Rua Red’s annual open call is an opportunity for graduates, emerging and established artists living on the island of Ireland to submit their work to be shown as part of a group exhibition.
They welcome submissions across all art forms that respond to the theme—Red, as a colour and a concept.
“Red is a warning. It is also the colour of love, warmth, desire and energy. It is the colour of blood, heat, fire, intense passion and beauty. Red can signal danger, mark a boundary, demand attention or call us to action.”
Works do not need to use the colour red.
Exhibition Dates: 11th of December 2026—6th of February 2027
Image: ‘Right Here, Right Now’ Annual Open Exhibition 2025. Photo by @kevincollinsphoto
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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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For ‘Textile Biennial 2027|Colonial Patterns‘, the Rijswijk Museum invites artists to reflect on the theme of Colonial patterns from the perspective of their own practice and perspective.
From the Open Call: “Colonial patterns are all around us; visible in the clothing we wear, the materials and fabrics we use, and the trade routes that have shaped our world. In motifs, traditions, and production processes, but also in power relations, memories, and identities.”
“Artists from all countries can submit a proposal.”
The exhibition takes place from the 8th of July to the 21st of November, 2027.
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.
If you are a member of Feltmakers Ireland and have news to share about upcoming exhibitions or workshops, please email feltmakersie@gmail.com
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 Outset Gallery has announced the return of its annual open call and large-scale group exhibition, OXO 2026 – the 5th edition of the Outset Xmas Open.
Returning this November, OXO will once again bring together a diverse selection of emerging and established artists from across Ireland and abroad, transforming their newly designed gallery into a large-scale exhibition running throughout the Christmas period and into the new year.
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.
While our members and readers might not be travelling to Arizona in the coming weeks, they still might be interested in learning about other felting organisations’ exhibitions.
The Arizona Felters’ Guild currently has a group show featuring over 50 pieces from 20 of their members.
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 questions about content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
There was a wonderful sense of creativity and community at The Leitrim Design House in Carrick-on-Shannon as Feltmakers Ireland launched its latest ArtWall exhibition, ‘Essence of Nature’, on Saturday, 29 August.
The exhibition was officially opened by Cllr Sean McGowan, who welcomed the opportunity to celebrate the talent, imagination and craftsmanship of felt artists from across Ireland.
Bringing together the work of 36 members of Feltmakers Ireland, ‘Essence of Nature’ explores the beauty, diversity and quiet power of the natural world through the expressive medium of felt.
The room was buzzing with chatter and enthusiasm as we welcomed members, families and friends to join us in celebrating the ArtWall launch.
The Essence of Nature
Nature has long been a source of inspiration for artists, and this exhibition demonstrates just how many different ways it can be interpreted.
The participating artists have responded to the theme through landscapes, flora, fauna, light, seasonal change and more abstract interpretations of the natural environment. The result is a varied and vibrant collection that showcases the extraordinary versatility of felt as a contemporary art medium.
From richly textured surfaces and intricate details to bold colour and abstract compositions, each piece offers a personal response to the world around us.
Feltmaking is a particularly tactile art form. Wool and fibre are transformed through traditional and contemporary techniques into artworks that invite the viewer to look closely and appreciate both the skill involved and the stories behind each creation.
A Celebration of Irish Felt Artists
Feltmakers Ireland is a vibrant community dedicated to promoting feltmaking and supporting artists working with this versatile textile medium. Members work across wet felting, needle felting and mixed-media approaches, combining traditional skills with contemporary artistic ideas.
The ArtWall exhibition provides a valuable opportunity for artists to share their work with a wider audience and demonstrate that felt is not simply a craft material, but a rich and exciting medium for fine art and creative expression.
The exhibition also highlights the continuing interest in handmade, sustainable and locally connected creative practices, celebrating the heritage of wool and fibre while looking towards the future of textile art.
A Special Setting at The Leitrim Design House
The Leitrim Design House, located within The Dock Arts Centre in Carrick-on-Shannon, provides a fitting setting for the exhibition. The Leitrim Design House
The ArtWall allows the individual works to come together as one larger celebration of colour, texture, nature and imagination. It is a chance for visitors to discover the diversity of contemporary feltmaking while also supporting the artists whose work is represented.
With all the artworks created by Feltmakers Ireland members, the exhibition reflects the breadth of talent within the organisation and the strong sense of community that exists among its makers.
Visit the Exhibition
‘Essence of Nature’ is on display at The Leitrim Design House in Carrick-on-Shannon from late August through early October 2026, forming part of the wider August Craft Month programme.
Visitors are invited to take their time exploring the ArtWall, discovering the individual interpretations of nature and appreciating the skill, creativity and dedication behind each piece.
The exhibition is a celebration not only of nature, but of the artists who continue to find inspiration in it — and of the enduring possibilities of felt as an art form.
‘Essence of Nature’ offers a beautiful reminder that something as simple as wool and fibre can be transformed into art that is deeply personal, richly textured and full of life.
We are delighted to share news of an upcoming exhibition by our fellow guild within the Design & Craft Council Ireland: a show by the Irish Guild of Embroiderers. Their display, ‘Threads of Imagination: An Exhibition of Embroidery and Textile Art ‘, is the guild’s biennial show.
Feltmakers Ireland member Ramona Farrelly has a piece in it. The photograph shown here is an in-process image of Ramona’s piece, offering a behind-the-scenes glimpse of her work before it takes its place in the exhibition.
When: Tuesday, the 1st of September through Saturday, the 3rd of October 2026
For more information about the Guild, which meets monthly on Saturdays at the Mount Merrion Community Centre, visit their website: https://www.irishguildofembroiderers.ie/
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.
Esker Arts invites artists from or based in Offaly, Galway, Roscommon, Tipperary, Laois, Westmeath, Kildare, and Meath to submit one existing artwork for a group exhibition curated by Rachel Botha, taking place October–December 2026.
This year’s Open Call explores the idea of ‘the good neighbour’. It can be interpreted from the perspective of a community defined by place, identity, or commonality; understood beyond borders through shared causes or struggles; or viewed through our relationship with the natural environment.
Submissions in any medium and from artists at all stages of their careers are welcomed.
Deadline: Wednesday 26 August, 5:30 PM
There is no submission fee, and they’re seeking existing works. Selected artists will receive a small participation fee.
The Market Gallery Cork is seeking artwork in any medium for an exhibition titled “Layers of the Land.” Suitable artworks could include landscapes or artworks about the land on which we live and our relationship to it.
Email submissions to marketgallery@douglasvillage.ie by midnight on Sunday 13th September.
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 guild member Jane Fox is participating in Late Night Art Bangor.
She has three pieces on exhibition at Boom Studios and is one of several artists, stallholders, and workshop facilitators showcasing their work as part of Late Night Art Bangor. The launch is today, Thursday, the 30th of July, from 6 – 9 PM.
The Eco Takeover exhibition will launch on Thursday, 30 July, and continues through to Wednesday, the 19th of August.
“The title [of the image of Jane’s artwork] is ‘171 Trillion Pieces’, as this is the estimated amount of plastic that is in the Earth’s seas. I included a Common Gull because, although the name suggests they are found everywhere, they are actually a red-listed species, due to the rapid decline in numbers.” – Jane Fox.
To learn more about Late Night Art Bangor and see the other events happening, visit their website: https://latenightartbangor.com/
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.
Save the Date: Members of Feltmakers Ireland will exhibit artwork at the Leitrim Design House‘s ArtWall.
Essence of Nature brings together the work of talented felt artists from across Ireland. The exhibition explores the quiet power, beauty, and diversity of the natural world through the rich and expressive medium of felt. Inspired by landscapes, flora, fauna, light, and seasonal change, the artworks showcase both traditional and contemporary felting techniques, highlighting the creativity and innovation of Ireland’s feltmaking community.
Visitors are warmly invited to attend the launch and exhibition to experience this inspiring collection of contemporary felt art in the heart of County Leitrim. The show is part of August Craft Month.
When: The exhibition runs from Wednesday, the 26th of August to Saturday, the 3rd of October 2026.
The exhibition will officially launch on Saturday, the 29th of August, at 12 noon.
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.
