, portrait and place.

My proposal was based on the idea of returning to the alternative community in the west of Ireland where I lived as a child. I suggested that my intimate relationship with this place might allow me an authentic perspective – a position that I would later interrogate through my PhD research. I formed an approach based on the practices of walking, swimming and filming.

Three sub-projects – titled ‘Autowalks’, ‘Moving Stills’ and ‘Turlough Swim’ – explored the boundary between empirical and phenomenal research methods, in their investigation of walking photography, slow filmmaking, the close-up and the point-of-view shot.

My initial supervisory team comprised Dr Elaine Sisson (IADT) for my written work and Brian Maguire and Anthony Hobbs (NCAD) for my practice. Professor Desmond Bell (NCAD) was my primary supervisor during the final stages.

At the time there was a lot of debate and contention on what constitutes practice-based research, raising questions such as: Can practice stand alone as a form of research? What form should supporting texts take? Does using art practice as a research method deaden the quality of the work? I opted for practice-led research, because it emphasises the role of practice in leading the process, rather than illustrating the theory.

During my first two years, I attended GradCAM on a weekly basis. This was an excellent way to build up research skills and present work to peers and supervisors. At that time, nine scholars were fully-funded and supervised through GradCAM. Dr Mick Wilson, Dr Mar-

tin McCabe and Dr Lisa Godson were running the course at NCAD, facilitating weekly reading seminars called ‘epistemic practices’ workshops, on key theories and concepts. The GradCAM structure provided a research community for dialogue and critique and the framework has now extended internationally. After two years I pulled back from GradCAM to focus specifically on my own research into phenomenology, landscape, experimental film, feminist methodologies and photography. Upon completion, I submitted a 60,000-word dissertation and presented two iterations of a solo exhibition, first at Pallas Projects/Studios and then at The Burren College of Art Gallery in 2015.

My four-year research period was funded through a SUSI grant for full-time education.

This amounted to €7,000 per annum and covered tuition fees. I also lectured part-time at Griffith College Dublin and received small grants from Galway City Arts Office and NCAD to cover equipment and travel. This extra support allowed me to present my research at conferences including ‘On-Walking’ at The University of Sunderland and ‘Incredibly Close and Extremely Slow’ at The University of Amsterdam. It took eighteen months to write up and edit my thesis.

As the deadline approached, this became progressively all-consuming. It was useful to have the support of CCAM in Galway who provided a studio and I also spent a lot of time in NUIG library. I would advise potential PhD candidates to secure full funding, in order to be immersed in their research. Managing part-time work and family commitments is completely possible, but it’s a more complex route. I was a single parent while I was studying, so there was a lot of juggling. The PhD process, although arduous at times, has greatly benefited my practice as an artist and lecturer. I now teach part-time at The Burren College of Art on the BA and MFA programmes while continuing my studio practice. I probably draw on my research findings every day. I’m currently editing and re-writing my thesis as a short book, focusing on the three practice-based methods.

Ruby Wallis is an artist and lecturer specialising in photography.

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Career Development

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Bassam Al-Sabah, slide from 'Illusions of Love Dyed by Sunset', 2018; image courtesy of the artist

Finding the Line JOANNE LAWS INTERVIEWS THREE EARLY-CAREER ARTISTS ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCES OF MAINTAINING A PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE AFTER COLLEGE. Joanne Laws: What were your priorities and expectations upon leaving art college?

Cecilia Danell: I graduated from GMIT in 2008 with a BA Hons in Fine Art Painting. I was pretty young at the time, having gone straight into college in Ireland after secondary school in Sweden. Despite being awarded GMIT Paint Student of the Year, and feeling committed to pursuing a career as an artist, I have to admit that I knew very little about the realities of life after college. It was terrible timing, as the recession hit Ireland with full force in 2008 and the art market collapsed, meaning that everyone had to rethink what they were doing. A lot of grassroots initiatives began to spring up, so in that sense it was a very creative time, when artists made art without a market in mind, instead spending time developing ideas and collaborating. It’s not possible to live on fresh air though, so it was challenging, but looking back I miss some of the camaraderie and inventiveness, as well as the availability of empty spaces.

Marcel Vidal: I graduated from NCAD in 2009 with a BA in Fine Art Painting. It was always my expectation that being an artist would be a difficult pursuit, but that sustaining an art practice was possible. Upon leaving college my priorities were to have a studio, to continue to make art and to apply for exhibitions. The hope was also to find a job that would afford the time to be in the studio.

Bassam Al-Sabah: I graduated from IADT in 2016 with a BA in Visual Arts Practice. My expectation was either to take a break from producing art and then do an MA in few years, or to get a studio and start producing work straight away. Receiving the RHA Graduate Studio Award during

the summer after graduating really gave me a clear direction for the first year out of college. It allowed me to continue to produce work alongside more established artists, whose career advice has been very helpful.

JL: How have real world experiences compared so far, in terms of access to opportunities and infrastructure?

CD: When I graduated, Facebook was relatively new and Instagram didn’t exist, so we didn’t have the same social media platforms for networking and promotion that recent graduates have. I joined VAI as soon as I finished college and subscribed to the eBulletin, which is a great resource for keeping up with opportunities. I applied for an Arts Council bursary two years after college and was successful – that was a huge boost and gave me time to learn about Super 8 film-making. The following year, I became the 2011 recipient of the Wexford Arts Centre Emerging Artist Award, which progressed my practice immensely, allowing me to realise an ambitious solo show in an arts centre for the first time. I joined Engage Studios in Galway in 2009 and am still there to this day. Being surrounded by more experienced peers helped and inspired me. I got to participate in studio-initiated group exhibitions and curator’s visits. As a professional artist, it’s about having a work ethic and investing the hours into becoming better.

MV: I was fortunate after college to have access to a large and long-term studio. Opportunities to exhibit were not always readily available in the years following college. I also took time away from applications to focus on pushing myself in my studio. I found that access to a workspace has been vital. It allowed me to develop my ideas and exhibition-making strategies, as well as a working methodology that helped sustain my current practice,

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Career Development

Cecilia Dannel, Inside a Shadow, 2018, oil and acrylics on canvas, 188 x 137 cm; image courtesy of the artist

which has expanded from painting into sculpture. Only recently has it been possible for me to be in the studio full-time; before that I worked part-time.

BA: I think the financial challenges have definitely been the hardest. The first couple of exhibitions I developed after college had no artist fee or funding attached. I happily did those shows because they were in artist-led spaces (run voluntarily without a programming budget). I also needed to build up my CV, experience of exhibiting and I needed some new install shots. It is definitely hard to produce artworks and exhibitions without financial support. It wasn’t until I showed in The LAB Gallery, that I received an artist fee and production budget. With that support I was able to try new things and create artworks with a higher production value. I was lucky in being awarded the RHA Graduate Studio, because I didn’t need to worry about studio rent when I first left college, which, as a graduate in Dublin, would have been very difficult.

JL: What advice would you give final year students, about the realities of maintaining a professional art practice in Ireland?

CD: Graduating is not about becoming an art star overnight; that very rarely happens. It’s about setting up a practice that is sustainable overtime. I would advise graduates to research and apply for opportunities, even if they seem like they’re way out of your league. Don’t be too disheartened by refusals; art is subjective and if your work is strong enough, there will be things out there to suit. Also, learn to speak about your work and write a good artist’s statement. Apply for open-submission exhibitions, group exhibitions, graduate residencies and artist-run spaces and take every opportunity to let curators see your work. Start small, get involved, network and make sure your work is seen. If you are committed to your practice and are strategic about what you apply for, things will hap-

Marcel Vidal, Laurel (detail), 2018, oil on linen and framed in mahogany, 32 x 27 cm; image courtesy of Kevin Kavanagh Gallery

pen eventually. Financial challenges are a constant struggle as an artist; any awards or grants help to take that pressure off momentarily. Working full-time and maintaining an art practice is extremely draining. Not having the funds to even buy materials is stressful too, so try to find a balance.

CD: Over the past few months, I’ve participated in group shows at Kevin Kavanagh Gallery and the BEEP Painting Biennial, Wales. I am showing in ‘Futures’ at the RHA this November with an upcoming solo show at the RHA Ashford Gallery in 2019.

MV: The reality is that being an artist is not an easy pursuit and everyone’s path is different. For me, success has not come from exhibitions but from being able to make art and continuing to push myself. Creating the time and space for ideas has been key to being able to sustain and get the best out of my work. This is why I think it is important to have access to some form of studio space; a place to think, to create opportunities, to plan and devise work. Host as many studio visits as possible and have no expectations – the work should always come first. Apply for everything; every panel is a receptive audience who may not know who you are. Where possible, request feedback. There is always rejection, which just means that your work may not suit what you’ve applied for; there are many deciding factors. Keep working and keep applying.

MV: I have a number of exhibitions coming up: ‘Futures’ at the RHA (2018); a solo exhibition in the RHA Ashford Gallery (2019); and the RHA Hennessy Craig Biannual Award Shortlist exhibition at Tony Ryan Gallery (2019). I will be creating a large-scale immersive environment for ‘Futures’ that creates a dichotomy between the seemingly gentle aesthetic of my paintings and the visceral and brutal aesthetic of my sculptures.

BA: I think life after art college can be a bit of a shock. You go from being deeply saturated with creative activity – surrounded by other artists as well as all the supports that a college has to offer (studio space and equipment, as well as the lecturers and faculty) – to almost nothing. I think many graduates find themselves lost, wondering what to do or where to begin. My advice is to be as proactive as possible and to set short-term goals that will help you develop a career. For example, if a graduate thinks they need a studio environment to be able to produce work, getting a studio should be their priority. If your focus is on exhibiting work, start applying to open-calls and building up a CV. I think it is really easy to get overwhelmed by insecurity and doubt, so setting these short-term goals can help you focus.

JL: Can you discuss any of your upcoming projects?

BA: I was recently awarded the Temple Bar Gallery + Studios Graduate Award and I am really looking forward to getting back into the studio and spending the next year exploring new ideas. I have been in a production-focused mindset since graduating, having made new work for two solo shows over the last 18 months; so I’m going to take some time to just go back into experimentation mode and see where that takes me.

Cecilia Danell has been based in Galway since 2004.

Her most recent body of work, ‘The Last Wilderness’, was funded through an Arts Council Project Award and was exhibited at Galway Arts Centre and The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon, in 2017. Marcel Vidal lives and works in Dublin. He is recipient of the Firestation Sculpture Workshop Award & Bursary 2018 and is a current member of Temple Bar Gallery + Studios.

Bassam Al-Sabah is an Iraqi artist who moved to Ireland in 2004. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at Eight (2017) and The LAB (2018). All three artists will exhibit new work as part of the upcoming exhibition ‘Futures, Series 3, Episode 2’ at the RHA (16 November – 21 December).

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Career Development

Communicating Your Work JOANNE LAWS OFFERS SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE ON THE CRITICAL ASPECTS OF MAINTAINING A PROFESSIONAL ARTISTIC PRACTICE.

ALMOST EVERY ARTIST I know complains about the endless administration associated with maintaining a professional art practice. As an emerging artist, it is worth investing the time – and seeking advice where necessary – to develop a comprehensive curriculum vitae, professional biography and artist’s statement.

Whether developing proposals for funding, residencies or exhibition open-calls, you will need these essential documents for almost every application you make. Many people get confused about the functions of these different documents.

In short, an artist’s CV lists your professional and educational achievements, a biography summarises your career highlights, while an artist’s statement provides unique insights into the rationale, methods and inquiries of your practice. Once formulated, these documents can be modified and reused for multiple applications and should be updated over time as required. I recommend looking on the websites of other artists, to familiarise yourself with different approaches to content and formatting.

Writing Artists Statements

Artist's statements have become a conventional format within contemporary art practice. They are commonly used in publications and a range of press material, while also forming an essential part of most applications. In its most basic form, an artist’s statement introduces a third party to the work of an artist. This short statement summarises your artistic approach, while also demonstrating your level of professionalism and criticality. A well-crafted artist’s statement shows that you can reflect on your own practice, while situating it within current critical discourse. However, there is often an uneasy relationship between making art and writing about it; artist’s statements exist in proximity to artworks but are also removed, textual approximations of them. When working on provisional drafts, consider getting feedback from friends, peers or colleagues who work in the arts. If you need help, hire a professional writer or editor, preferably one with an art background, to help you order your thoughts. Often, a little rearranging is all that’s required to refine your statement.

Advantages of Artist's Statements

Disadvantages of Artist's Statements

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•

• •

Offers a concise overview to third parties interested in your work (gallery directors, curators, collectors, audiences, etc.)

The writing process can often help order your thoughts and identify recurring themes in your work.

Having a comprehensive and current statement can reduce the admin associated with applications.

• •

They can be difficult to craft; language is a slippery thing and can be exposing.

Text can be too explicit, thereby narrowing potential interpretations of your work.

Written statements can erode the power of the visual.

What should be included?

• •

What you do – The processes, materials, scale and/or techniques you use to make your work.

Why you do it – Think about how your influences manifest in your work. In explaining the ‘why’, you are essentially defining a discourse for your work.

What obsessions does your work have? What unique experiences have shaped how you see the world?

What are important points of departure in your work?

Synthesise the themes, don’t just list the activities. What themes connect previous bodies of work?

•

•

How you do it – Describe your methodologies, modes of research and how you set about investigating something. You can list a few methods (sketches, site visits, field recordings, etc.) or anything that will explain the connections between your choice of medium and your subject matter.

Where (if relevant) – e.g. site-specific or collaborative projects in the public realm or outside gallery settings.

You may want to mention non-traditional audiences or communities that you have engaged with in the past.

Statement Do's and Don'ts Try to:

Resist the urge to:

Common pitfalls:

•

•

•

• • • • • • •

Keep it short – A third of a page or 120–200 words; Ideally your bio and artists’ statement should sit comfortably on one A4 page.

Write in the first person – ‘I’ (this can be modified later for other formats, such as PR material for group shows, to use the third-person).

Write with clarity – Your text should be capable of being understood by a wide readership.

Be specific – For example, if your work is inspired by nature, which aspect exactly?

Use good structure – Formulate introductory and concluding statements; vary short and long sentences.

Use appropriate language – Find verbs and adjectives that really encapsulate what you do; make sure your prose reflects the qualities of the work it describes.

Be honest and authentic – Convey what is unique and distinctive regarding how you process ideas, gain inspiration, see the world...

Read other artist’s statements – Familiarise yourself with many diverse approaches and think critically about the format.

• •

•

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Presuppose the reception of your work – Do not instruct people on how to see, interpret, respond or otherwise relate to your art.

Use obscure references – Don’t presume the reader will be familiar with your range of influences.

Focus on past work – Focus mainly on the present, supplemented with a short explanation of recurrent themes and how they might manifest in current work.

You can also mention any upcoming projects.

Plagiarise – While it is useful to gain inspiration from reading the statements of other artists, you should be careful about borrowing too heavily from their writing, or any published material, as this will be immediately apparent to the reader.

Quote excessively – Including quotes (from important artists, writers or thinkers) is an interesting way to convey your outside influences; however, I would advise keeping this approach to a minimum. Large chunks of quoted material could be pared back to one short sentence, or incorporated into a sentence of your own, for better impact.

• •

• • •

Including the wrong things – Know which elements belong in an artist’s bio, CV and artist’s statement.

Too long – Fewer words don’t have to mean less content, you just have to be clever with your choice of words.

Incoherent structure – Your statement should read like a very short story, with an introductory opening statement, a middle and a concluding statement which, ideally, leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

Repetition – If it feels like you are repeating yourself, you probably are.

Overly complex language – It benefits nobody if your statement is dense and unreadable. Try to develop a simple language that is authentic to you and your work.

Generic language – This is one of the most common pitfalls of artists’ statements, made even more problematic by curators, writers and institutions who often use obscure vocabularies that are not sufficiently attentive to the specifics of artistic practice. It is important that your use of language is particular to your work and does not just replicate meaningless discourse for the sake of it.

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Career Development

Top: Evengiya Martirosyan presenting her work at the VAI Get Together 2018 in IMMA; photograph Jonathan Sammon

Vintage Typewriter; image by Joanne Laws

Bottom: Joanne Laws and Sue Rainsford (VAI/DCC Critical Art Writing Award 2017 winner) in conversation at VAI Get Together 2017; photograph by Louis Hough

Writing an Artist's CV

Writing an Artist's Bio

Developing a Public Profile

CVs generally include some of the following information:

Like most other short professional biographies, an artist’s bio provides a brief overview of your career to date, outlining your professional experience and main achievements. Artist’s bios are frequently used in promotional material, press releases, exhibition texts and on websites and should be written with these broad readerships in mind. They can vary in length, so it is advisable to develop a couple of versions (e.g. a short 200-word bio and a 50-word micro-bio) which can be modified, depending on the context. Often, the opening line indicates the artist’s profession/field of practice and where they currently live and work. You may wish to outline some of your personal or artistic interests, influences and values; however, more in-depth explanations about the motivations behind your work should be reserved for your artist’s statement. Where an artist’s CV will list all of your previous exhibitions, your bio will only highlight a handful of the most substantial or high-profile shows. Similarly, you can mention any significant commissions, residencies or awards, perceived as enhancing the trajectory of your career so far.

A website is a useful way for artists to develop an internet presence and to circulate information about their work online. It is also common for artists to use other digital platforms, including blogs and social media accounts (e.g.

Facebook or Instagram) to showcase their work (see Henry Lydiate’s column on artist copyright across digital platforms – p.32). Some artists make a deliberate decision to have no website, or to opt for project-based blogs, while artists who have commercial representation often have a profile on the gallery website. There are numerous options when developing a website, ranging from using free templates, to hiring a professional website designer. In general, artists’ websites include contact details, documentation of previous bodies of work, an artist’s statement, bio/CV, catalogue texts and details of press coverage, among other things.

In addition, we have seen the proliferation of the ‘artist’s talk’, seminars and other discursive formats aimed at making institutional programmes more accessible. It has been well-documented across various research studies that people dread public speaking even more than death! However, talking in front of a crowd is an important skill for artists to master over the course of their careers. Emerging artists are advised to seek out different opportunities and contexts to practice speaking about their work. For a number of years, Visual Artists Ireland has facilitated the highly popular ‘Show & Tell’ format in arts centres across the country, whereby members give short presentations on their practice to small and supportive groups of fellow artists. For details of upcoming VAI workshops and events in your area, see visualartists.ie.

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Contact details (name, address, phone number, email address, website) Education and training (qualification, award, institution, year of graduation) Relevant work experience (list previous and ongoing employment relevant to the arts) Solo exhibitions (start with the most recent; option to list upcoming shows confirmed for the coming year) Group exhibitions (exhibition title, institution, date) Awards (including bursaries, commissions, residency awards, etc.)

Collections (private collections, museums, state collections, etc.)

Memberships & gallery representation Public speaking (artist talks, conference contributions, etc.)

Bibliography (include details of press coverage and commissioned catalogue texts)

• • • • • • • • •

Visual Artists Ireland provide a number of platforms that give artists the opportunity to communicate their work: • • • •

•

Writing About Your Work – This VAI Professional Development workshop covers all the important aspects of writing an artists' statement, biography and CV. Through a number of exercises, participants practice writing their statments and receive one-to-one feedback from a professional arts writer.

Show & Tell – Artists present their practice and receive feedback from an audience of their peers.

Artists Speak – As part of VAI's annual Get Together, invited artists present the core elements of their practice in a 15-minute presentation.

'Introducing' Events – These events 'introduce artists from a surrounding area to one another.

Visual Artists' News Sheet – VAN provides opportunities for artists to publish texts about the development of their work and their professional experiences.

Joanne Laws is Features Editor of the Visual Artists’ News Sheet. She regaularly delivers the workshop, ‘Writing About Your Work’, as part of VAI’s Professional Development programme.

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Career Development

Developing Creative Proposals ANNETTE MOLONEY PROVIDES SOME PRACTICAL ADVICE ON HOW TO DEVELOP ENGAGING PROPOSALS AND APPLICATIONS.

Proposal Advice

It is advisable to: • •

HOW DO YOU TRANSLATE an early-stage idea into a clear and confident proposal? The task can appear quite

daunting at first. Writing proposals is a general necessity for artists, particularly when applying for exhibitions, residencies, funding, commissions or education opportunities.

When submitting a proposal all you can hope for is that you’ve done your best within the timeframe and that you’ve used the proposal to progress an idea a bit further. The main person you’re aiming to impress is yourself.

Beyond that, getting the gig is a bonus.

•

What follows is some general advice, based on experience of sitting on selection panels and delivering workshops on developing creative and engaging proposals, in partnership with Visual Artists Ireland and other arts organisations over the years.

•

Getting Started

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If there was a recipe for creative proposals, in a Mary Berry kind of way, three key ingredients would be included: 1.

2.

Time – This is a key factor in developing proposals that you can be proud of. Giving yourself plenty of time before a deadline allows for research, drafting, editing, proofing, developing support material and finally, submission. Keep an eye on your time management and try to win in the battle against procrastination.

Feedback – Ideally ask others, such as fellow artists or even non-artists, to read your proposal at draft stage, to make sure it’s clear and doesn’t lead the selection panel in the wrong direction.

3.

Assessment Criteria – It’s really important to be aware of the assessment criteria outlined in the opportunity you’re applying for. These criteria are generally listed in the artist’s brief or application form, almost like the main ‘exam question’. Sample selection criteria might include: Track record or potential of the artist; Artistic quality of the proposal; Feasibility; Supporting material etc. Including a couple of sentences addressing these criteria in your proposal can make assessment easier for the selection panel.

•

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Include artwork details in your documentation, such as: artist’s name, artwork title, date (year), medium, dimensions (metric height x width), context, etc.

Compile an image list and if submitting JPEGs on a USB stick or via online transfer platforms, include a list of artwork details, featuring thumbnail images and the information outlined above. Corresponding JPEG files can be re-named to include these details, ensuring that your name is on everything you include.

If submitting PDFs or hardcopy publications that include work by other artists, add a digital link or brightly coloured tab, to mark the page(s) where your work appears.

Use the footer option on the document to add your name to each page. Go to ‘page set-up’ or ‘header and footer’ to add information in a small font, such as your name, month/year and page number. That way, if your proposal is shared by email or photocopied, your name will be on each page, reminding the selection panel which artist they are looking at.

Put your most recent experiences first in your CV and biography, outlining your practice to date. Feel free to include other work and voluntary experience, if relevant, and place these in a separate section.

Develop a clear and eye-catching cover sheet for your proposal. This can include summary information, such as your name, date, the opportunity you are applying for and an image that represents your work.

Try to develop an attractive layout that will make your proposal stand out from the many others submitted. A blank A4 sheet can be dull and commonplace, until you put it in the hands of an artist… Think of your proposal as a creative publication, your own self-published catalogue or an artist’s book, one which represents your practice, ideas, research and the time that you invest in them.

Sample Proposal Headings

Common Pitfalls

The following are some general headings that may help you outline key information in your proposal:

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•

• • • •

Proposal Summary – start with a clear and concise summary of your idea and what you propose to do (two to three sentences), in a way that will help capture the selection panel’s attention. This summary is often best written at the end of the drafting process.

Describe your Idea – give more detail (about 200 words).

This should be clear and concise and not smothered in ‘art-speak’.

Project Intention – write about your vision for the project and how it can be developed within the specific context (about 200 words).

Outline Project Plan – set out your proposed timeframe (what you will do and when).

Context & Potential Impact – this section gives you an opportunity to set out in more detail your intention for the project and, if appropriate, how you aspire to engage with any places or communities of interest, as the project evolves. If your project is more technical or developed within a studio context, this information can also be outlined here.

•

• •

• •

Budget – include this in a spreadsheet or table format.

Double-check all calculations, as the selection panel will do the same, particularly where public funding is involved.

Feasibility – consider what might go wrong (but hopefully won’t) and how you might deal with this.

Additional Information – give more information on the connection between your proposed project and your current practice. Is this project a continuation of previous research, or the development of an entirely new body of work?

Your Practice – give more information on your practice to date, similar to a short artist’s statement.

Documentation – some opportunities encourage artists to use ‘whatever means to communicate your idea’. This could include text, images, mind-maps or other formats.

Supporting material could include specific weblinks, USB sticks, recordings, scripts, visuals, publications, etc.

Make sure to stick to the submission guidelines.

Annette Moloney is a socially-engaged curator and collaborator based in Limerick. She is an Arts Council Adviser on the government Per Cent for Art Scheme.

• • • • • • • •

Submitting incomplete material – review the checklist in the artist’s brief and add a cover letter stating what you have included.

An unconvincing or undeveloped idea that is either too obvious, not sufficiently connected to its context or too similar to previous work.

Submitting multiple proposals – each must be clear and original.

Commercially-orientated proposals – be clear about your artistic intention.

Proposals that have too much text, at the expense of other elements, such as images, drawing, diagrams, etc.

Proposals that are lacking detail or have too much irrelevant information.

Lack of budgetary considerations or no budget breakdown – this is essential when applying for public funding.

Title of the proposal is ‘as Gaeilge’, or in another language with no translation offered.

Over-embellishment or self-praise – when developing CVs or biographies, try to write outside yourself.

Acknowledgements Annette would like to sincerely thank all the artists who have offered copies of their own creative proposals as examples for fellow artists to view during workshops. These examples are priceless for artists to get to see and handle, and are much appreciated.

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Career Development

Take Your Passion (and Make it Happen) PÁDRAIC E. MOORE REFLECTS ON HIS EXPERIENCES OF WORKING AS AN INDEPENDENT CURATOR. MY CURATORIAL CAREER dawned in my early twenties,

when I began organising exhibitions and events in various spaces across Dublin. I had just completed a BA in the History of Art at UCD and was about to embark on an MA, eager to apply my knowledge and enthusiasm. I’ve always been a voracious exhibition attendee and from my late teens onwards I had the opportunity to meet numerous artists and curators.

These experiences shaped a nascent inkling that I wanted to work with, and alongside, artists in a role that would enable me to inhabit and contribute to the cultural sphere.

In the mid-noughties, I found myself in a milieu of emerging artists who, like me, were at the beginning of their careers. My aspirations were perfectly matched to their needs and I coordinated various exhibitions and events featuring their work. These curatorial ventures were informed by a DIY ethic and provided vital opportunities to learn through trial and error, whilst also establishing my own style. It was in this early phase of my career that I first grasped the importance of writing about the artists with whom I was working and providing them with constructive critical feedback. In the years that have elapsed since then, I’ve participated in several postgraduate programmes and residencies and worked with individuals so much further ahead in their development than I, that they can only best be described as mentors. While these experiences have certainly enriched my knowledge and skills, they have also confirmed that there is no substitute for practical experimentation and collaboration.

Since those first forays into exhibition-making, I’ve curated countless projects, both independently and in collaboration with host institutions and galleries. Each of these endeavours has reaffirmed to me the extent to which the role of the independent curator varies – often dramatically – with every project. Responsibilities and workloads differ according to the context in which one is operating and the resources available. While some projects require one to be inconspicuous, others require one to be at the fore of things, promoting and engaging with a public. There are of course a number of aspects that remain consistent, regardless of the context or content of a project. For example, I believe that one should be devoted to the artists they are working with, while acknowledging that the exhibition is merely one facet in an ongoing process, all of which is equally important. Furthermore, one will inevitably have to willingly engage in all manner of backbreaking donkey work.

To operate as an independent curator is to be engaged in the so-called ‘gig economy’. It is therefore invariably precarious and demands that one actively devises opportunities, rather than waiting for them to emerge. Often one has to develop contingency plans, to ensure projects will proceed in some form when, for whatever reason, the necessary funding falls through. Since I began on this path, one of the most notable developments is how the definition of curator has expanded. The recent proliferation of marketing and social media technologies has also seen the term utilised to describe composing and disseminating content online. Yet, anyone who has commenced a career as an independent curator will know that that the role extends far beyond simply arranging objects d’art for aesthetic delectation. Arguably, those working in this field are required to be more versatile than ever before, also availing of opportunities to write, teach and deliver public lectures which can serve to enrich one’s capabilities and knowledge base.

Realising ambitious and innovative exhibitions and publications in an independent capacity necessitates that one be capable of managing budgets and schedules. It also requires an understanding of the technical and logistical issues that often arise during the installation and fabrication of artworks.

The multi-faceted nature of the role was succinctly and elegantly summarised by Harald Szeemann when he stated that

‘The Width of a Circle’, group exhibition at W139 Amsterdam, March 2018; photograph by Konstantin Guz

“the curator has to be flexible. Sometimes he is the servant, sometimes the assistant, sometimes he gives artists ideas of how to present their work; in group shows, he’s the coordinator, in thematic shows, the inventor. But the most important thing about curating is to do it with enthusiasm and love – with a little obsessiveness.”1 Every person who enters into this role will find their own methodology and will inevitably also bring a different skillset to the position. In my case, my background in art history has shaped my approach significantly and has also enabled me to contextualise the work of the artists that I am engaging with.

In recent years, several of the exhibitions I have realised were significantly shaped by a range of curatorial strategies.

These were conceived for a variety of reasons, to facilitate new forms of artistic collaboration; to explore new methods of display and dissemination, to reveal the possibilities of working within imposed constraints and, in some cases, to interrogate the idea of authorship. This is exemplified in an exhibition I curated in spring of this year, entitled ‘The Width of a Circle’, at the legendary and cavernous W139 project space in Amsterdam. The participants, who predominantly work in sculpture, were invited to take the five archetypal forms (known as the Platonic Solids) as points of departure in developing new work. Stemming from the original postulation that each solid was aligned with one of the ‘classical’ elements, the decision was made to restrict which ‘elements’ the exhibition would include. The four classical elements were transposed onto ubiquitous materials: concrete, metal, plastic and paper. In addition to these commonplace materials, participants were also invited to harness what has been described as a fifth ‘animating’ element. The desire to create an immersive and large-scale installation using only these ascribed elements precipitated the decision to cover the gallery floor with steel plates, creating a ‘ground’ upon which the exhibition was constructed. This intervention is a testament to the possibilities of cooperative production and serves to underscore the systematised character of the entire project.

Over the course of my career thus far, I’ve come to realise that the only way to succeed is to devote oneself entirely to the mission at hand. Inevitably, this process can have its trials and tribulations. I have found myself returning to the reassuring words written by Rainer Maria Rilke (now collectively published as Letters to a Young Poet) as an antidote to those spells of disillusionment. Rilke wrote: “You must not compare yourself to others […] Work from necessity and your compulsion to do it […] Work on what you know and what you are sure you love […] Don’t let yourself be controlled by too much irony […] Live in and love the activity of your work […] Be touched by the beautiful anxiety of life […] Love your solitude and try to sing with its pain.”2 These letters – written between 1903 and 1908, when Rilke was himself an emergent, but prominent poet – were addressed to a student who had sent Rilke poetry and requested guidance about becoming a writer. Though offering advice for an aspiring writer, I find these words can also provide succour and encouragement to the curator in those moments when despondency is at the door and enthusiasm, confidence and faith are devoured in the abyss between the conception and the realisation of an exhibition.

Pádraic E. Moore is a writer, curator and art historian currently based in Brussels and Dublin. padraicmoore.com

Notes 1 Hans Ulrich Obrist, A Brief History of Curating (Zurich: JRP/Ringier, 2013) p.127.

2 Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet (Norton: Reissue, 2004) p.15.

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32

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Career Development

Terms and Conditions HENRY LYDIATE ASKS: WHAT SHOULD ARTISTS CONSIDER WHEN USING SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS TO PROMOTE THEIR WORK?

Laura Fitzgerald photographing her work at her studio in DIT Grangegorman; photograph by Christopher Steenson

THE SOCIAL NETWORK revolution of the past two decades of digital and technological innovation and exponential growth has been embraced by artists to transform their communications with each other and their viewing audiences.

But few of us consider the nature and extent of our relationship with social media platforms – until things go wrong.

What should artists be aware of when sharing work on social media? A good question, recently answered online for its artist-members by the legal team of the Design and Artists Copyright Society (DACS) in the UK1: a useful collection of practical queries helpfully answered in plain language. The key learning points for artists to take away from DACS’s vade mecum is that they should always read the terms and conditions before signing up to any social media platform and consider not signing up if there are unacceptable provisions.

Sound advice, but do artists read online terms and conditions (T&Cs) before clicking the box agreeing to them in order to proceed? Credible internet consumer researches show that online consumers are impulsive and highly unlikely to think carefully about the ramifications of their online actions.

Contractual agreements where T&Cs are unilaterally drafted and imposed by one party on the other, whereby that other party is faced with a ‘take it or leave it’ deal, are commonly known as ‘contracts of adhesion’. The inclusion of adhesive T&Cs does not necessarily render contractual agreements wholly invalid. Adhesion usually enables consumers to resist or defend themselves against enforcement by the dominant party of specific T&Cs that are procedurally ‘take it or leave it’ or substantively oppressive and unjust.

Consumer protection laws of many countries disallow enforcement of any T&Cs against a consumer who has not been offered the opportunity of genuinely negotiating those T&Cs – a legal doctrine often known as ‘procedural unconscionability’. And some countries disallow enforcement of any T&Cs that are so one-sided against the consumer as to offend a ‘morally reasonable person’ – a further legal doctrine of ‘substantive unconscionability’.

Legislators and courts worldwide have yet to provide uni-

versally accepted legal and judicial solutions that balance the needs of e-commerce with protection of online consumers. It is sometimes argued that in a competitive market online consumers can and should shop around until they find suppliers offering the most favourable T&Cs. But most online suppliers of goods and services impose the same or similar T&Cs – and in any event most of us do not evaluate our online purchases by comparing and contrasting T&Cs of suppliers.

Furthermore, it is widely acknowledged that T&Cs of adhesive contracts are usually drafted by lawyers instructed by online suppliers primarily to avoid or reduce the business’s legal liabilities rather than to offer a fair and reasonable deal to online consumers. Such lawyers are also often hired by specific industry bodies to produce harmonised T&Cs on behalf of all their trading members.

T&Cs of agreements where contracting parties are or may be based in different countries invariably specify which single state’s laws will operate to resolve future possible disputes.

In the case of adhesive contracts, the drafting party’s T&Cs usually impose the laws of the state most convenient to itself.

Leading social-media platforms are headquartered in the US and specify their ‘choice of governing law’ as, for example, California (Facebook and its subsidiary Instagram) or New York (Tumblr).

Throughout the decades of the social network revolution, laws in the US developed in parallel to govern disputes over social-media platform agreements. User-friendly ‘notice and take-down’ legislation gives users rights to require platforms to remove illegal content. And platform hosts are obliged to respond to court orders or allegations that content is illegal by removing it (especially where there are alleged copyright infringements, privacy violations, or libelous material).

Few countries beyond the US have enacted notice and take-down legislation giving content users clear legal rights over platform hosts. But such countries often allow use of their common principles of law to give some measure of protection to online content; for example, UK’s copyright laws are helpful in this respect. DACS is especially active and

successful in issuing take-down notices on behalf of its artist-members via its copyright advice and infringement management services.

The reverse problem is frequently experienced by artists: images taken down by platforms unilaterally and without notice. Such censorship is often unpredictable and erratic, usually caused by algorithms programmed to target classes of unacceptable material rather than assessing specific images. Artists who experience such take-downs ask themselves (usually for the first time) what legal rights they have – to which the answer is likely to be that they have none.

DACS urges artists to be mindful that ‘whilst social-media platforms can be a cost-effective way of promoting your work, in making your images accessible you are increasing opportunities for it to copied and used by others without your permission – also known as copyright infringement’. DACS understandably focuses its advice on copyright, explaining that by accepting T&Cs artists grant a copyright licence to platforms to display their content and make it accessible by users anywhere in the world. DACS warns that doing so means artists are also agreeing that anything published on the platform is “sub-licensable, meaning the platform can authorise another company to use your work… and your content is usually available for free, meaning you won’t receive any royalties for the content you publish on the platform …and some platforms give their other users permission to access or display your work, which means they can replicate it in their personalised dashboards, or share it on other social media platforms and web applications.”

DACS reminds artists that most social media platforms state that T&Cs continue to operate after account deactivation, meaning that images and links to content might remain accessible after artists have deleted their online accounts.

T&Cs may be updated from time to time, and artists are usually obliged to accept any changes by virtue of their continued use of the platform. Respected social-media platforms email users notice of impending changes (good online user practice is to check platforms regularly for updates rather than awaiting notices that may not arrive). DACS offers artists useful tips to help protect images of their work posted on social media platforms: •

• • • •

Use the copyright symbol with your name and the year of creation next to your work. This informs people that you are the copyright holder and encourages them to seek permission if they wish to reproduce it.

Consider adding watermarks to your images. Many digital image editing programmes can help you do this.

Share only low-resolution images. This limits the range of infringements that can occur.

Only post what’s necessary to promote your style and range of work and link your images back to your website where you control the terms and conditions.

Keep track of the images you publish and on what social-media platforms you have published them on. This may help you in the event of an infringement.

Nevertheless, if artists wish to exercise total control over exposition of their works they should consider not using social media at all. In a rapidly accelerating digital environment, perhaps it is time for more realistic arrangements between social-media owners and users.

This article first appeared as the Artlaw Column of Art Monthly published in October 2017 and is re-published with permission. © Henry Lydiate 2017.

Henry Lydiate is an arts lawyer, manager, educationalist, strategist and change specialist, with a life-long commitment to the arts and the support of creative arts practitioners and cultural organisations.

Since 1976, he has written a regular column for Art Monthly. His collected articles are published as the Artlaw Archive by Artquest for which he also provides online advice to artists: artquest.org.uk.

Note 1 The Irish sister agency of DACS is the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation (IVARO).

Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

IVARO Column Good Exposure?

Adrian Colwell IVARO’S ADRIAN COLWELL OFFERS ADVICE FOR ARTISTS ON NAVIGATING COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING ISSUES.

THE TRANSITION FROM studying in art col-

lege to working as a professional in the art world is always a difficult one. Sustaining an arts practice and making a living as an artist involves many challenges, both conceptual and practical, that aren’t given much attention across college curriculums. One of the most pressing things to learn is how to attribute monetary value to a newly created artwork. Despite all the ambition you may have as a young artist, the concept of actually making money from your work may, in reality, feel quite novel as a student or recent graduate. Exploring your creative interests and cementing your reputation in the art world will be something of a priority, especially if you are working in a medium that is not considered particularly commercial. Putting a price tag on your work can feel like a confusing and daunting task.

In addition, it is important to be informed about your rights, when handling requests for your work to be reproduced in other formats (such as in publications) or arranging licensing agreements and fees for reproductions.

Since graduating from IADT with a BA in Visual Arts Practice, I have become more and more conscious of the lack of awareness on these issues among my peers. In one pertinent example from my own graduate show in 2011, artworks by several of my fellow classmates were reproduced online, in publications and even on album covers. For the most part, these reproductions were granted without any stipulations, payment or indeed any real knowledge of copyright or intellectual property. Instead, like most opportunities given to emerging artists, it was perceived as just another method of providing “good exposure”.

Since finishing my degree, I have worked with various arts organisations – an experience that has made this lack of awareness around intellectual property rights increasingly apparent. In particular, working for the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation (IVARO) has not only been a great education in copyright and licensing, but has also highlighted the sheer volume of artworks that are reproduced in Ireland on a daily basis. These professional experiences have fundamentally underlined that there is a pressing need for young artists to become more familiar with their rights, to value their intellectual property and to educate themselves about the organisations that support them in dealing with copyright and liscensing issues.

IVARO was established in 2005 as a non-profit copyright collecting society for visual artists and their heirs. It is a membership organisation bringing together over 5,000 people. The IVARO membership is made up of visual artists at various stages of their career, as well as photographers, illustrators, graphic artists, designers and architects. The organisation offers copyright licensing services to customers in Ireland who wish to reproduce or transmit copies of visual artworks in a variety of ways. It connects these customers (copyright users) to the artists (copy-

right holders) it represents, in a way that ensures that the artist gets paid appropriately for the use of their work and that the integrity of the artwork is respected in each reproduction. Any artist represented by IVARO can direct clients to us and we will handle the necessary agreements and licensing fees.

IVARO is also a member of CISAC, the international body for copyright licensing societies. Through agreements with a network of sister societies, it also represents over 20,000 international artists, insofar as the use of their works in Ireland is concerned. This gives our customers access to some of the worlds’ most high-profile and in-demand artists. It also means that Irish artists’ interests are being looked after through reciprocal relations in those countries.

IVARO not only provides a licensing service but also supports artists through its other two main services: Artists Resale Right and RETURN. The Artists Resale Right (ARR) also known as droit de suite (right to follow), has been in operation in Ireland since June 2006. The regulations entitle artists to receive a royalty each time their work is resold by an auction house, gallery or art dealer. RETURN is a service for distributing reprographic royalties to visual creators. Reprographic royalties are collected from universities, schools and businesses that use photocopying machines. A share of these royalties can be claimed by any artist or visual creator whose work is contained in publications that have an ISBN or ISSN number (and are therefore available to be photocopied). IVARO negotiates a share of this money on behalf of visual creators in Ireland.

There is a perception that the activities of IVARO – and indeed issues of copyright and licensing – are only relevant to more established artists. Admittedly, with regard to the ARR, a certain level of success is expected, if your artwork is being sold in auction houses. However, the licensing and RETURN services are relevant to all artists (at any career stage) whose work is being reproduced. Many younger artists may be due fees that they are not aware of.

Educating yourself on intellectual property and copyright is essential, in order to really understand the monetary value of your work and the various ways it can be used. This is an important and necessary step, in definitively moving away from the mindset that permitting artworks to be reproduced by a third party for free is somehow “good exposure”.

Adrian Colwell is the Licensing Officer for IVARO. ivaro.ie

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Visual Artists' News Sheet | Special Issue: September – October 2018

Career Development

VAI Column

VAI Column

The Help-Desk

Graduate Supports

Shelly McDonnell

Rob Hilken

SHELLY MCDONNELL TALKS ABOUT THE VARIOUS SUPPORTS AND ADVICE OFFERED TO EMERGING ARTISTS THROUGH THE VAI HELP-DESK.

ROB HILKEN OUTLINES OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO EMERGING ARTISTS THROUGH VAI’S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.

I DEAL WITH professional queries through

VISUAL ARTISTS IRELAND offers a range of supports and opportunities to artists at all stages of their careers, including emerging artists. We recognise that recent graduates have different needs to those with more established practices, but also that it is important to share new developments that affect everyone. We value peer support and encourage artists to discuss their experiences and learn from each other. Many of our events and seminars are free, while those that do have a booking fee are heavily discounted for VAI members.

The Visual Artist’s Café format combines information-sharing, discussion and networking. We partner with regional arts organisations and local authorities to host either full-day or half-day events, with the topics tailored to the needs of artists who live or work in particular areas. Many artists suffer from isolation, as they work from home or in individual studios across Ireland. These friendly and informal regional café events bring together local artists and arts organisations, encouraging active dialogue and helping to build supportive professional networks. Café events often feature invited speakers (who share their expertise on specialist subjects), panel discussions (to explore subjects more deeply) and talks by experienced artists who share details about their work and how they have overcome professional challenges.

In addition, individual artists can participate in VAI’s Show & Tell – a format that allows members to share their work with their peers, thus helping artists become more proficient at public speaking and delivering short presentations about their work. The deliberately concise format (comprising ten slides in six minutes) encourages artists to talk reflectively about the broad themes and techniques involved in their work, rather than focusing on the minutiae of individual artworks. It’s the ‘elevator pitch’ that might pique the interest of curators or help you to engage future audiences.

As well as being contactable at any stage via email or phone, VAI also run monthly helpdesks in our Belfast and Dublin offices. Artists can book 30-minute appointments to discuss specific professional challenges they are facing.

Whether it’s signposting (pointing artists to relevant people and places), writing a funding application, getting tax advice, planning an upcoming exhibition or thinking about residency opportunities, these helpdesks provide support to artists based on their individual needs.

We also offer free advice and advocacy for VAI members when challenges or disputes become too difficult to deal with alone.

We also work with experienced arts professionals to deliver one-to-one project clinics at many of the Visual Artists Cafés as well as at the annual VAI Get Together. These short mentoring sessions with curators, critics, artists and educators are useful when evaluating recent work or planning future projects. Project clinics are private spaces to discuss everything from

VAI’s Help-Desk – a free and confidential service available to all artists, by phone, email, through the website and in clinics nationwide.

If you have a question, an idea or a problem, I’ll usually be able to offer advice or at least point you in the right direction. Every artist faces their own challenges, but a few regular queries are touched on below. These themes are expanded upon in the ‘How To Manual: A Survival Guide for Visual Artists’, available on the VAI website.

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES

You can apply for opportunities and exhibitions by responding to open-calls that seem relevant to your practice. A good starting point is to sign up to VAI’s twice-weekly eBulletin service and consulting the opportunity listings on our website. These offer details on current and upcoming commissions, competitions, workshops and training, talks, seminars and so on, directed towards visual artists at all stages of their career.

The majority of galleries and art organisations in the country – including studio groups, artist-led spaces, independent curators, local authorities, etc. – advertise their open-calls through us.

When looking for arts organisations in your area or elsewhere, consult the Arts Directory on VAI’s website. You can search by location and by category including: Public Galleries, Commercial Galleries, Artist-Led Organisations, Artist Studios and Art Supplies.

WRITING AND GRANT APPLICATIONS

Developing proposals should be approached with the same high degree of professionalism as making your work. A proposal should say as much about you as the work you produce. Make sure that your proposal is concise, has been proof-read, spell-checked and is presented in a formal and appropriate way. The most common mistakes many artists make when developing a proposal are: poor research; a ‘one size fits all’ approach; and failure to consider the proposal from the reader’s perspective.

CONTRACT ADVICE

In their professional lives, artists enter into many contracts: they sell their work; they are commissioned to produce work; they exhibit in galleries; they give permission to reproduce their work for various purposes. As an emerging artist, the sooner you start using contracts the better, because virtually all professional dealings involve entering into contracts. When something goes wrong and the artist seeks advice, the first question is: “Was there a valid contract?” A contract does not need to be complicated; we have easyto-adapt templates that are available to download from our website.

TAX AND SELF-EMPLOYMENT

When you start generating more than €5,000 per year from your work as an artist, you will need to register to pay income tax, which will

mean you are self-employed. You are eligible to apply for Artist Tax Exemption, which applies only to sales of work and some Arts Council funding. You can be self-employed and also have other PAYE income. Similarly, you can be self-employed and receive social welfare. You will need to declare all of these strands of income in your annual tax returns.

SOCIAL WELFARE

As an artist on social welfare, you will be able to show any applications for exhibitions, funding or art-related jobs as proof that you are actively seeking work. There is a Jobseekers Allowance pilot scheme for professional visual artists. You need to be registered as self-employed to access this scheme, while a VAI professional membership card is accepted as proof of professional artist status. As with other self-employed people on Jobseekers Allowance, when short-term work opportunities arise, you will be able to take on that work and your payments will be adjusted for the duration, but not terminated. You will not be asked to retrain or attend workshops for at least 12 months.

PAYMENT GUIDELINES

As a professional you are entitled to be paid for your work. In recent years, the Arts Council adopted the policy that all organisations in receipt of funding should pay artists a fee. We are increasingly seeing arts organisations moving towards artist payment systems and providing other terms of support. It is understandable that as an emerging artist you may need to take part in some opportunities that are unpaid, in order to gain experience. However, you should not accept this long-term. Many artists continue to go unpaid because they find asking for artist fees uncomfortable or fear they may miss out on an opportunity. As in any other profession, it is prudent to discuss the payment terms upfront. You have the choice to turn down an exhibition, if it does not offer equitable terms. To work out the fee you should be getting for exhibitions (and other types of work, including delivering artist talks, workshops and curating), you can refer to the VAI Payment Guideline Calculator.

These are just some of the topics that are regularly submitted to the Help-Desk. Others include pricing your work, artist’s insurance, commission advice, internships, copyright, exporting your work and conflict resolution. It’s worth noting that I don’t get many recent graduates contacting the Help-Desk. Perhaps this is because graduates aren’t aware that this service is free and open to them, or maybe it’s because artists at later stages of their career are more assertive in seeking out information. Whatever the reason, I hope that after reading this, you know the VAI Help-Desk is here, if and when you need advice.

Shelly McDonnell is Visual Artists Ireland’s Communications and Advocacy Officer.

initial ideas and the creation of new work, to the technical aspects of exhibition-making.

Belfast Open Studios is an annual event in which 16 individual studio groups across the city open their doors to the public. One of the objectives of the programme is to facilitate the meeting of artists and curators. Individual artists can take advantage of the spotlight on the city by inviting curators and galleries for private studio visits. We also run a Speed Curating event that is hosted by Belfast Exposed Gallery. Artists frequently tell us about the opportunities that speed curating generates for them, both at Belfast Open Studios and at the VAI Get Together in IMMA each year. As part of the Belfast Open Studios programme, we invite Irish and international curators to deliver talks about their own research interests, giving artists greater insights into their own working practices.

Collaboration and partnership are critical to the success of VAI’s Professional Development Programme across Ireland. We work very closely with local authority arts officers and district councils to meet the needs of the artists in each region, often delivering bespoke regional programmes. Last year our ‘Lakelands’ event in Enniskillen brought artists and organisations together from Fermanagh, Cavan, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo, recognising that artists living and working along the border are supported by many organisations situated in the surrounding area.

We also partner with independent organisations and specialist studios to ensure that support across different artforms is meeting the needs of contemporary practitioners. We regularly collaborate with Artist Moving Image Northern Ireland (AMINI) to bring respected programmers and artists from the UK and Ireland to host screenings and talks. We welcome opportunities to discuss new initiatives that can support artists in other ways.

Launched in 2018, ‘New Spaces’ is a new programme that seeks to create opportunities for emerging curators and artists to realise a series of exhibitions outside traditional institutions.

Working in partnership with established galleries and arts professionals, mentoring is being delivered to develop the different skills needed to work without the infrastructural support of a gallery setting. The second round of the ‘New Spaces’ exhibition programme continues until 22 September across four venues: Sion Stables in Sion Mills; Gwyn’s Café and Pavilion; Cottage (in The Craft Village) and Walled City Brewery in Derry. The third and fourth iterations of the series will launch on 6 October and 17 November respectively, with each open to the public for a four-week period.

Rob Hilken is the Visual Artists Ireland NI Manager.

professional development Autumn/Winter 2018

Northern Ireland

Republic of Ireland Dublin City

Carrick-on-Shannon

Belfast

DOCUMENTING YOUR WORK

INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS SERIES

VISUAL ARTISTS HELPDESK/ PROJECT CLINIC

With Tim Durham Date/Time: 14 Sept. 10:00 – 17:00.

Location: Visual Artists Ireland.

Places/Cost: 10. €60/€40 (VAI members).

TAX & SELF-EMPLOYMENT

With Gaby Smith Date/Time: 21 Sept. 10:30 – 13:30.

Location: Visual Artists Ireland.

Places/Cost: 12. €60/€40 (VAI members).

FILING YOUR TAXES ONLINE – REVENUE ONLINE SERVICES

With Gaby Smith Date/Time: 27 Sept. 10:30 – 13:30.

Location: Visual Artists Ireland.

Places/Cost: 12. €60/€40 (VAI members).

FINANCIAL ADVICE CLINICS

Personal Session with Gaby Smith Date/Time: 27 Sept. 14:00 – 15:00.

Location: Visual Artists Ireland.

Places/Cost: 4. €35 /€25 (VAI members).

WORKING WITH DIGITAL IMAGES

With Tim Durham Date/Time: 28 Sept. 12:00 – 14:00.

Location: Visual Artists Ireland.

Places/Cost: 10. €60 /€40 (VAI members).

INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES

In association with Project Arts Centre Date/Time: TBC. Location: Project Arts Centre.

Places/Cost: TBC.

ROI Bookings and Information To register a place or to find information on any of our upcoming Professional Development events in the Republic of Ireland, visit: visualartists.ie/professional-development-_

Development Partners

Talk by Nina Conti Date/Time: 22 Sept. 13:00 – 15:00.

Location: The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Booking: thedock.ie INTERNATIONAL SPEAKERS SERIES

Talk by John Smith Date/Time: 13 Oct. 14:00 – 16:00.

Location: The Dock, Carrick-on-Shannon.

Booking: thedock.ie

Date/Time: 12 Sept, 17 Oct, 14 Nov, 12 Dec, 16 Jan. 13:00 – 17:00.

Location: Visual Artists Ireland [NI] Places/Cost: 6. £5/FREE (VAI members).

BEST PRACTICES FOR AUDIOVISUAL INSTALLATION

Sligo

In association with Digital Artist Studios Date/Time: Sept (TBC). 10:00 – 16:00.

Location: TBC. Places/Cost: Places TBC. £10/£5 (VAI members/DAS members).

VISUAL ARTISTS CREATING AND CURATING SPACES

ARTIST MOVING IMAGE NORTHERN IRELAND

In association with Sligo Arts Service Date/Time: Autumn (TBC).

Location: Sligo.

Places/Cost: 20+. €20/€10 (VAI members).

Cork INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES

In association with The Glucksman Date/Time: TBC. Location: The Glucksman.

Places/Cost: TBC. Other events planned planned for Winter 2018: Peer Critique Painting – with the RHA Peer Critique Drawing – with the RHA Websites, Marketing & Social Media for Artists Child Protection Awareness Training Writing About Your Work Creative Proposals Developing Opportunities for your Work Sustaining Your Practice

NI Bookings and Information To register a place or to find information on any of our upcoming Professional Development events in Northern Ireland, visit: visualartists.org.uk/booking

Screenings and discussion. In association with The MAC and The Belfast Film Festival Date/Time: 10 Oct. Time TBC. Location: TBC. Places/Cost: TBC. ARTIST RESIDENCIES TALK/ RESIDENCY APPLICATION CLINIC

With Shiro Masuyama Date/Time: 13 October. 12:00 – 14:00.

Location: Golden Thread Gallery.

Places/Cost: Talk: FREE, Clinic £5/FREE (VAI Members).

BELFAST OPEN STUDIOS

Date/Time: 20 Oct. 11:00 – 17:00.

Location: Various City Centre Locations Places/Cost: FREE. www.belfastopenstudios.com CURATOR TALKS

Date/Time: 16 Nov. 14:00 – 16:00.

Location: Visual Artists Ireland [NI] Places/Cost: FREE.

SPEED CURATING

With Shiro Masuyama Date/Time: 17 Nov. 11:00 – 17:00 Location: Belfast Exposed.

Places/Cost: 120. £3 per appointment.

PEER CRITIQUE – SCULTPURE AND INSTALLATION

With Tim Shaw RA Date/Time: Nov/Dec (TBC).

Location: TBC. Places/Cost: 6. £25/£15 (VAI members).

Derry City & Strabane VISUAL ARTISTS HELPDESK/ PROJECT CLINIC

Date/Time: Nov (TBC). 12:00 – 17:00.

Location: TBC. Places/Cost: 6. £5/FREE (VAI members).

Fermanagh & Omagh LAKELANDS – VISUAL ARTISTS CAFÉ

Date/Time: December (TBC).

Location: Waterways Ireland HQ, Enniskillen.

Places/Cost: 20+. FREE.

Causeway Coast & Glens VISUAL ARTISTS HELPDESK/ PROJECT CLINIC

Date/Time: 13 Feb 2019, 12:00 - 17:00.

Location: Flowerfield Arts Centre (TBC).

Places/Cost: 6. £5/FREE (VAI members).

Fees VAI members receive preferential discount of 50% on fees for all VAI, training and professional development events.

Tell us about your training needs!

If you are interested in training please do get in touch with us directly or forward an expression of interest in a topic/s through the Professional Development Training web page. We often repeat workshops when there is a strong demand for a topic.

VAI Show & Tell Events VAI will schedule Show & Tell events during 2018 and invites interested artists, groups, venues or partners to get in touch if interested in hosting a Show & Tell. E: monica@visualartists.ie

Artist & Tutors Panel Visual Artists Ireland has an ongoing open submission process for artists and arts professionals interested in being part of an available panel of tutors contributing to the VAI Professional Development Training Programme. For details go to our training registration page and click on Register for the PDT Artists’ Panel.