Bending Glass
2022-03-03 12:00 - 2022-03-06 18:00 (Europe/London) | Flax Art Studios, Havelock House, Ormeau Road, Belfast, BT7 1EB, United Kingdom
Initiated and organised by artist Johanna Leech with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive (DFA) in partnership with Flax Art Studios, Bending Glass tells the story of master glass bender and neon sign maker Adrian McNevison of AM Light. This exhibition illuminates the former UTV studios with artworks made from light and archive footage from the UTV vaults.
Courtesy of the UTV Archive, this is illustrated throughout with footage of local television programming which was made visually distinctive by neons supplied by McNevison. Presented alongside the screenings and stills are contemporary neon artworks produced by AM Light for Michael Hanna, Stuart Calvin and Johanna Leech, self-made neons by Kevin Killen, lightboxes by Susan Hughes, a written guide by Paula Blair, and a video interview with McNevison and his son Chris.

Please note the exact opening hours below:
Thursday, 3rd of March: 4pm – 9pm (Opening night, Late Night Art)
Friday, 4th of March: 12 – 6pm
Saturday, 5th of March: 12 – 6pm
Sunday, 6th of March: 12 – 6pm

'Masks'
2022-03-24 11:00 - 2022-04-02 17:00 | Artcetera Studios, 43B Rosemary St, Belfast, BT1 1QB, United Kingdom
Organised by Kingsroad Studios and their first solo show, this exhibition is about a lot of things. Masks are worn to celebrate, to threaten, to protect. They are parts of rituals and ceremonies and have been used for centuries by people around the world.
Recently, they have been part of our daily vocabulary and attire. A mask can be invisible, worn to hide our feelings and mental health.
For this project, Kingsroad Studios decided to include a range of raw materials and techniques to represent the diversity of mask making: leather, bark, suede, beads, Jesmonite, resin and paint were used in the process. Each mask has been decorated and finished by hand, while the original forms that the moulds are made from were sculpted individually using papier mâché amongst other things.
The Opening Night is on Thursday, 24th March between 6pm and 9pm. This is a free event, everyone welcome. The exhibition will run until Friday 1st April.
Opening times: Mon-Fri, 11am-5pm and Sat 12-4pm.

ABLE 30th Anniversary Exhibition of Bobbin Lace
2022-03-29 10:00 - 2022-04-10 16:30 | North Down Museum, Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor, BT20 4BT, United Kingdom
Ards Bobbin Lace Enthusiasts (ABLE) was formed in 1991 by Unagh McCullough, the current WI Homecraft assessor, to promote bobbin lacemaking, which is a heritage craft both in Ireland and worldwide.
ABLE has staged every quinquennial exhibition of their handmade lace items, from all skill levels, at the North Down Museum in Bangor.
Now celebrating its 30th Anniversary, members worked on individual Torchon lace squares, designed by Unagh, to create a handmade tablecloth which will be raffled during the exhibition – all monies raised going to a local cancer research charity.
Exhibition admission is free.
Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-4pm
Sunday 12 noon-4pm

'Land and Lore' Exhibition
2022-05-05 10:00 - 2022-05-28 16:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
In the exhibition, textile artist Ruth Osborne brings together visual explorations of the relationship between woodland landscapes, folklore, and a range of creative processes that rely on the use of organic material. The union of process, material and history/heritage have shaped, and continue to shape, understanding and responses to the natural world.
In recent years there has been renewed interest in the protection and re-establishment of woodland on the Island of Ireland, which was once (many hundreds of years ago ) a more densely wooded island than today. Initiatives in replanting and rewilding have focused on native broadleaf species to try and rebuilt the woodlands that would have once been characteristic of this area. Mapping and research has also been undertaken to create an overview of the existing areas of ancient and long-standing woodland so that these can be protected and monitored. These recent developments in woodland conservation, coupled with an increasing understanding of the benefits of spending time in nature on our wellbeing, has seen a renewed interest in our relationship and our historic connection to woodlands. In this sense Land and Lore touches upon and prompts the viewer to consider these current issues and our contemporary relationship to woodlands.
The exhibition is comprised of a range of works, including installation textile hangings, framed works and artists books. Works will be created using nature printing processes on Irish Linen, willow and paper. The processes of using plant material for mark making and colour are historical historical ones, which have been used for centuries by artists, botanists, scientists and storytellers to document and interpret the natural world. Using historical processes in a contemporary way Land and Lore both taps into the history of these process but aligns them with contemporary concerns. All the Artworks have been made using foliage native to the island of Ireland that is imbued with symbolism and lore, which is provided for the viewer to support interpretation.

'Peter Meanley: New Works'
2022-05-05 10:00 - 2022-06-11 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI are delighted to announce their upcoming exhibition ‘Peter Meanley: New Works’. This solo show will feature new works by renowned salt glaze potter Peter Meanley, which he has developed over the last three years.
Peter Meanley has won international acclaim for his abstract spouted pouring vessels and his mastery of the salt glazing technique. Formerly Head of Ceramics at the University of Ulster in Belfast, Peter has been awarded a PhD for researching salt glazing in 1999 – a process which involves throwing salt into a kiln, whilst it is fired at high temperature, resulting in a characteristic ‘orange-peel’ pitted surface.
Peter’s work initially consisted of strikingly engineered teapots and other functional forms. In time, his focus and never tiring curiosity for the world around him and its possibilities led him to make new forms that can ‘contain liquid’ and can be used to pour from. His fascination with these new forms and his continuous exploration of the salt-fired process yielded the compelling spouted pouring vessels which form the core of this exhibition.
Puzzle Jugs
Apart from his spouted pouring vessels, the exhibition will show Peter’s puzzle jugs. A technically complex piece, the puzzle jug has a perforated collar, making it impossible to pour from, unless the drinker knows there is a hole, or number of holes which they must cover with their fingers, to allow the liquid to flow without spilling. The puzzle jugs were Peter’s lockdown project which he found inspiration for in the early medieval puzzle jugs which served not so much as a drinking tool but as a drinking game (a well-known example of this puzzle jugs is the Exeter Jug, which dates back to 1300 AD). A keen collector of Medieval ceramics and other beautiful objects, Peter waited almost 50 years for this idea to materialize: a broken jug he acquired in 1969 was the exact piece that inspired him to start this project in 2019. The resulting puzzle jugs, with their intricate spouts, double walls and multiple holes pique the curiosity of the viewer, whilst their engraved Latin quotes or tongue-in-cheek dares make a great conversation starter.
Peter’s enthusiasm for the world around him is infectious; his ideas continue ‘to stare him in the face’. Impressions, whether they’re an artifact in the National Museum of Crete, a lily flower, a broken jug from his private collection, a handsaw, a French antique dealer he meets abroad – they all spark ideas and put in motion a fascinating chain of processes: drawing, experimenting, changing positions, sculpting, throwing at the wheel. Seeing the world materialize through Peter Meanley’s eyes is a privilege which challenges one’s perception of ceramics.
The following events are scheduled throughout the exhibition:

TALKS PROGRAMME
Exhibition opening night and Peter Meanley talk
Venue: Craft NI Gallery
Date: 5 May at 6pm
For the opening night of the exhibition, Peter will give a talk on Puzzle jugs and his spouted pouring vessels. Craft NI Gallery will be open until 8pm, part of Late Night Art.
The opening event is kindly sponsored by Boundary Brewery, Belfast.

Technical Talk: Salt Glazing with Peter Meanley
Venue: Craft NI Gallery
Date: 21st May at 12pm
Peter Meanley will share his technical knowledge of the salt glazing process. This talk will appeal to college students who may want to learn about this technique, but also to ceramicists who wish to pursue salt as their particular process. Peter is one of the very few ceramicists on the island of Ireland who specialise in salt glazing, with almost 40 years of experience.

Peter Meanley: Reflections
Venue: Ulster Museum, Lecture Theatre
Date: 26th May at 2pm
Throughout this talk, Peter will reflect on 50 years as a maker and why he turned to salt glazing. Peter will bring in sketch books and things dear to him to explain what has triggered the various changes to his style technique and philosophy, as he will unveil lots of items in wood, metal, paper and of course fired clay to exemplify. This talk will appeal to collectors and curators in particular, but also to a wider craft audience who takes an interest in ceramics and salt glazing.

R-Space Gallery, Spring Fling Art and Craft exhibition
2022-05-14 11:00 - 2022-05-25 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
The Spring Fling Art and Craft exhibition and sale takes place from the 14th-28th May, 11am-5pm at the R-Space Gallery. Featuring:
Sarah McWilliams is a multidiscipline practitioner whose work ranges from assemblage to painting.. She has a background in lens based media and uses digital foundations to develop painting compositions.
Janet Hackney the span of Janet Hackney’s career in art and textiles reflects her artwork itself – strands of textiles, embroidery, modern digital technology, heritage and colour all coming together to create a unique and memorable range of pieces.
Zara Lyness graduated with a BA in Fine Art and is not a potter, but often includes ceramic work in an interdisciplinary practice. The craft elements in some of the work she makes her reflect the rural scenery close to her home.
Robert Martin has an extensive career in the creative sector spanning roles from artist, educator, curator to director. Starting his professional artistic career in 1975 as a glass maker, his path has taken him through many roles in different countries, creating a world wide network of contacts.
Please note the gallery is only open Tuesday-Saturday.

Light in the Trees Exhibition
2022-06-25 10:30 - 13:00 | Magy’s Farm, 59 Dechomet Road, Dromara, Co Down, BT25 2HQ, United Kingdom
As part of the Festival of Women’s Writing, three local designers and makers have been invited to exhibit their hand made works inspired by nature on 25th June at Mary’s Farm, a music venue in the Dromara Hills.

The visual showcase, called Earth, Sea and Sky, will feature pieces of ceramicist Annita McKee, silversmith Lou Gillett and textile artist Rachel Fitzpatrick, all of who’s work has been inspired by nature.

Annita McKee utilises the sea’s impartiality as a way to find freedom and explore her ideas to articulate psychological scenarios and navigate memories. The sea is part of her artistic process and is where she often photographs her porcelain sculptures either on the shoreline or underwater. Lou Gillett background in architecture as well as the environment in which she lives in is a key influence on her jewellery designs. From clean sharp lines through to organic forms she is influenced by both the man-made built environment through to rural landscapes and work can vary from mirror finish to highly texturised pieces. Her work is often concept driven. Rachel Fitzpatrick uses industrial textiles and materials creating sculptures inspired by the rhythms of the land and sky to create pieces which are at the interface of art and design.

The Earth, Sea and Sky showcase will run alongside the Festival of Women’s Writing event hosted by Maggie Doyle, author of ‘Mountain Notes, A Nature Diary’ and writers will discuss their work inspired by the natural world and local landscapes. The event will include readings by poet and teacher Anne McMaster, ‘Walking off the Land’, and author, journalist and teacher Rosie Schapp who is currently writing about the coastal village of Glenarm, together with an open mic session for writers who would like to share their writing inspired by the natural world.

If you’d like to attend this event or book an open-mic slot to read your work, please email magysfarm@gmail.com.

'Wool Works'
2022-07-07 18:00 - 2022-08-05 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
CRAFT NI are delighted to welcome you to their upcoming event – ‘Wool Works’, an exhibition of contemporary textile design.
Co. Down textile expert professor Jane McCann is behind this innovative exhibition bringing together Welsh, Finnish and Northern Irish textile artists, who have been working together since 2001.
The artists found they shared so many values: high quality craft, ethics, sustainability and ecology. Following a successful research trip to Finland in 2018, the idea for a joint exhibition was born. The newly established connections helped develop new ideas and friendships, compare working methods and cultures and ultimately create the new exciting work seen here.
Traditional made Modern
The theme of the exhibition is wool and the way traditional motifs and techniques can be reinterpreted in a contemporary setting, embracing links between the cultural heritages of Wales, Ireland and Finland. The exhibits include unique hand-woven tapestries, woollen blankets, framed textile art, one-of-a-kind accessories and garments such as Irish style workwear jackets or house coats (with some of these unique pieces available for sale), and highlight techniques such as felting, free stitching, digital embroidery, knitting, hand weaving and plant dying.
Participating makers have used sustainable materials such as Cambrian and Finnish wool, indigo dyed Merino wool, Irish bainin tweed and Donegal yarns in the works. Professor McCann is passionate about the potential of wool and an advocate of its increasing use in the textile industry. She believes that this unique material deserves to be celebrated and highlighted alongside linen and other sustainable textiles.
The exhibition will be supported by valuable workshops and demos led by the exhibiting artists which encourage participation from the public. Also, an exhibition highlight will be our Textile talk and brunch on July 30th with Chris Weiniger, general manager of Donegal Yarns woollen mill who will talk about Ireland’s rich wool heritage; as well as Finnish textile artist and weaver Niina Hiltunen who will talk about the importance of craft within communities and also do a weaving demonstration for the audience using a portable loom.

Exhibiting artists: Sue Shields, Mandy Nash, Lynda Shell, Elspeth Thomas, Alison Moger, Jane McCann, Sirpa Mörsky, Susan Smith, Claire Cawte, Alison Taylor; local collaborator: Cecilia Stephens.
The schedule for supporting talks and specialist craft workshops can be found on our ‘What’s On’ page under workshops/talks.

Irish Craft Heroes
2022-08-04 10:00 - 2022-11-07 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI are delighted to partner with the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland and Belfast International Arts Festival who have brought this unique exhibition, the Irish Craft Heroes outdoor panel trail, to Belfast Botanic Gardens, showing until November 7th. The outdoor exhibition will introduce you to some of the most influential makers on the island of Ireland, as nominated by the public and then selected as part of the 50th anniversary of the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland.
To accompany the outdoor trail, Craft NI is very pleased to be able to show this capsule exhibition of work from the Northern Ireland-based Heroes. We hope you’ll enjoy the opportunity to see their stunning work up close, a perfect complement to the outdoor exhibition in Botanic Gardens.
Makers: Seliena Coyle, Jack Doherty, Sara Flynn, Bob Johnston, Alison Lowry, Michael McCrory, Peter Meanley and Cara Murphy.

Adornment (Re-use and Re-imagine)
2022-08-06 11:00 - 2022-09-16 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
The ACJSNI Re-Use + Re-Imagine Adornment Project is a collaborative venture between artist / makers related to the linen heritage of R-Space Gallery. The project highlights the distinct characteristics of 3-Dimensional research in Silversmith, Jewellery and Textile Art practices. The three craft areas see frequent overlaps in scale, materials, and methods of construction which, when combined, create potential for dynamic statements that push beyond traditional boundaries.
The artists present work that has explored a cross-over of sensitivities towards the human experience of making, and developed their specialisms creating unexpected synergies and directions, in materials and narratives. The diversity of approaches has been documented throughout the project spanning June and July. The visuals, videos and recordings of processes will form part of the Exhibition supporting the finished pieces and providing contexts that enrich understanding.
Artist talks will take place in the gallery on 20th August and 3rd September.
ACJSNI will be running a Lace-making workshop with National & International award winning lace designer and maker Theresa Kelly in the gallery on 27th August.
Title: Carrickmacross Lace Workshop – 3D Carrickmacross Lace Flax Flower.

Please note: the exhibition is open Tuesday – Saturday.

August Craft Month Exhibition Showcase 2022
2022-08-11 19:00 - 2022-09-15 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Join us at the Craft NI Gallery to celebrate the August Craft Month Exhibition 2022.
This exhibition will feature some of the best in contemporary craft and aims to celebrate and profile the craft sector in Northern Ireland as part of August Craft Month.
We’re excited to announce that this exhibition will feature works from Andrea Spencer, Anne Butler, Gail Kelly, Jakki Trainor, Leanne McCormack, Michael Moore, Patricia Millar, Rory Shearer, Sarah Cathers, Scott Benefield, Shauna McCann, Stuart Cairns and Sue Cathcart.
Special guest curator Daniella Wells will also be in attendance at the Launch Evening on Thursday 11th August (7pm-9pm) where we will announce this year’s prize winners.
We are particularly grateful to the former Guild of Northern Ireland Designer Makers (The Guild) who have given us a legacy gift for the development and promotion of the craft sector in Northern Ireland and have enabled us to award maker prizes.
Many of the works on display will be available for sale – more information to follow.
Booking:
No booking required.

Beyond Edges
2022-09-08 - 2022-10-22 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
A group exhibition of paintings, glass artefacts, and sculptures crafted in wood and metal by Andrea Spencer, Nicola Nemec, and Sharon Adams.

An elegant and thought-provoking exhibition in which three woman artists investigate, interrogate and interpret their immediate locale and shared hinterland of open hills and dramatic coastlines in North Antrim.
All three artists respond to the physicality of the land, the impact of man’s intervention on its topography and the effects of changing atmospheric conditions, but they also evoke an essence of place with works that reflect their individual connection to landscape, one tempered by memory, emotional and personal experience, and the potential and constraints of their artistic practice.
Light permeates the work of all three artists – Adams employs it to ‘draw’ shadows from her coiled, sprung sculptures; Nemec’s paintings emulate the way light diffuses through the landscape creating ambiguous space and scale and Andrea Spencer exploits the qualities of light as it passes through her elegant glassworks of natural forms.
The collaboration was first exhibited at Roe Valley Arts Centre in 2021, and includes an accompanying text by Amanda Croft.

Launch 7pm-9pm Thursday 8th September at the Georgian Gallery, Ards Arts Centre.
The Exhibition will run from Thursday 8th September to Saturday 22nd October.

'Paper Magic' Exhibition
2022-09-22 18:00 - 2022-10-29 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI are delighted to welcome you to their upcoming exhibition, ‘Paper Magic’. The exhibition will focus on the medium of paper, one of the oldest and most familiar materials known to man, and its hidden potential of transformation. Through their artful mastery of skills such as cutting, pulping, folding, oiling and collaging, five talented makers will reveal the magical properties of paper in this new group show.
Paper has been with us from ancient times to the present, a constant companion recording our art, our ideas, our transactions and, sometimes, quietly changing the course of history itself. We take this flat, flimsy and ephemeral material for granted, yet it also has the power to be transformed.
The exhibition features papier mache sculptures, collages and large scale mixed media pieces, and highlights unique techniques such as Momigami – a Japanese paper kneading technique using oil which transforms paper into a fibrous material which can then be stitched.
Exhibiting makers: Sue Cathcart, Jayne Cherry, Susan McKeever, Adele Pound, Emma Whitehead.
The five participating artists share a common passion for paper but their creative output is as diverse as it is intriguing, a testament to how this fragile material can be used to bring ideas to life.

'Made in Ireland' Exhibition
2022-09-24 10:00 - 2023-01-21 17:00 | FE McWilliam Gallery, 200 Newry Road, Banbridge, BT32 3NB
The F.E. McWilliam Gallery and Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council are delighted to present Made In Ireland. A celebration of the wealth and vibrancy of Ireland’s studio crafts, the exhibition presents work by over 110 craftspeople from 27 counties, each creating beautiful, considered objects using skills honed over many years. Supported by Design & Crafts Council Ireland and managed by the creative team of Hilary Morley, Stephen O’Connell and Mary Gallagher, Made In Ireland comes to the F.E. McWilliam Gallery after successful runs at the National Design & Craft Gallery in Kilkenny and Farmleigh Gallery, Dublin.
Ireland’s makers, working in and across different sectors, are creating innovative work of high quality. Makers work in local and carefully sourced materials, across all regions of our island. Some are household names, some work away quietly perfecting their skill and promoting their work locally and regionally. The Irish public has shown itself to have a lively interest in craft, however, they are largely unaware of the diverse range and quality of work being produced in the country by skilled makers.
Selected after an open call, Made In Ireland showcases the skill of potters, glassmakers, textile artists, woodturners, basket makers, gold and silversmiths, metalsmiths and furniture makers. Exhibitors include makers of international renown as well as young, emerging artists and those who have practised quietly in areas of the country such as Clare Island, West Cork and the North Antrim Coast. Some are members of Design & Crafts Council Ireland’s Portfolio Critical Selection, while others are makers who practise away from the spotlight and national attention.
At a time when many people are showing a considerable preference and appreciation for goods that are Irish made, we can think of no better time to create a colourful, inclusive exhibition that shows the very best of what is Made In Ireland.

Big Bauble Christmas Showcase
2022-11-03 18:00 - 2022-12-24 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
The Big Bauble Showcase, Craft NI Gallery’s festive event of the season, will launch Thursday, November 3rd during Late Night Art, and run until end of December. Every year the gallery carefully selects handcrafted unique baubles from contemporary Northern Irish makers, in varied mediums such as ceramic, glass or textiles.

Make the opening night an excuse to get to know the work some of Northern Ireland’s finest contemporary designer-makers, while you join us for some seasonal refreshments and an exclusive 10% off all work for that night only!

Free admission.

Materials Messages Meanings #11 Sustainability Exhibition
2022-11-05 11:00 - 2022-12-05 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
Materials, Messages and Meanings #11 ‘Sustainability’ Exhibition runs from 5 November – 2 December 2022 at R-Space Gallery
Three Irish artists have been selected from an open call as part of our Materials, Messages and Meaning series. Now in its eleventh year, these exhibitions explore artists’ different approaches to materials, methods of production and messages within their work.
This year we have selected artists who have responded to the theme ‘Sustainability.
Participating artists:
Jasper McKinney MBE
Judith Waring
Mollie Mia Murphy
R-Space Gallery is open to the public and Covid-19 restrictions apply.

'Collectibles and Curiosities' Exhibition
2022-11-10 18:00 - 2022-12-30 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI are delighted to welcome back the Association of Contemporary Jewellers and Silversmiths NI for another jewellery exhibition that promises to amaze the public in the run up to Christmas. The “Collectibles and Curiosities” exhibition opens at Craft NI Gallery on Thursday, November 10 and continues until December 30.

For this exhibition, ACJSNI has brought together 18 contemporary jewellers and silversmiths from all over the world. Each piece relates to the theme “Collectibles and Curiosities” representing a wide range of narratives and cultures. Their diverse approaches to the brief show not only technical precision and a dynamic use of materials, they also reflect their artistry as storytellers. Jewellery is a statement to both challenge and delight; Collectible & Curious!

Exhibitors include:

Alena Štukavcová Doležalová (Czech Republic), Ana Nadjar (Chile), Anne Earls Boylan (UK), Annie Ricketts (UK), Cameron & Breen (UK), Carmen López (Spain), Carol Bergocce (Brazil), Céline Traynor (Ireland), Cleopatra Cosulet (Romania), Clodagh Molloy (Ireland), Ebrahim Mohammadian Elird (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Eva Lynch (Ireland), Gerhard Herbst (Australia), Lynne Speake (UK), Mária Roskó (Hungary), Rosie Deegan (UK), Shannon McShane (Ireland), Taylor Fentz (US).

Join us for the opening night November between 6 and 8pm and learn more about the theme of the event: “Collectible and Curious”, two words that describe the history of our obsession with jewellery, precious materials and objects that tell stories about who we are and how we see ourselves.

'Regeneration' Spring Exhibition
2023-02-14 10:00 - 2023-03-26 16:00 | North Down Museum, Town Hall, The Castle, Bangor, BT20 4BT, United Kingdom
The ‘Regeneration’ Spring Exhibition will run until March 26th and it is organised by the North Down Craft Collective; visitors will be able to view (and purchase) beautiful ceramics, textiles, paper art and more by many well-known Northern Irish craft makers such as Adele Pound, Ruth Osborne, Debbie McCann, Patricia Millar, Mags Donnan, Hannah Dorman, Jane Neely, Jeni Robinson and Jude Fenton.

Land/Marks
2023-02-15 10:00 - 2023-05-20 17:30 | Castle Yard, Kilkenny, Ireland view map, Castle Yard, Kilkenny, Ireland
Ceramics Ireland is delighted to present Land/Marks the fourth in its triennial exhibition series. Continuing the ethos of celebrating the diverse range and breadth of contemporary ceramic work being created my makers of and from Ireland. Land/Marks will feature works that explore and challenge the material clay, investigating its malleability and pushing its boundaries.
This will be evident through a variety of sculptural forms, functional vessels and installation-based works. The independent expert panel of three selected 42 makers for this edition of the triennial series, which will celebrate the craftsmanship and skills of these contemporary practitioners. The selected group includes Sara Flynn, Mark Campden and Isobel Egan, Antonio J. Lopez, Simon Kidd, Sarah Roseingrave.
Image: Kate O’Kelly – Cloud Vessels

Featured makers: Alison Brent, Frances Brosnan, Cathy Burke, Yasha Butler, Anne Butler, Mike Byrne, Tina Byrne, Mark Campden, Barra Cassidy, Sophie Kate Curran, Jack Doherty, Chloë Dowds, Isobel Egan, Áine Farrelly, Sara Flynn, Adam Frew, Niamh Harte, Jennifer Hickey, Jane Jermyn, Andrea Kavanagh, Alison Kay, Simon Kidd, Michael Kobuladze, Nanette Ledwith, Antonio J. Lopez, Aisling McElwain, Christopher McHugh, Claire McLaughlin, Deirdre McLoughlin, Kathleen Moroney, Lucy Morrow, Kate O’Kelly, Liselott Olofsson, Mandy Parslow, Elizabeth Petcu, Elaine Riordan, Sarah Roseingrave, Alex Scott, Jane Seymour, Vicki Sutherland, Eleanor Swan, Grainne Watts.

'Paper Magic' Exhibition
2023-02-23 08:00 - 2023-03-25 17:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
This exhibition brings together various artists who are exploring the hidden potential of paper transformation.

Through cutting, pulping, folding, oiling and collaging, the magical properties of paper will be revealed…
Paper is one of our oldest and most familiar materials. It has been with us from ancient times to the present, a constant companion recording our art, our ideas, our transactions and, sometimes, quietly changing the course of history itself. We take this flat, flimsy and ephemeral material for granted, yet it also has the power to be transformed.
As the trials of the past two pandemic years continue to, hopefully, recede, these artists plan to celebrate by bringing colour, tall tales and a little enchantment.
Exhibiting Artists include:
Sue Cathcart, Adele Pound, Emma Whitehead, Jayne Cherry, Susan McKeever, Aimee Magee and Simon Hall.

Stitch Me Up For Life
2023-03-11 11:00 - 2023-04-07 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
Stitch Me Up For Life by Janet Hackney at the R-Space Gallery in Lisburn will be exhibited in four sections:
The first section will include early works from her fashion and textile art college days, glove designs, prototypes and five garments with accessories and supporting drawings.
The second section will be her textile landscape works in felt, batik, machine and hand embroidery, cross stitched works. The third section will celebrate the costume work that she does for the volunteers at Castle Ward, the eighteen century National Trust property.
This will include four ladies outfits, including Robe a La Francaise, The English gown with supporting shifts, corsets, petticoats, stomachers, hooped underskirts, pockets, bonnets matching shoes, a dressed wig, a maids outfit in linen, plus a gentleman’s outfit with embroidered waistcoat, breeches, jacket and linen shirt.
For the fourth section Janet will spend a five day period of residency in the gallery where she set up her sewing machines and will hold a series of daily workshops “Playing with thread” for community groups.
About The Artist
The span of Janet Hackney’s career in art and textiles reflects her artwork itself – strands of textiles, embroidery, modern digital technology, heritage and colour all coming together to create a unique and memorable range of pieces. She has taught art, needlework and textiles in schools in England, Malawi and Northern Ireland. An active member of the N.I. Embroidery Guild since 2000, she has exhibited with them throughout Northern Ireland. In 2017 at the invite of the New Zealand Embroiderers’ Guild she gave several talks and workshops on her textile work and techniques.

The gallery is open 11am-5pm from Tuesday to Saturday.

SEAMS
2023-04-01 12:00 - 2023-06-03 18:00 | CCA Derry-Londonderry, 10–12 Artillery St, Derry~Londonderry, BT48 6RG, United Kingdom
SEAMS, a solo exhibition by Laura Wilson comprises of three installations including a significant new body of work entitled Winding then Winding. Laura is interested in how everyday materials such as bricks, textile, wheat, salt and bread dough transmit historical and embodied knowledge between people over time and place. Laura develops research-led projects, working with specialists and experts to communicate relationships between materiality, memory and tacit knowledge, explored through sculpture, performance, drawings and video. This exhibition is a survey of Laura’s recent works connected by the body, learning, movement and labour.
On the first day of the exhibition (Saturday 1st April) from 1 to 3pm, artist Laura Wilson will begin weaving a piece of linen with her mother on the loom that forms part of her current exhibition, SEAMS. Laura’s ancestors on her mother’s side worked in factories in Portadown and Lisburn as weavers, warpers and yarn winders. Through this live weaving in the gallery space, Laura is interested in exploring ways information is passed on from one person to another and between generations, in particular how knowledge can be stored within the body.
Throughout the run of the exhibition weavers are invited to continue the weaving started by Laura and her mother, contributing to a collective weaving which will be removed on the last day of the exhibition. If you are a weaver and would like to contribute to the collective weaving please contact info@ccadld.org
Find out more here.

Important dates:
SEAMS launches on Friday 31 March 2023, from 7–9pm

The exhibition runs from the 1st April to the 3rd June.
Usual opening hours are Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 6pm.

Image credits:
Laura Wilson, Seams (detail), 2023
Image courtesy of the artist.

Re-Connected
2023-04-20 09:30 - 2023-05-20 16:30 | Island Arts Centre, The Island, Lisburn, BT27 4RL, United Kingdom
Re Connected is an exhibition exploring creativity and colour while living with acquired brain injury.

Rachel Fitzpatrick is a designer and maker working at the interfaces of art, design and social practice. Re-Connectedexplores the artist’s reconnection with creativity and colour after her recovery from a neurological disorder and learning to live with an acquired brain injury.

The exhibition, running April 20th – May 20th in the Island Arts Centre in Lisburn, spans two gallery spaces exploring visual elements of Rachel’s rediscovery of her creativity. Her work initially began with making but with an absence of confidence in colour. The pieces in gallery one explore this reconnection with colour through making, music and storytelling with some pieces taking inspiration from stories depicted in native folk songs.

Gallery two includes the installation Re-Framing, a collaboration between Rachel and participants from local charity Brain Injury Matters NI. Re-Framing charts a cyclical journey of change and transformation after acquired brain injury.

Over several months of workshops, Rachel and the participants worked to develop a way to create origami ‘brains’. The installation is created in an infinity loop of origami brains, representing a journey of re-framing life after acquired brain injury. Bright colours dominate the final piece, representing positive memories and experiences, with green and blue coloured paper suspended on linen thread representing the community formed by Brain Injury Matters.

This exhibition has been kindly supported through funding by the Arts Council NI through the National Lottery.

Preview event: Tuesday 25 April 2023, 2 – 4pm

Spring Collectors' Showcase
2023-05-22 10:00 - 2023-06-30 17:00 | Craft NI Gallery, 115 - 119 Royal Ave, Belfast, BT1 1FF, United Kingdom
Craft NI Gallery are delighted to launch our ‘Spring Collectors’ Showcase’, a unique exhibition of one-of-a-kind pieces made by some of the most established designer-makers in Northern Ireland. Following a visit from international collectors, the gallery’s current selection shines a light on new work from some of Northern Ireland’s best contemporary craft makers.
The exhibition will give the public a rare opportunity to view and acquire work from silversmith Cara Murphy, renowned for her beautifully enamelled silver bowls, woodturner Mark Hanvey as he unveils his new ‘Graft’ pieces, or new glass work by Andrea Spencer and Scott Benefield. New or award-winning designs by Patricia Millar, John McKeag, Peter Meanley, Alison Lowry, David Cousley, John Piekaar, Sarah Cathers, Michael Moore, Chris McHugh, Anna Smyth to name but a few make this event a perfect occasion to start (or add to) a cherished craft collection from local artists.
Jewellery gets a special spotlight: Egle Banyte shows her Wave brooch, inspired by North European aesthetics; forward-thinking Anne Earls Boylan delights with her new SLS colourful 3D print designs; and Celine Traynor takes us on a time travel journey with her ‘Golden Years’ piece, a kinetic pendant made up of 24 ever increasing rings that represent the 24 years that she lived in her house on Canal Street, Newry, before it was sold.
Craft NI Gallery are looking forward to welcoming you to this exceptional event and we encourage you to visit us to see the full selection. The works, spanning across different craft disciplines, varied mediums and concepts, will give the public a thorough understanding, and hopefully a new appreciation of the talent, craftsmanship and skill available in Northern Ireland.

Re:New Wallace #6 - Time Frame
2023-05-27 11:00 - 2023-06-30 17:00 | R-Space Gallery, 32 Castle Street, Lisburn, BT27 4XE, United Kingdom
Following the continued success of the Re:New Wallace Collection exhibitions since 2018, R-Space delivers the sixth in a series of collaborative cultural projects involving a Northern Irish artist/maker and the Wallace Collection in London with selected artist, Emma Whitehead. Inspired by the journey and time spent passing through the hands of of people over time, Emma explores the compulsion to measure time, distance, the seasons, the stars, and the need to make sense of the connections that intersect with our lives.
About the artist
Emma Whitehead is a self-taught, mixed-media visual artist specialising in innovative embroidery techniques using various materials. She re-discovered a passion for surface embroidery after exploring the possibilities of other mediums and has tested the limits of needle and thread for over 25 years. Based in County Down, she is co-director of the artist-led gallery Top Floor Art Gallery & Open Studios and runs the TFA Studio Group. In 2016 she completed the Lumen Residency in Italy, exploring the themes of light and astronomy. In 2018 she spent a week training with The British Horological Institute learning the mechanics of time and how to strip and rebuild a hunter watch piece. In 2019, she received the IDA Award from the University of Atypical for research & development of new ways of working adapted to disability. These opportunities have enabled her to delve into the themes of time, space, memory and personal history, which permeate her work.

Please note, the event is open to the public Tuesday to Saturday.

ForM Sculpture Exhibition
2023-06-01 10:00 - 2023-06-30 18:00 | Walled Garden Bangor Castle, Valentine Rd, Bangor, BT20 4BT
ForM Sculpture Exhibition takes place annually each June and is one of the highlights of Ards and North Down Borough Council’s annual Arts exhibition programme, giving visitors the unique opportunity to experience art in a different context, outside the traditional gallery setting.
The exhibition will showcase selected works from artists from across the island of Ireland who exhibit both nationally and internationally, and are inspired by the garden environment.
A visit to Bangor Castle Walled Garden is a real escape and the sculptures enhance this experience even further. Some of the works are of large scale and compliment the setting whilst other, more subtle, works will need to be sought out, adding a further dimension to this engaging exhibition.
Please note the opening times below:
Monday – Thursday: 10am – 8pm
Friday – Sunday and Bank Holidays: 10am – 6pm

'The Form is Emptiness'
2023-06-02 10:00 - 2023-07-01 16:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
The Sunburst Gallery at Ards Arts Centre will host a solo exhibition of ceramic sculpture by Fang Zhao. Her practice as a ceramicist seeks to communicate international ideals through sculpture and functional pottery. The organic form of mountain shapes, inspired by Chinese Mountain Paintings, serves as a metaphor with which to examine her personal life journey.

Fang’s work seeks to synthesise traditional and modern aesthetics in order to situate a conceptualisation of the relationship between culture and the natural world.
This exhibition will address the concept of ‘the form is emptiness’. -this could refer to a philosophy or verse, benevolent see benevolence; everyone will have their own explanation.

Merciful, Savage
2023-06-02 10:00 - 2023-07-01 16:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
The Georgian Gallery in Ards Arts Centre will host a joint exhibition by Karen Daye-Hutchinson and Enda Kenny starting June 2nd.

This ambitious exhibition, by Karen Daye-Hutchinson and Enda Kenny, explores the relationships between human and animal evolution, extinction and change; exploring the interaction of human beings and the natural world. Connecting with instincts and the comparisons with nature and habitat, this thought-provoking exhibition will also reveal a deeper message relating to wider life issues.
The artists collaborate with beautiful textures, hand-made papers and threads, repurposed and natural materials, as well as traditional copperplate etching, woodwork, leatherwork, bookbinding and weaving.
Reflecting on human life that is both Merciful and Savage.

Wonderful Wool!
2023-07-07 10:00 - 2023-07-27 15:00 | Larne Museum & Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Rd, Larne, BT40 1RN, United Kingdom
‘Woonderful Wool!’ is’ an exhibition of work by members of Region 14 of the International Feltmakers Association.

The exhibition shows the versatility of this wonderful natural product when it is subjected to the process of dry or wet felting. A variety of wools have been used in the various exhibits – combined in different ways with other materials such as silk, viscose and cotton. Visitors will see 3D objects, hangings, pictures and wearable pieces such as hats, scarves and coats.

All the exhibits have been created by members of Region 14 of the International Feltmakers Association. Its members come from across the island of Ireland and include feltmakers of international renown asa well as those just starting their creative journey.

Creative Peninsula Exhibition at Ards Arts Centre
2023-07-27 10:00 - 2023-08-24 16:00 | Ards Arts Centre, Town Hall, Conway Square, Newtownards, BT23 4NP, United Kingdom
Throughout August, Ards Arts Centre will play host to the main Creative Peninsula exhibition, featuring exclusive works by the finest Artists and Makers from the Ards and North Down Borough

This exhibition will feature unique pieces of art and craftwork in a variety of mediums, specially selected for display in Ards Arts Centre and created in our Borough. This exhibition is a celebration of the exclusivity and quality of the artwork produced by local artists and makers and a fantastic opportunity to purchase a beautiful piece of art.
Artworks are for sale, and many artists accept commission work too.
Be sure to pick up a Creative Peninsula programme for more information on other events and activities taking place during the festival.
