Dear Member,
We are delighted to bring you our second exhibition of 2026 and invite submissions for the Artwall at The Leitrim Design House.
The Exhibition Theme: Essence of Nature
We invite artists to create a piece which reflects a unique interpretation of nature’s quiet power, from delicate studies of flora and fauna, to bold, abstract evocations of landscape and light.
Artists are encouraged to present works that reflect their unique perspective on the Essence of Nature through visual, conceptual or abstract forms. This open call welcomes all artistic styles and interpretations.
The DEADLINES ARE:
Application submissions by Friday 10th July 2026
Artwork to be received at the drop-off point by Tuesday 11th August 2026
Details:
Our exhibition will be displayed on the ArtWall at the beautiful Leitrim Design House gallery in Carrick-on-Shannon from Wednesday 26th August to Saturday 3rd October 2026.
The gallery is open from 10am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 5pm on Saturday
To ensure uniformity on the Artwall we have pre-purchased frames, together with the required D-rings, for your artwork which are available to purchase HERE
The Artwall is able to accommodate 45 frames in total. If we have more than 45 entries we will move to a juried selection process.
All artwork must be for sale
Opening
The exhibition will officially launch on Saturday, 29th August at MIDDAY
Rules of submission – Please read!
- You must be a 2026 paid-up member of Feltmakers Ireland.
- There is no entry fee.
- Only one piece will be considered.
- Your submission must be two dimensional and may be wet or needle felted or both.
- To ensure uniformity on the Artwall the frames and D-rings have been pre-purchased and may be ordered HERE
- The submission deadline is Friday 10th July 2026
- Pieces need to be framed (with approved frames) and ready to hang with 2 x D-ring hooks on the back (placed 7cm below the top of the frame) and should be delivered to exhibition coordinator Karen Bowden at Boleythomas House, Boleythomas, Creggs, F42 XE10 by Tuesday, 11th August 2026.
- Pieces are considered sold once payment is received in full. All payments and shipping will be handled by The Leitrim Design House.
- The Leitrim Design House will take a 40% commission off the price of the work sold. For example if your piece is €100 you will receive €60. You may want to consider this when setting your sale price
- For the artist to receive payment for the sold work, we will need your bank details for an electronic bank transfer. Please include them on the submission form.
- The show is non-juried, but the Committee reserves the right to refuse artworks.
- Artwork must stay in the gallery until the end of the exhibition on Saturday 3rd October 2026
Terms and Conditions – Please read!
1) ARTWORK: The work must be original and predominantly made using feltmaking; all handmade felting techniques are accepted. Other textile techniques (as well as non-textile media) may be included, though handmade felting techniques must be the principal ones.
Work must be two dimensional ‘fine art’ and in an approved frame. As felting is not completely flat we will accept work that is slightly raised but does not protrude from the frame. Please note, use of the mount and plexiglass included with the frame is optional.
2) DATE OF CREATION & PREVIOUS EXHIBITION LIMITATIONS:
- The work must have been personally handmade AFTER the 1st of January 2025.
- It should not have previously been shown in any exhibition (with the exception of our Phoenix Park and European Wool Day Exhibitions
Work done during courses or under teachers’ guidance is NOT allowed
3) PHOTOS: Submission photos must be in JPEG FORMAT, 300 dpi, at least 2000 pixels by 2000 pixels, and photographed against a plain white background. (No need to go larger than 3000 pixels, tho’)
Image filenames should include the artist’s name and the work’s title.
A hypothetical example: JANE_DOE_INSPIRED-BY-LAKES and JANE_DOE-artist-portrait
- Submit ONE photo of the piece.
- Submit ONE photo of the artist.
There is an option to include a second photograph of the artwork – ideally, another angle or a close-up of the piece. Please also label the file with your name and the additional information of ‘closeup’ or ‘detail’
Images are to be uploaded via the form below. (No hard copies or memory sticks).
There are TWO excellent blog posts about photographing artwork by guild members.
- Ramona Farrelly has written about photographing work with your iPhone, editing photos with free software, and renaming your files for exhibition applications – HERE.
- Karen Bowden has written step-by-step instructions for photographing with an iPhone and shares some helpful tools –HERE.
4) ARTWORK DELIVERY: Provide your actual piece for the exhibition on or before Tuesday, the 11th August 2026. You may drop-off or post (we recommend using tracked mail) to Karen Bowden, Boleythomas House, Boleythomas, Creggs, F42 XE10.
If you mail your piece, you are responsible for the return postage if your piece is not sold. Please include a self-addressed envelope with pre-paid postage. Note: From an earlier exhibition shipping experience, we do NOT recommend using UPS.
5) DISPLAYING: Entries must be ready to hang with 2 x D-rings on the back of the frame (D-rings are supplied with the approved frames)
6) PICKUP: Artists accept responsibility for getting pieces to the Exhibition Coordinator on time and collecting them promptly after the exhibition. Feltmakers Ireland will permit pick-up from the gallery at the show’s end on Saturday 3rd October 2026 at 6:00 PM. Please do not ask to remove your piece before this time.
Selected artwork must stay in the gallery until the end of the exhibition. The Leitrim Design House will ensure sold works are shipped to the buyer. Unsold artwork should be picked up by the artist or their representative.
IF the customer or artist is unable to pick up on the Closing Day, then arrangements need to be made with the Exhibition Coordinator – feltmakersirelandwest@gmail.com
Please ensure you provide return postage or are able to collect your piece at the end of the exhibition. Feltmakers Ireland REALLY want to avoid being responsible for long-term storage. Please note: If you do not include return postage, the Guild will need to be reimbursed.
7) IMAGES: Feltmakers Ireland and The Leitrim Design House will assume permission to use submitted photos to advertise the Exhibition unless you inform us in writing that you withhold your consent.
9) INSURANCE: The work display will be covered by The Leitrim Design House during the exhibition. However, we recommend that members insure items with significant value whilst in transit.
SUBMISSION FORM FOR THE ESSENCE OF NATURE EXHIBITION
THANK YOU FOR READING THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT, and also thank you for being part of the exhibition!
Again, any questions or concerns? Please email feltmakersirelandwest@gmail.com
Useful Information:
Mind Mapping the Theme
Our first Sunday Session of 2026 was on the 11th of January, where Dee Crofts led us in Mind Mapping around the theme of ‘Water & Flow’. HERE is a recap with video of this part of the session.
In 2024, Breda Fay led in Mind Mapping on the theme of ‘Opposites Attract.’ HERE is a recap of that session. Both of these may help you to get your creative juices flowing!