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Past programmes:
Do You Speak
Art?; Globalisation and Art Practice (2007)
Synergies and Signatures: Collaboration, Chaos and
interdisciplinary arts practice (2004)
The Changing Role and Significance of the Artist's
Studio (2003)
Daylighting the
City - Roundtable Discussion
(2002)
Talks from the Designing
Cities Forum (2001)
Mark Ewart talks with
Derek Trenaman (2001)
'Get that Balance'
- A performance event (2001)
Professional Development Workshops for Visual Artists 2008
PRACTICAL ISSUES
Writing the Artist’s Statement and CV
Presentation Skills – Marketing Your Practice
Understanding Your Accounts
Arts Council Awards
PEER CRITIQUE
Peer Critique / Sculpture
Peer Critique / Painting
Peer Critique / Photography
THINKING ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE
Earning Opportunities for Artists
Working with Children and Young People
WORKING WITH GALLERIES
Working with Public and Private Galleries
Working with Private Galleries
Working with Public Galleries
INITIATING AND DELIVERING PROJECTS
Public Art Commissions – The Commissioning Stage
Public Art Commissions – The Development & Delivery Stage
Working with Architects
PRACTICAL ISSUES
Writing The Artist’s Statement & CV
Tutor: Mark Garry
Cork: Thursday 25 September 2008, 1 day
Venue: National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €44 / €40 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Thursday 11 September 2008, 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €44 / €40 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
As an artist much of your time is spent making proposals and writing grant
applications. Because funding bodies don’t have the capacity to interview
everyone seeking funding, they need to get a picture of who you are very
quickly. The CV aims to do this and can be augmented by a concise artist’s
statement. This course was designed to give artists the know-how and
understanding to write clearly articulated and comprehensive CV’s and
statements’ for a variety of situations such as proposals; for funding, to
galleries and job applications.
Tutor’s Biog
Mark Garry is an artist, curator and writer. Mark has curated a number of
large-scale site-specific exhibitions in various contexts and situations in
Dublin and was the visual arts curator for the Dublin Fringe Festival from
2000—2004. Mark continues to curate exhibitions and these exhibitions have a
reciprocal relationship to the concerns of his personal art practice. As an
artist, Mark has had a number of notable Irish and international exhibitions and
was one of a number of the Irish artists chosen to represent Ireland at the 2005
Venice Biennale. He has written reviews and critical texts for a number of
Irish and international publications and artists books.
Understanding Your Accounts
Tutor: Gaby Smith
Cork: Thursday 18 September 2008, 1 day
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €44 / €40 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Wednesday 10 September, 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €44 / €40 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
Do you know how much you spent on making art last year? Do you know how
much money you made from your practice? Do you hate the task of keeping
financial records and making tax returns? Do you have difficulty in making
sense of the financial aspects of your work? Participants came away from this workshop
with practical tools for better financial management including an understanding
of cash flow, keeping accounts and how best to integrate budgeting and finance
into the day-to-day management of their practice. The workshop was designed specifically to be relevant to the financial realities faced by
artists.
Tutor’s Biog
Gaby Smyth is a fellow of the
Institute of Chartered Accountants and is principal of Gaby Smyth & Company,
Chartered Accountants & Registered Auditors. The firm has been in practice for
almost fifteen years, specialising in the music, film and theatre arts. He is
currently on the board of the Dublin Theatre Festival and the Dublin
International Film Festival, and is chairman of the Irish section of Amnesty
International.
Presentation Skills –
Marketing your Practice
Tutor: Kerry McCall
Cork: Friday 3 October 2008, 1 day
Venue: National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €44 / €40 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Friday 19 September
2008, 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €44 / €40 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop description:
Communicating and making effective presentations on your practice are key to
generating awareness of your work and influencing others. During the
course of your career, many situations will occur where you will be asked to
speak publicly about your work/ideas. These range from the more formal
seminars, conferences and interviews for commissions or jobs, to simply speaking
clearly amongst your peers. This course covered basic PowerPoint skills and idea
presentation. Participants came with 1 or 2 proposals, which they had
already submitted and/or presented in person. These were
peer and tutor critiqued. The outcome of the day's course was to up-skill the
participant in visual and verbal presentation of their artistic concepts. There
was an emphasis placed on the clarity of language used, articulation of
concept visually and verbally as well as body language.
Tutor's Biog
Kerry McCall is a lecturer in Arts Management in the Institute of Art,
Design and Technology, Dun Laoghaire. Previously Director of The Sculptors'
Society of Ireland, (now Visual Artists Ireland) Kerry also manages public art
projects and was most recently involved in the development of a public art
strategy for Dundrum Town Centre. She has been involved in Printed Project
since its inception and continues to sit on the Editorial Committee.
Arts Council Awards
Tutor: Toby Dennett
Cork: Friday 24 October 2008, 1/2 day
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Dublin: 23 October 2008, 1/2 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Workshop Description
These sessions was delivered by Toby Dennett Head of Artists’ Supports at
the Arts Council. They are an opportunity to get first hand information, advice
and guidance on the various awards and bursaries available to individual artists
operated by the Arts Council of Ireland. Free attendance.
Tutor’s Biog
Toby Dennett is Head of Artists’ Supports at the Arts Council. Toby is
the former Director of Visual Artists Ireland- the all island service provider
and representative body for professional visual artists. He was a founding
Director of the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation, which is now
collecting and distributing the Artists’ Resale Right. He has previously worked
for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Artworking, Source Photographic
Magazine and Catalyst Arts and originally trained as a visual artist.
Workshop Description
These three media specific workshops were intended to create dialogue and
openness between artistic peers in a world where many are starved of feedback
and thoughtful responses to their work. These sessions fostered
networking and continued peer support amongst participants. Those attending
were open and prepared to respond to others' work and should came prepared
with a 10-minute presentation on their work (which was followed by 20
minutes discussion). Artists brought slides, CD ROMs or original artwork
to show. The atmosphere was constructive, supportive and positive.
Peer Critique / Sculpture
Tutor: Richard Deacon
Cork: Wednesday 3 December 2008, 1 day
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €88/ 80 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Tuesday 2 December 2008, 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €88/ 80 (VAI & NSF members)
Tutor’s Biog
Richard Deacon was born in
Bangor, Wales in 1949. During his childhood his family moved several times,
including a period between 1955 - 58 when they lived in Sri Lanka. In 1968
Deacon attended a foundation course at Somerset College of Art, Taunton and was
taught by John Hilliard, lan Breakwell and Rose Fmn-Kelcey amongst others.
Following this he attended an undergraduate course at St Martin's School of Art
between 1969 -72 where he concentrated on performance-based work, For example,
Stuff Box Object 1971-72, an experimental piece made over a period of time,
involved Deacon climbing into a box. Recent solo exhibitions include Lead
Astray, New Shared Sculptures by Bill Woodrow and Richard Deacon, New Art Centre
Sculpture Park and Gallery, Salisbury, England and Atelier Brancusi, Centre
George Pompidou, Paris (2004), Made in Cologne, Museum Ludwig, Cologne, Germany
(2003) and Happiness: A survival guide for Life and Art, MORI Art Museum, Tokyo,
Japan. Further details on his work can be found at
www.richarddeacon.net
Peer Critique / Painting
Tutor: Paul Nugent
Cork: Monday 10 November 2008, 1 day
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €66 / 60 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Thursday 6 November 2008 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €66 / 60 (VAI & NSF members)
Tutor’s Biog
Paul Nugent is a Dublin based
artist and graduate of the National College of Art and Design, Dublin. His
exhibitions include: There, Not There, The Crawford Art Gallery, Cork (2008);
Vigil, Temple Bar Gallery and Studios, Dublin (2007); Other Visions:
Representation in Contemporary Irish Painting and Photography, Purdy Hicks
Gallery, London (2006); New Territories, ARCO Madrid Spain curated by Enrique
Juncosa Director IMMA (2005); Views from an Island: Contemporary Art from
Ireland, Shanghai Gallery of Modern Art and the Millennium Monument Museum,
Beijing China (2004); Comharsana Beal Doris (Neighbours)The Rooms, The Art
Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada (2005); Re-Imagining Ireland,
University of Virginia USA (2003); Eurojet Futures, RHA (2002); En Visage, Irish
Museum of Modern Art (2002; Perspective 2000, Ormeau Baths Gallery (2000); Works
from the Collection, Irish Museum of Modern Art (1999) and A Collection in the
Making, Irish Museum of Modern Art (1998). Paul was Artist in Residence at the
Centre Culturel Irlandais, Paris (2004) and has been awarded a three-year
bursary by The Arts Council of Ireland (2006 – 2008). He lectures at the
National College of Art & Design Dublin and is represented by the Barbara Behan
Gallery London and the Third Space Gallery in Belfast.
Peer Critique / Photography
Tutor: Martin Healy
Cork: Monday 1 September 2008, 1 day
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €66 / €60 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Tuesday 2 September 2008 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €66 / €60 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
This workshop opened up dialogue and openness between artistic
peers in a world where many are starved of feedback and thoughtful responses to
their work. It fostered networking and contacts between artists. Those attending
were open and prepared to respond to others' work and should came
prepared with a 10-minute presentation on their work (which was followed by
20 minutes or so of discussion). Artists brought slides, CD roms or original
artwork to show. The atmosphere was constructive, supportive and positive.
Tutors Biog
Martin Healy was born in
London. He took part in the Artists’ Residency Programme at the Irish Museum of
Modern Art in 2007 and was awarded the International Studio Programme residency
at PS1 Contemporary Art Centre, New York in 2000/01. Solo exhibitions include
Skywatcher at Roscommon Arts Centre (2008), I want to believe at the Royal
Hibernian Academy, Dublin (2007) and Here be monsters at Rubicon Gallery, Dublin
(2004). Group exhibitions include Bloody Beautiful 2, Ronmandos Gallery,
Amsterdam (2008); Green Screen, Institute of Contemporary Art Newtown, Sydney,
Australia (2008); Crawford Open 2007, Crawford Municipal Gallery, Cork (2007);
Singing the Real, Iziko South African National Gallery (2007); Failure Kilkenny
Arts Festival, Kilkenny (2006); A Haunting, Sackville Street Building,
Manchester (2005); Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork
(2005); Eurojet Futures 04, RHA Gallery, Dublin (2004); Thug Life, Smart Project
Space, Amsterdam (2002) and Appropriation, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast (2002).
He currently lives and works in Dublin, Ireland.
Earning Opportunities for Visual Artists
Tutor: Jason E. Bowman
Cork: Monday 24 - Wednesday 26 November 2008 (3 days)
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €145 / 130 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Tuesday 18 - Thursday 20 November
2008 (3 days)
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €145 / 130 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
Artists are concerned with practice and how to financially sustain their
practice. This three-day workshop used individual and group working to support
artists to reflect on and define their practice by examining how opportunities
in the private and public sectors can support the development of individual and
collective practices. These included commissions, residencies, educational and
community contexts in tandem with self-initiated projects. This workshop provided artists with new routes to managing their practice and provide new tools
and methods to manage projects, including the sustainability of their practice
Tutor's Biog
Jason E. Bowman trained as an artist and then
undertook a doctoral research in cultural theory. He now works as an artist and
consultant curator specialising in the design of commissioning programmes. As an
artist he works solely by commission and has developed projects in Cairo,
Moscow, New York, Antwerp and Amsterdam. In an earlier version of his life he
was an arts educator for deaf-blind adults and ran an arts project for young
homeless people for two years. He was the producer of the BAFTA nominated film
‘I am BOY’ and co-curator for Scotland at the Venice Biennale 2005. He is
currently editing two books on projects by Ester Shalev-Gerz and Edwina
Fitzpatrick whose works he has commissioned. With two associates he established
the visual art catalyst Midwest in 2002 - www.midwest.org.uk He has worked with
many organisations on continuous professional development for artists including
the Arts Council of England, The Banff Centre for the Arts Canada, Space Studios
(London), A-N The Artists’ Information Company, The Scottish Arts Council,
Oxfordshire Arts Partnership, E7 Arts & Salford University.
Working with Children and Young People
Tutor: Kids’ Own
Dublin: Tuesday 7 October 2008, 1 day
Venue: Temple Bar Gallery and Studios
Fee: €66/60 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
The over arching focus of this workshop was to enhance, validate and support
artists’ practice working with children and young people. It aimed to: provide
an opportunity for artists to share learning and critique practice; establish
regional communities of practice towards a national community of practice; to
link into ongoing research on artists’ practice with children and young people.
The day included artists’ presentations of projects, focus groups and
feedback and hands-on activities followed by a chaired discussion of issues
arising during the day. For further information on the Kids’ Own Practice
initiative see www.practice.ie and register to be involved in this on-line
collaborative research space reporting on artists' practice with children and
young people.
Tutor’s Biog
Kids’ Own is a non-profit
arts organisation with a holistic approach to the creative environment, which is
passionate and determined. Kids’ Own is motivated by a belief in the power of
creativity and good quality arts practice to make for a better education
experience and a more intercultural society. Kids' Own provides a way of working
that empowers children and young people to develop their own individual creative
expression through authentic arts practice and provide opportunities for
children to create their own work for themselves and others. Kids’ Own promote
and value the interaction between professional artists and children and create
opportunities for children to have high quality experiences through engagement
with professional artists. They endeavour to support artists as artists and not
just facilitators of a process and recognise the need to support contact time
with the children as well as artists’ own practice. By bringing artists together
to share their processes and approaches, this professional development workshop
provides a real opportunity for artists to share learning and enhance practice.
Working with Public and Private Galleries
Tutors: Mike Fitzpatrick & Julienne Lorz
Dublin: Wednesday 4 December 2008, 1 Day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €80 / 70 (VAI & NSF members)
Working with Private Galleries
Tutors: John Quinlan
Cork: Friday 10 October 2008, 1 Day
Venue: National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €80 / 70 (VAI & NSF members)
Working with Public Galleries
Tutors: Peter Murray
Cork: Friday 17 October 2008, 1 Day
Venue: National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €80 / 70 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
These training sessions were designed to give artists the confidence and knowledge to build strong relationships with curators and to get the most out of their experience when working with a public or private space.
Tutor’s Biog
Mike Fitzpatrick is the
Director/ Curator of the Limerick City Gallery of Art since 2000. He was
Commissioner for Ireland’s representation at the Venice Biennale in 2007. He has
an MA in Fine Art from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design, University of
Central England. In 1995, he completed the independent Study Programme at
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. He was awarded The Arts Council Studio
Fellowship at PS1 Museum, LIC, New York in 1993 and undertook research studios
at the University of Liverpool in 1991. In 1982 he was awarded an Italian
Government Scholarship to study at the Academia De Brera in Milan, having
obtained a diploma in Fine Art from the Limerick School of Art the previous year
Julienne Lorz is Assistant Curator at the Haus der Kunst in Munich since 2005. Exhibitions include Paul McCarthy (2005), Allan Kaprow (2006) as assistant curator and Gilbert & George, Anish Kapoor (both 2007) as co-curator. This year she produced a new work with the artist duo Jennifer Allora & Guillermo Calzadilla and is currently working on a Munich based show exploring its rich history of edition and multiple productions from the late 60s to the present day. Having started out as a dancer and choreographer in the early 90s, Julienne decided to change her career and completed her MA Curating Contemporary Art at the Royal College of Art, London in 2004.
John P. Quinlan was born in Macroom, Co. Cork and studied Commerce in U.C.C. Following accountancy work in London, San Francisco and Australia he joined an American company as an international auditor and worked world wide for three years. On a weekend visit home he bought a derelict pub and never left. In 1988 he opened Cuchulain Crafts followed by an art gallery in Macroom in 1991. In 1993 he held a major contemporary art exhibition, ‘euro-Threshold’ in Millstreet, to coincide with the Eurovision. Participating artists included Louis le Brocquy, Tony O’Malley, Patrick Scott, Eilish O’Connell and Alice Maher. The Vangard Gallery moved to its present location in Carey’s Lane in 2000. He is Co-founder of Lee Valley Enterprise Board, Founder and Captain of Macroom Cricket Club. He founded the Gearagh Artist Residency Programme in March of 2008. His philosophy in life – Set high standards and maintain them in whatever you do.
Peter Murray is director of the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. He studied Art History at University College Dublin, and was afterwards awarded an M.Lit degree at Trinity College Dublin. In 2001 he was awarded an honorary MA by University College Cork. Until 2004 he served as deputy chair of the Cultural Relations Committee of the Dept. of Arts, Sport and Tourism and he currently serves on the boards of several arts organisations including Pépinières Européennes pour Jeunes Artistes, an artists’ network organisation. He is the author of several books and catalogues on Irish art, historic and contemporary, and is a regular contributor to the Irish Arts Review, Circa, RA Magazine and other journals.
INITIATING AND DELIVERING PROJECTS
Project Management for the Visual Arts
Tutor: Fergus O’Connell / EPT
Cork: Monday 8 & Tuesday 9 December, 2008, 2 days
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €115 /100 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Wednesday 8 & Thursday 9 October,
2008, 2 days
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €115/100 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
This workshop
provided participants with the practical means to run a variety of creative
projects large or small with more efficiency and less stress. It was aimed at
participants with current or future arts project/s in hand and can include;
collaborative projects, curatorial projects, public or private commissions or
any initiative where good management of time and resources are important.
Participants were not just 'on a course' but ended up; building a real plan for
their project; this plan assessed by the rest of the group, solved real life
problems by applying a Ten-Step plan. It was
tailored to each individual visual artist participating.
Tutor’s Biog
Fergus O'Connell is one of the world’s leading authorities on project
management and getting things done in the shortest possible time. He has a First
in Mathematical Physics and has worked in IT, software development and general
management. Fergus has spent much of the last thirty years either doing,
teaching, learning, writing or thinking about project management both nationally
and internationally. In 1992, he founded ETP www.etpint.com, now one of the
world’s leading programme and project management companies. His project
management method – Structured Project Management / The Ten Steps – has
influenced a generation of project managers and in 2003 was used to plan and
execute the Special Olympics World Games. He has taught project management in
Europe, North America, South America and the Far East. He has authored nine
books, both fiction and non-fiction, which include: How To Run Successful
Projects – The Silver Bullet, 3rd edition (2001), Simply Brilliant – The
Competitive Advantage of Common Sense, 3rd edition (2008), Call The Swallow
(2002), How To Do A Great Job – And Go Home On Time (2005).
Public Art Commissions - The Commissioning
Stage
Tutor: Ruairi O’Cuiv
Cork: Wednesday 29 October 2008, 1 day
Venue:The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €80/70 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Thursday 16 October, 2008, 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €80/70 (VAI & NSF members)
Public Art Commissions - Development and
Delivery
Tutor: Cliodhna Shaffrey
Cork: Thursday 30 October 2008, 1 day
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €80/70 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Friday 17 October 2008, 1
day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €80/70 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
Presented as two intensive workshop sessions artists choose one or both
sessions. In The Commissioning Stage artists were asked to present on a
proposal in train, or ideas (an imaginary project) they had for a public
art / per cent for art commission(s) in an interactive process involving
critical feedback. The aim was to bring artists through the complexity of the
commissioning process – from preparation of ideas through to realisation of
work, breaking down specific elements of the commissioning process, with,
on-going reference to their practice and ideas for public art projects/work. The
ambition was to enable artists to gain a greater understanding of possibilities
within this realm. In The Development & Delivery Stage workshop the intention
was to support the development and management of a project, from contract and
through to delivery. It explored the possible pitfalls and challenges of
this exciting area along with the critical dynamics of client-artist
relationships. Both workshops included presentations and conversations with
artist John Byrne on 'from concept to delivery – the long haul'; and with
Annette Maloney (public art specialist) on 'public art – an expanding field:
getting things right - things that can go wrong". Throughout both workshops a
number of case studies of public art and percent for art projects were
presented to animate the sessions and explore a variety of practice
Tutors’ Biogs
Ruairí ÓCuív is an independent curator and
arts consultant. He was co-founder of Ireland’s first professional art
installation and transport company. He was curator of exhibitions at the Royal
Hospital Kilmainham and Douglas Hyde Gallery before becoming Director of Temple
Bar Gallery and Studios in 1991. Since 1996 he has worked as an independent
curator and arts consultant specialising in curation of exhibitions and public
art commissions, cataloguing and care of collections, and as an art specialist
for capital development projects. His writing has been published in many
catalogues and publications. Cliodhna Shaffrey is an independent curator. Her
curatorial projects include exhibitions, public art commissions and the
development of context-based initiatives such as Artist as Traveller and TRADE,
commissioned by Leitrim and Roscommon County Council, and Visual Leitrim. Her
writings have been included in House Projects (2007) and Living Landscapes
(2008).
Working with Architects
Tutor: Natalie Weadick / The Irish Architecture Foundation
Cork: Friday 5 December, 2008, 1 day
Venue: The National Sculpture Factory
Fee: €72 / 65 (VAI & NSF members)
Dublin: Friday 12 December 2008, 1 day
Venue: Visual Artists Ireland
Fee: €72 / 65 (VAI & NSF members)
Workshop Description
This workshop involved contributions from artists and architects and examined the following topics:
Examples of collaborations between artists and architect
How an artist might approach an architect to collaborate on a commission.
Best practice for artists and architects working in collaboration on both private and public projects
Issues artists should bear in mind when working with architects and vice versa
Issues such as contracts, professional liability and the professional responsibilities for both artists & architects
Tutor’s Biog
Natalie Weadick is Director of The Irish Architecture Foundation. The
Foundation’s role is to be a vibrant and passionate organisation that excites
its’ audiences about the value of architecture. It is a focal point for the many
people and organisations that wish to champion the power of architecture and
urban design. The foundation coordinates the promotion of Irish architecture
internationally, produces or supports architectural events that stimulate and
empower the public and researches the boundaries of architecture. The Foundation
believes that architecture has the power to transform lives and seeks to
impartially and independently challenge perceptions of the built environment
through public debate and discourse.
Date: 20 November
Time: 12 - 3pm
Cost: €25
(non members) or €20 (NSF & VAI members)
Yael Bartana (Israel/Netherlands) will lead a masterclass for artists in the National Sculpture Factory on 20 November, the day after her public lecture. During the masterclass, Bartana will give an in depth presentation of her practice, its politics and its process. Participant artists are encouraged to bring their work for discussion. Places are limited and must be booked in advance.
Arts Council
Awards Session
Trainer: Toby Dennett / Arts
Council (Dublin)
Date: Friday 23 May 2008
Workshop
Description:
This half-day session, delivered by Toby Dennett, (Head of Artists’ Supports at
the Arts Council) was opportunity for participants to get first hand
information, advice and guidance on the various awards and bursary schemes
operated by the Arts Council, available to individual artists.
Toby Dennett
Toby is Head of Artists' Supports at the Arts Council. The Artists' Supports
Team is responsible for ensuring that the various funding and other support
structures of the Arts Council operate effectively to the benefit of artists of
all disciplines. He is the former Director of Visual Artists Ireland, the all
island service provider and representative body for professional visual artists.
He was a founding Director of the Irish Visual Artists Rights Organisation,
which is now collecting and distributing the Artists Resale Right. He has
previously worked for the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Artworking, Source
Photographic Magazine and Catalyst Arts and originally trained as a visual
artist.
Professional Development Workshops for Visual Artists 2007
Professional Development Workshops
for Visual Artists 2006
Professional
Development Workshops for Visual Artists 2005
Technical Workshops Spring 2008
The National Sculpture Factory is committed to supporting artists in their professional practice and as part of this, offers a number of technical workshops intended to provide practical and skills-based resources to artists, aiding them with the production side of their work.
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Professional Development Workshops for Visual Artists 2008
TECHNICAL WORKSHOPS 2007
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Professional Development Workshops for Visual Artists 2005 In 2005, The National Sculpture Factory, in partnership with the Sculptors’ Society of Ireland, coordinated three sets of workshops, intensively covering Commissioning, Galleries and Financial matters for artists (see below).
Undertaking commissions – an advanced
workshop
2 full days SHOWING/ PRESENTING WORK
Working with public galleries
Initiating your own projects PROFESSIONAL SKILLS
Costing and pricing your work
Managing your money
Preparing proposals and applications |
The National Sculpture Factory mentoring scheme offered practising professional artists a chance to further their personal artistic development through the process of individual mentoring from a more experienced artist. The theory was that the experience and thinking processes of the mentor should challenge, enhance and extend the professional and artistic understanding and thinking of the mentee. The mentoring scheme was not intended to address the technical needs of artists, but rather to nurture and contextualise an artist’s practice. It was proposed that the scheme offered a limited number of mentorships annually, to be applied for competitively early in the year.
Sean Mac Carthy
‘In trying to conclude what is to be learned from my involvement with the NSF
mentoring project my general feeling is that as obvious as it sounds, the
important thing is for the mentor and mentee both to ask clearly what they
need and want from the interaction.
For myself I asked for trust that the study exercises I suggested be given a certain amount of intensity and whole-heartedness. Being aware that the timeframe of the project was limited I wanted Philip to forge bonds and contact that would be in place long after we worked together. I urged him to plough through rather than master the study, the simple aim being to develop his already keen powers of observation.
As for the mentee’s perspective, from the beginning the NSF parameters were clear that the success of the project was to be determined by how closely the needs of the mentee were met. Philip expressed to me his desire to have an exhibition that was cohesive and professional; that there was some order and formality to his ongoing study, and thirdly that we could have open discussion and conversation about the sort of ideas that were exciting and interesting for him.
In the time that we had, good progress was made on all fronts. Aside at all from art and sculpture I enjoyed the company and meeting his family and friends. I think Philip and I had a certain affinity from the start. In this account all I can do is describe how it all went for me, it is for Philip to say if I have been helpful to him. Also I understand that what was suitable and workable for us may not apply to any other mentoring situation. Finally I would like to express my gratitude to the NSF for allowing me to take part in this sort of project and to Philip for the enjoyment and energy we shared.’
Philip Quinn
‘Now
that the Mentor/Mentee scheme is coming to a close most of my objectives have
been achieved. One of my concerns was whether to pursue a formal education or
to work and learn as I went along. While I would certainly not rule out the
formal education route, Sean’s mentoring has enabled me to teach myself from
my surroundings and I feel that I am progressing each day as a result. My
confidence in my own work has increased and I now have a much clearer view of
the direction in which I want to take my work.
At the outset, I expressed an interest in having my work exhibited at some stage and I was really delighted to have assembled a body of work for a solo exhibition in November.
I would heartily recommend the Mentor/Mentee scheme; however I feel that it’s necessary to the success of the scheme that the participants are compatible and are totally committed. In my case, I feel that Sean and I worked well together and were both very committed and this had a direct impact on what I perceive as the huge success of the scheme.’
Rory Tangney
‘I have found the Mentoring Scheme of great benefit to me. Very often it is
the manoeuvring within the art world that an artist can struggle with. This
was the case for me, where I felt I needed help with the negotiation and
understanding of a system of which I had limited experience and very little
knowledge. I gained some valuable insights from Annette in the areas of
preparing proposals, approaching galleries/art spaces, the search for funding,
etc. Having this insight has made me re-examine the means by which I hope to
achieve my goals. As a result of this I am taking positive action to put
myself in the position I feel I need to be as I try to forge a career. I only
wish that there were more time available to us to continue our meetings.’
Annette Moloney
‘My current practice, in the area of public art commissioning, is primarily
focused on building and maintaining good working relationships, for instance,
with local authority staff or practising artists. The opportunity to
participate in the National Sculpture Factory Mentoring Scheme provided me
with new and invigorating way of entering into creative dialogue with
professional artists.
Briefly I ought to explain the starting point to the process. Once I had expressed an interest and had been interviewed as a prospective mentor on the scheme, the National Sculpture Factory arranged for the artists to meet with me and to make a decision on if and how they wanted to enter into a mentoring relationship with me.
It found this starting point to be unequivocally artist-centred. Upholding this principle during the process was quite straightforward mainly due to the well-researched and clearly written Mentoring Guidelines which the National Sculpture Factory provided us as guidance. This simple document clarified the roles of both artist and mentor by reminding us that the mentor should “act as a sounding board and advisor to the artist rather than a ‘teacher’ and that the artist should be encouraged; and open to coming out of one’s comfort zone and to take risks in their practice.”
Over the past year both of the artists that I had the benefit of working with, Olivia Hassett and Rory Tangney, have worked consistently to examine any ‘comfort zones’ and challenges within their practice and their ways of working. Both came to every session primed and open to a fluid process of dialogue and grasped the opportunity to work at a pace that suited their needs at any particular time.
All in all it has genuinely been a privilege to be in a position to explore the intricate and at times intimate details of both Olivia’s and Rory’s work, particularly as our working relationship was not predetermined by any set outcome such as an exhibition, public art commission or event. This, I feel, gave both parties the opportunity for sincere and uninhibited dialogue.’
Olivia Hassett
‘Over the
last number of years my practice has evolved from one of representational
object making to working in a more abstract manner. In this past last year I
have experienced a huge surge of enthusiasm, courage and enjoyment in my
practice. Contributing significantly to this experience has been the
wholehearted dedication of Annette through the mentoring scheme run by the
National Sculpture Factory.
As the process is drawing to a close it is interesting to look back at the goals and objectives that were set. Some objectives seemed important at the start but have since taken a back seat as new more relevant objectives emerged. Over the last year Annette and I worked on all areas of my practice from the concepts behind my practice to the physical work itself, which culminated in a one-person exhibition of charcoal drawings, a ten-foot Biosphere drawing and a large sculpture in process. I found the mentoring scheme a liberating process that had no fixed agendas except the progress of the artists’ practice – a wonderful opportunity for an artist at any stage in their career.
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