[download the PDF Programme of Events here]

Get inspired during Bealtaine at the Butler Gallery, with a series of specially programmed events celebrating creativity as we age throughout the month of May. Open to all, Bealtaine at Butler Gallery will include talks, screenings and workshops to get your creative juices flowing.

All events are free of charge, but booking is advisable. To find out more, or to reserve a place for any of these events contact Bairbre-Ann or Pauline at 056 7761106 or by email to bairbre.ann@butlergallery.com.

• Once Upon A Time, A Long, Long Time Ago…
Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle
12pm – 4pm Saturday 18th May

As part of National Drawing Day, we invite people of all ages to Kilkenny Castle to help create a fairytale with a difference, using their memories and of course, imagination! With artist Gypsy Ray.

• Tour, Talk and Tea
Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle
11am Wednesday 22nd May

Join artist Bridget O’Gorman for a walk through her exhibition at the Butler Gallery, followed by a cup of tea or coffee in the Castle Tea Rooms.

• The Hedge School
Castlecomer Discovery Park
Friday 24th – Sunday 26th May, 10am – 4pm

Think the only place for art is in a gallery? Think again. To celebrate this year’s Bealtaine theme ‘Grow Happy’, artists Jean Conroy and Tom Meskell will lead this 3-day workshop, encouraging participants to look to the land for inspiration. Participants will create art outside, using natural materials.

For more information on this unique workshop see www.thehedgeschool.com.

No experience necessary! Booking is essential as places are limited.
With thanks to the Kilkenny Leader Partnership for their generous support.

• Culture Club Information Morning
Parade Tower, Kilkenny Castle
11.30am Tuesday 28th May

Do you have an interest in visual art or theatre? Maybe you’ve always been curious about how an exhibition or theatre production comes together?

Join us for this informal coffee morning, where you can find out more about Culture Club, a group for adults who meet regularly with trained facilitators and artists to explore how they can make informed opinions about art and theatre.

Culture Club is a Butler Gallery project in association with Barnstorm Theatre.

• Azure at the Butler Gallery
Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle
2pm Wednesday 29th May

We invite people with dementia and their families to a tailored event, where participants will view and discuss highlights of Bridget O’Gorman’s exhibition at the Butler Gallery with a trained facilitator.

This programme is free of charge, but booking is essential as places are limited. For more information or to reserve a place, please contact Bairbre-Ann Harkin at 056 7761106.

Bealtaine Beyond Butler Gallery

The Butler Gallery is also going off-site this year, bringing a selection of events to Drakelands House Nursing and Retirement Centre. These events are free of charge and open to the public.

• A Portrait of Imogen
Drakelands House
3pm Wednesday 15th May

Imogen Cunningham (1883-1976) is renowned as one of America’s most groundbreaking photographers, with a career that spanned seven decades. This event will include a screening of Portrait of Imogen, an evocative short film where Imogen herself presents a selection of her work.

Following this, photographer and artist Gypsy Ray will speak about Imogen’s work ‘After 90’, a series of portraits taken when Imogen was 92 years of age, of people over 90 who were independent spirits and still fully involved in their profession or a new profession they had chosen.

• Gems from the Butler Gallery Collection
Drakelands House
3pm Tuesday 21st May

From the foundation of a modest collection of nineteenth century watercolours, donated to the Kilkenny Art Gallery Society by George Pennefather in 1943, the Butler Gallery permanent collection has since continued to flourish through gift, loan and purchase.

Join Butler Gallery Education Curator, Bairbre-Ann Harkin as she explores significant works within the collection, during this introductory talk.

How to get to Drakelands House Nursing and Retirement Centre

Drakelands House Nursing and Retirement Centre
Drakelands House
Drakelands
Kilkenny
Tel: 056-7770925

Places of this kind are outside of all places, even though it may be possible to indicate their location in reality ¹

The Butler Gallery is delighted to present a collection of new and existing object- and lens-based works by Bridget O’Gorman. In the exhibition We Are Suddenly Somewhere Else O’Gorman invites the viewer to interact with a series of open-ended narratives related to place – or rather an experience of it.

Linking poetic, philosophical, historical or eyewitness account with contemporary site, O’Gorman makes installations using a range of media from photographic or moving image, food to utilitarian materials such as silver or bone china. Occasionally slipping into the structure of a semi-fictional, museum-like display (using vinyl text, found object, reference documentation and plinth) those narratives act as indicators, highlighting the importance of the viewer’s individual and past experience in connection with the subject.

In addition to re-imagining existing work, O’Gorman has created a new installation for the Butler Gallery based upon it’s future site – Evans Home.  The artist projects imagery of the gallery’s future site in its current state of dereliction. The accompanying soundscape denotes a human presence, still hanging in the air – along with the suggestion that something is about to happen. Originally an almshouse for ‘decayed servants’, the transitional spaces – thresholds, hallways and stairwells – of this 19^th century building, itself in a state of transition, are revealed, allowing the audience a glimpse of the remnants of it’s recent history as a domestic asylum and a library store. Capturing strong traces of it’s former use as an institution, the installation prompts a recognition of the significance of this past for the present, including the role of the gallery as a potential catalyst for communicating alternative perspectives; for making the ‘private’ public.

In works entitled Neither Here Nor There and Sketches for Faraway Places O’Gorman explores another tangent where re-enactments and places (both physical and psychological) are imagined, described or reinterpreted. Drawing from historical documentation and account, the installation references local historian Edward J. Law’s research on William Grace – a 19th century character whose fate was connected with Evans Home. Using stereoscopic and double imagery of seascapes from varying perspectives, the work speculates upon duality, displacement and upon the simultaneous desire to be – or imposition of being – somewhere else.

Bridget O’Gorman graduated with a BA in Fine Art Painting from the Crawford College of Art in 2003. In 2008, she completed an MFA between the Department of Applied Art and The School of Sculpture at Edinburgh College of Art in Scotland. Her work has been supported through awards from The Crafts Council of Ireland, The Arts Council of Ireland, the Worshipful Company of Glass Sellers London, the Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, The Bank of Ireland and Kilkenny County Council’s Arts Office. O’Gorman was the recipient of the 2010 Emerging Visual Artist Award from the Wexford Arts Centre where she also had a solo exhibition. Selected group exhibitions include Claremorris Open 2011 curated by Chris Hammond and ‘Re-set’ selected by Emma-Lucy O’Brien at VISUAL Centre for Contemporary Art, Carlow.

The artist would like to acknowledge the Cork Film Centre, the Artist-In-Residence programme at the National Sculpture Factory supported by Cork Arts Support Team, and the assistance of Fire Station Artists’ Studios through their Digital Media Award Sept-Dec 2012.

With grateful thanks to The Arts Council for essential annual funding and to the OPW, FÁS, The Heritage Council, and the Kilkenny Local Authorities for additional assistance.

[1] Of Other Spaces, Michel Foucault; Jay Miskowiec Diacritics, Vol. 16, No. 1. (Spring, 1986), pp. 22-27. French theorist Foucault on ‘the ever-accumulating past’ and what he coined as heterotopias (eg. museums, ships, mirrors etc)

www.bridgetogorman.com

Meet the Artist, Wednesday 1st May at 1pm

Helena Gorey

Helena Gorey grew up in rural Kilkenny, where her ancestral roots are hundreds of years old. The Orchard continues Gorey’s ongoing concern with place. This exhibition looks at the restoration of an orchard planted in Kilkenny by her grandfather in the 1930s.

Using various media, Gorey focuses on the myriad colours and wild plants that prevail throughout this orchard. This results in a selection of works on paper, black and white photographs printed on matt paper, paintings and a video work. Gorey’s approach to painting is intuitive and systematic, working and reworking her paintings to reveal her love of landscape and her sensitivity to colour in a minimal abstract language. This practice permeates her handling of all her chosen materials.

Gorey’s reclaimation and investigation of the family’s orchard focuses more on the smallness of the orchard’s plants and blossoms rather than the magnitude of the apple tree. Primrose and hogweed proliferate rather than weighty branches. Likewise the video beautifully reveals the shadows of the leaves of a hazel tree reflected on a white painting, fading in and out throughout the course of a day, a living manifestation of Gorey’s gouache on paper works.

Helena Gorey was born in Kilkenny in 1961. She studied Fine Art at Limerick School of Art and Design. She has exhibited extensively in Ireland and her work is represented in many private and public collections including The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Office of Public Works, the Arts Council, the Contemporary Irish Art Society, and the National Self Portrait Collection.

With grateful thanks to The Arts Council for essential annual funding and to the OPW, FÁS, The Heritage Council and the Kilkenny Local Authorities for additional assistance.

www.helenagorey.com

This exhibition was been curated by the Butler Gallery Adult Critics and Red Square Critics’ Group.

From the foundation of a modest collection of nineteenth century watercolours, donated to the Kilkenny Art Gallery Society by George Pennefather in 1943, the Butler Gallery permanent collection has since continued to flourish through gift, loan and purchase. The Butler Gallery has an on-going commitment to keep this diverse collection fluid, exhibited and enjoyed by the public. The collection will soon have its own home in a dedicated wing of the new location of the Butler Gallery at Evans Home, opening this extraordinary resource in a more permanent way to the people of Kilkenny and its visitors.

In the spirit of the enthusiasm with which this collection began, at the hands of the people of Kilkenny, the Gallery has invited two groups formed within its Education Programme to delve into this rich resource making their selection to shape the first exhibition of 2013, a year which also marks the 70th Anniversary of the Butler Gallery. Red Square has been active since 2010, inviting 15-19 year olds to explore and critique the arts in Kilkenny. The Butler Gallery Adult Critics first came together during the Bealtaine Festival in May 2012, because of a shared interest in learning more about contemporary visual art. The group met regularly during the summer months, first collaborating with the Red Square Young Critics during the Kilkenny Arts Festival.

In considering their approach to this exhibition, which opens on the cusp of 2013, the group sought to recognise the simultaneous existence of hope at a time when darkness can surround us, both literally and metaphorically, seeking out work that was at once fragile, yet full of strength. This selection features works that have become beloved favourites of the people of Kilkenny, as well as work newly acquired by the Gallery in 2010 and 2012.  Through their selection, the group wished to reflect the broad character of the collection, embracing a variety of genres and artists such as Mainie Jellet, Patrick Scott, Michael Farrell, Tony O’Malley, Aideen Barry and James Turrell.

This exhibition marks the groups’ first foray into the curatorial process, working together with curatorial mentor Maeve Mulrennan (Galway Arts Centre) and supported by Butler Gallery Education Curator Bairbre-Ann Harkin and Director Anna O’Sullivan.

Events:

Thurs. 31st Jan 11am | Butler Gallery, Kilkenny Castle
Tour, Talk and Tea: A Legacy of Strength
A conversation, exploring the legacy of the trailblazing women artists featured in the exhibition.

Sat. 16th Feb 11am
Mayor’s Walk: The Butler Gallery Collection
Mayor Sean O’hArgain hosted a guided walk, with members of this Butler Gallery curatorial team, visiting work from the Butler Gallery Collection currently on loan to public buildings and businesses around Kilkenny City and finishing with a visit to Gems from the Butler Gallery Collection: Echoes from the Past and Whispers of the Future at the Butler Gallery.

Thurs. 21st Feb 7pm | The Heritage Council
When Art Gets Political…
Taking Michael Farrell’s work Presse Irelandaise  as a point of departure, Maeve Mulrennan (Head of Visual Arts, Galway Arts Centre) discussed other Irish artists making art about political issues, including Shane Cullen and artists represented in the Butler Gallery Collection such as Robert Ballagh and Brian Maguire.

The Butler Gallery wishes to thank our fledgling curators from this intergenerational group; Patricia Brennan, Gerard Brophy, Liam Merrins, Cara O’Doherty, Mary O’Hanrahan, Michael O’Hanrahan and Mary Whitty.

With grateful thanks to the funders of the project; the Arts Council Young Ensemble Scheme, Kilkenny County Council and the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Programme 2007 – 13.

For more information contact Butler Gallery Education Curator Bairbre-Ann Harkin at +353 567761106 or bairbre.ann@butlergallery.com

The Commissioner/Curator for Venice 2013 is Anna O’Sullivan, Director of the Butler Gallery in Kilkenny, who has selected artist, Richard Mosse, to present a highly ambitious eight-channel multimedia installation on the subject of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Orlaith McBride, Director of the Arts Council said: “Once again we are proud to be supporting Ireland’s representation at the Venice Biennale 2013. We believe that this artist and commissioner/curator will deliver a world class presentation and ensure that Ireland’s representation will be at the forefront of international visual arts practice. We wish the team the very best with their preparations”.

Christine Sisk, CEO of Culture Ireland said: “The Venice Biennale remains the foremost showcase for visual arts in the world. It was wonderful to see the strong response to the open selection call, which reflects the range and level of experience in the visual arts sector in Ireland”.

Commenting on the selection, Ms. O’Sullivan explained: “Richard is an outstanding choice to represent Ireland at the Venice Biennale 2013.He has already gained international recognition, especially for his ongoing work, Infra. At Venice, Richard will push this work into a strong, immersive multimedia environment. I am thrilled for Richard, who I know will rise to the challenge of this important opportunity, and will create an extremely original installation that will represent Ireland powerfully on the international stage”.

Culture Ireland, in partnership with the Arts Council, is committed to Ireland’s participation in the Venice Biennale and to increasing opportunities and profile for Irish artists abroad.

Bealtaine at Butler Gallery and Beyond.

Get inspired during Bealtaine at the Butler Gallery, with a series of specially programmed events celebrating creativity as we age throughout the month of May. Open to all, Bealtaine at Butler Gallery will include talks, screenings and workshops to get your creative juices flowing.

View the full program of events here.

All events are free of charge.

To find out more about any of these events, or to book your place or email bairbre.ann@butlergallery.com or phone 056 7761106.

June 15 to July 28, 2013

MAGNHILD OPDØL

Norwegian artist Magnhild Opdøl explores the ‘poetics of the dead’ in her work through highly detailed drawings, sculpture and installation. Opdøl presents a new body of work that includes found objects, photography and video. Her working method refers to still life and Renaissance drawing, and traditional techniques within sculpture and conservation of animals.

August 10 to October 6, 2013
FESTIVAL SHOW

October 19 to December 22, 2013
TONY O’MALLEY: Self Portraits (Centenary Exhibition)

March 8 – April 20, 2014
STEPHEN McKENNA: Works on Paper

Re:Collecting took place on Saturday 10th November. This historic site is the future home of the Butler Gallery, Re:Collecting recorded a moment of pause and reflection, between past and future inhabitation, following a period of collaboration between Butler Gallery and Commonage.

During this time, architectural researcher Lisa Cassidy, artist Gypsy Ray and geographers Gerry Kearns and Karen Till explored Evans’ Home, through the lens of their individual areas of expertise.  Gypsy Rays photographs can be seen here.

Geographer Gerry Kearns led the first event of the day, a guided walk examining the locations and particularities of seats of power in relation to Evans’ Home and to the wider city of Kilkenny. The cold, crisp day provided perfect conditions for this informative and engaging event, during which participants were transported through the ages with stories of gruesome struggles for power and fascinating insights into Kilkenny’s military, religious and political history.

After a couple of hours to warm up, Re:Collecting continued at 7pm in St John’s Priory, with an evening of conversations and presentations from all four researchers on their findings on the social, cultural and architectural heritage of Evans’ Home. Many audience members also shared their memories and stories of Evans’ Home.

A photostream of the days events can be seen here.

Re:Collecting also served as a launch for a publication containing essays and reflections by the researchers and photographs by Gypsy Ray. A PDF of this publication can be downloaded here.

The event was filmed by Mycrofilms, with sound recording provided by Broderick’s Sound.

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The Butler Gallery would like to extend a warm thanks to all the many individuals, organisations and Kilkenny Borough and County Council departments who have shared their time, knowledge, enthusiasm and expertise in developing this project.

Re:Collecting is an iteration of The Interim Project. The Butler Gallery wishes to acknowledge the financial assistance provided under the Built Heritage element of the Environment Fund by the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht and the European Regional Development Fund through the Ireland Wales Programme 2007 – 2013.

Lorraine Neeson

Day for Night, also known as Nuit Américaine or American Night, is the name given to cinematographic techniques used to simulate night scenes while shooting in daylight. Filters and methods of underexposure are applied to footage shot in bright sunlight conditions, to create the illusion of darkness or moonlight.

Lorraine Neeson’s exhibition engages thematically with the reversal and inversion of light and darkness implied by this technique.  A similar sense of inversion pervades in the modern day phantasmagoria that Neeson has created in the Butler Gallery. Working with light, sound, video installation and architectural intervention, Neeson’s environments disrupt and disorient a conventional sense of spatial and temporal logic. The space is transformed into an environment of ambiguity in which illusion and reality are interwoven by means of reflection, shifting shadows, projected light and disembodied sound.

A fundamental theme in Neeson’s work is the simultaneous representation of conflicting states of revelation and obliteration.  An air of uncertainty prevails as darkness is brought to light, implied thresholds and portals both entice and impede, and the function of light is subverted as it simultaneously illuminates, obliterates, entices and entraps or hovers on the threshold of visibility and invisibility.

Neeson’s exploration points to ideas surrounding presence and haunting in contemporary electronic media and to the role optical technologies played in figuring the invisible and the impalpable, pointing to realms beyond the optically perceptible and, in doing so, instigating a mistrust of vision or scepticism relating to visual perception and the reliability of sight.

Lorraine Neeson received an MFA at The Slade School of Fine Arts in 2005 and a BFA at the Crawford College of Art and Design in 2002. Neeson has exhibited widely in Ireland and the UK and has received many awards. Most recently she was the recipient of a Visual Arts Bursary Award from Kerry County Council. In 2013, her work will be featured in Monster Truck and Cross Gallery, Dublin.

With grateful thanks to The Arts Council for essential annual funding and to the OPW, FÁS, The Heritage Council, Kilkenny Local Authorities, Cork Film Centre and Kerry County Council for additional assistance.

27 October  – 16 December, 2012

Lorraine Neeson works primarily with lens based media, light, sound, video installation and architectural intervention to create phantasmagoric environments that disrupt and disorient a conventional sense of spatial and temporal logic. Underpinning her practice is the exploration of themes of light and darkness, visibility and invisibility and the manipulation of hidden and undisclosed information. Neeson will transform the Butler Gallery into a modern day phantasmagoria by means of reflections, shifting shadows, dematerialising objects and disembodied sound. While trickery and devices are used to create this experience, the means of production are always present and visible within the space.

Meet the Artist, 1pm,  Monday, 19 November, for an informal walk through of her exhibition.