Screenshot of the animated NCAD Works 2026 Poster via Instagram
Over the past year, Feltmakers Ireland guild member Annika Berglund has been attending classes in Jewellery and Object Design at NCAD. She will be showing work alongside her classmates at the NCAD Graduate Show. Editor’s Note: Their work will be displayed at the Annex on James Street, near the Guinness Gate.
The textiles and fashion graduates will also be exhibiting their work on the main campus.
Plus, there will be a series of events, talks, and performances throughout the 12-day exhibition run. For more information on these, visit here – https://2026.ncad.works/events
‘Works’ opens on Friday, the 5th of June, with a reception from 17:00 and a second opening at 18:00.
You are all welcome if you can make it.
When: Friday, the 5th of June, through Saturday, the 13th of June.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
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Questions: For content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
The solo show ‘Living Felt: a Manifesto’ of feltmaker, milliner, and painter Saar Snoek features her explorations of 30 hats, sculptural works in felt, and her World of WearableArt (WOW) piece ‘Wild Things’. She creates her work using a variety of fascinating techniques – many of them felting!
“I made these to forget there is a โright wayโ to make felt. Everything you donโt know is experimental, everything you know technique” — Saar Snoek
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
Essence of Nature Open Call – Leitrim Design House ArtwollExample of part of the Artwall. Guild member Karena Ryan solos show in Janurary 2026.
We are delighted to invite Feltmakers Ireland members to apply for our second exhibition of 2026 and to submit a piece for theย ArtWallย at Theย Leitrim Design House, in Co Leitrim.
Theme: Essence of Nature
We invite members to create a piece which reflects a unique interpretation of natureโs 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 theย Essence of Natureย through visual, conceptual or abstract forms. This open call welcomes all artistic styles and interpretations.
Deadlines:
Application submissions byย Friday, 10th July 2026
Artwork to be received at the drop-off pointย byย Tuesday, 11th August 2026
ImportantDetails:
Our exhibition will be displayed on the ArtWall at the beautiful Leitrim Design House gallery in Carrick-on-Shannon fromย Wednesday, 26th August to Saturday, 3rd October 2026.
**To ensure uniformity on the Artwall, we have pre-purchased specific-sized frames, together with the required D-rings, for your artwork, which are available to purchaseย HERE **
The Artwall can accommodate 45 frames in total. If we have more than 45 entries, we will move to a juried selection process.
We have included a photograph from guild member Karena Ryan‘s earlier solo show at the gallery to illustrate the Artwall and its environs.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
The members of theย element15ย Textile Art Collective and the Board of McAuley Place, Naas, invite all to the opening of the exhibition,ย Threads of Memory – The Heirloom Project.
This community art project explores the idea of heirloom and its varied meanings for each of us.
When: The opening is on Tuesday, the 5th of May, at 7 PM.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
The Cork Textiles Network‘s (CTN) spring exhibition theme is Aistear, the Irish word for a journey of experience. The exhibition includes a wide and varied selection of textile and fabric disciplines from appliquรฉ, felting, weaving, embroidery, batik, and mixed media.
Several of Feltmakers Ireland members belong to the CTN and have artwork in the exhibition, including Maggie McCartney (whose work is on the poster), Cara Shank, Karima Rebecca Powell, and Emily Thompson.
The show also showcases a large collaborative project that CTN members undertook last year: a large wall hanging featuring the work of 36 artists who responded to a specific brief to create a piece of art that resonates with imagination, creativity and skill.
When: The show runs through Tuesday, the 29th of April.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
National College of Art and Design’s StaffResearch Exhibition, curated by Anne Kelly, includes weaving with naturally dyed Irish wool.
This showcase positions weaving as a form of research through a process-driven, materially led collaboration between weavers, Kathy Mooney, Rachel Tuffy, and รine Byrne. The work approaches weaving as a site for tacit investigation and โthinking through making,โ where knowledge emerges through material engagement and the embodied actions of the loom.
Situated within the historic context of the Liberties, an area with a rich legacy of industrial textile production and domestic weaving studios, the action-based weaving process reflects on both the material and cultural histories of weaving practice.
Kathy Mooney has prepared a Galway wool warp, partially naturally dyed using weld foraged in the NCAD field and the local River Dodder. The warp will be tied on and gradually woven throughout the exhibition by รine Byrne and Rachel Tuffy.
Weaving Tour
The completed textile will be unveiled on Friday, the 17 th of April. This event will be accompanied by a โresearch weavingโ tour of weaving-related sites on campus and within the Liberties area, concluding with a demonstration of the digital TC2 Loom in the NCAD weaving department.
The show runs from 20 March to 17 April 2026, Mon-Fri, 11 AM-6 PM.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us:ย If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions:ย For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Feltmakers Irelandโs ‘Water and Flow’ exhibition was officially launched on Saturday, 4th April at 3 PM in the beautiful gallery of the OPWโs Phoenix Park Visitor Centre. The event was opened by knitwear designer Conor OโBrien, who shared insights into his creative journey, from studying at the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) to discovering Aran knitting through a college assignment, with guidance from his grandmother. He also spoke about his strong support for using Irish-raised wool in his work, highlighting the importance of local materials and heritage in contemporary design. Learn more about Conor from his website- https://conorobrienstudio.com/
The exhibition features 67 striking pieces of felted artwork, showcasing the breadth and creativity of contemporary feltmaking. The opening was very well attended, with approximately 140 people present to celebrate the occasion. Since the launch, several works have been purchased by visitors.
‘Water and Flow‘ will continue to run until Sunday, 26th April, offering further opportunities to experience this vibrant and engaging exhibition.
Some Photos of the Launch
Photos courtesy of Tom Macagno, Loli Cox, and members’ contributions.
Conor O’Brien and some of the committee saying, ‘Wool’Loli Cox introducing Conor O’BrienConor and Loli CoxFounder Elizabeth Bonnar and Juliane GormanSiobhรกn Healy Ryan and Elizabeth Redding setting up the refreshmentsClaire Merry and her husband PhilThe gallery was full of visitorsConor O’Brien speakingPeople chattingVisitors listeningMore people at the launchThe only photo of Sam Fagan, our Treasurer, wearing her Foxford Blanket Jacket
The Gallery
Artists with their Artwork
Last year, in the blog post about our ‘Common Threads’ exhibition at the National Design and Craft Gallery in Kilkenny, we included a section featuring members alongside their pieces. As this is an engaging feature, we hope to get a photo of each member in the show.
If we overlooked you at the opening, or you have yet to visit, can you please take a photo of yourself next to your piece and email it to the following address: feltmakerIE@gmail.com
Thank you to everyone who helped make this exhibition such a success.
Many thanks to Conor OโBrien for launching the exhibition with his interesting talk, to our members for contributing their fantastic artwork, and to Annika Berglund and Fiona Leech for displaying everything so beautifully. Additionally, we would like to thank Loli Cox for introducing our guest speaker. Weโre also very grateful to the committee members for organising and setting up the lovely refreshments. Finally, we want to thank the OPW Phoenix Park Visitor Centre for again inviting us to use their stunning gallery for our annual exhibition.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about the content, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
To whet your appetite for the artwork that will be shown, please enjoy a series of ‘sneak peeks’ of details of some of the work.
Jacqueline Atkinson:
The wet winter of 2025/2026 was the inspiration for Jacqueline’s interpretation of the theme ‘water and flow’ when the battering, pounding, and sudden downpours of rain often made craters in her land. Hence the Irish title ‘Batar Fearthainne’ which she thinks adequately captures the sentiment she was hoping to portray.
Eglฤ Silenaite-Enyed:
ย The flow in my art symbolises not only the flow of water but also the flow of time. Little pebbles with ancient symbols are sunken below. The flow of water is hiding the secrets of the past. Those times are gone, the time flows…
Yamila Fournier:
After 16 years inland, I moved to coastal Dublin, where the smell of the sea and the pull of the tides reminded me of the rhythm that had been a part of me since the day I was born, since before I was born.
The shore is filled with exciting opposites: gritty sand and wave-smoothed rocks, welcoming water and unknowable depths, chaos of crashing waves reshaping the shore daily and the reliable regularity of the tides. In the face of the vastness of the water, I look to the tiniest bits, portable microscope in hand…
Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition ‘Water and Flow’ will be available to view from Thursday, the 2nd, to Sunday, the 26th of April. The Centre is open every day, from 9:30 AM to 5 PM.
Our official launch is THIS Saturday at 3 PM. Knitwear designer Conor O’Brien will open our show.
Please note: We have learned that the gallery will be closed at 1: 30 PM on the afternoon of Monday, the 6th of April, due to an event being held at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us:ย If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions:ย For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
To whet your appetite for the artwork that will be shown, please enjoy a series of ‘sneak peeks’ of details of some of the work.
Karen McSweeney:
As a nautical artist I was inspired to use pieces of sea pottery, which were washed up on the Burrow Beach Dublin. The design is a nod to the willow pattern on the pottery.
Claire Merry:
Water falls are mesmerising and breathtaking. The falling water contrasts with the surrounding lush vegetation providing both a visual and aural experience, which brings solace to the mind and soul.
My piece tries to capture the moment of walking into a glade and seeing the water fall for the first time.
Breda Fay:
This piece of work is based on the 1832 poem “The Lady of Shalott” by Alfred Tennyson, illustrating the “stream that runneth ever”. Situated on an island in the middle of the stream, was a tower where the Lady of Shallott lived. Cursed to never look outside except through a mirror she spent all her time happily weaving a “charmed web”. Then one day, in her mirror, she saw a handsome knight and decided she could no longer live that life of shadows. She ran to the window and watched the knight ride down to Camelot. Once she left her loom, “out flew the web and floated wild” and the lady died.
Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition ‘Water and Flow’ will be available to view from Thursday, the 2nd, to Sunday, the 26th of April. The Centre is open every day, from 9:30 AM to 5 PM.
Our official launch is THIS Saturday at 3 PM. Knitwear designer Conor O’Brien will open our show.
Please note: We have learned that the gallery will be closed at 1: 30 PM on the afternoon of Monday, the 6th of April, due to an event being held at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre.
Disclaimer for Feltmakers Ireland Blog
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us: If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions: For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition ‘Water and Flow’ will be available to view from Thursday, the 2nd, to Sunday, the 26th of April. The Centre is open every day, from 9:30 AM to 5 PM.
Our official launch is THIS Saturday at 3 PM. Knitwear designer Conor O’Brien will open our show.
Please note: We have learned that the gallery will be closed on the afternoon of Monday, the 6th of April, due to an event being held at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre.
Sneak Peeks
To whet your appetite for the stimulating artwork that will be shown, please enjoy a series of ‘sneak peeks’ of details of some of the work.
Tamzen Lundy:
Inspired by the meeting place of land and sea, The Convergence evokes the rhythmic flow of water against the shoreline โ a threshold where elements collide and merge. This liminal space, poised between solidity and movement, suggests a point of quiet transformation: a place where boundaries dissolve and something magical may occur.
Sandra Reynolds:
The theme of ‘Water and Flow’ really resonates with me. I’ve been lucky enough to always live near the sea and enjoy my daily beach walks there. My work for this particular piece with wool reflects the shapes and colours of marine life both above and below Water.
Corina Hogan:
My interpretation is based on the realisation that all Humans, Animal Kingdom and Plants require water to survive and flourish. A basic need for all and so important.
Feltmakers Ireland aims to share information about awards, education, events, exhibitions, and opportunities that you will find interesting. Our sharing is neither paid for by nor an endorsement of these individuals or organisations.
Contact Us:ย If you have any concerns about content, please email us at feltmakersie@gmail.com.
Questions:ย For questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.