Image courtesy of Mayumi Nakabayashi, created at the European Land Art Festival as part of her ArtLinks bursary in 2024.
ArtLinks partners in Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, and Wexford have opened submissions for the Professional and Emerging ArtLinks Bursary Awards 2026.
The Awards are designed to support artists in developing their practice by providing them with the time and resources to think, research, reflect, and critically engage with their art.
They will consider applications for assistance with any of the following areas of support:
Travel and training
Mentorship
To assist with education at the graduate level
Projects with a demonstrable benefit to practice development
Artists must be registered with ArtLinks to avail of these supports, and new artists must be registered on or before the 12th of January, 2026, to be eligible to apply.
Deadline: the 19th of January.
For more information, visit their website to locate the application for your particular county – https://linktr.ee/ArtLinks.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.
The ‘Common Threads exhibition’ opened on Thursday, the 7th of August at the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland’s (DCCI) National Design & Craft Gallery, Castle Yard, Kilkenny. The show curated by Sarah Ross features a mix of work from Feltmakers Ireland and the Quilters’ Guild of Ireland.
The turnout at the opening was great, and we all had the opportunity to see an amazing array of works by both feltmakers and quilters. Seeing the two types of crafts side by side was very illuminating; they represented very different ways of making, yet both featured intricate and fantastic work. As a feltmaker, I gained a deeper respect for the skill and patience required to create the quilted artworks on display.
Photos of the Gallery
At the opening, Feltmakers Ireland was represented by at least 14 of our members, who enjoyed the buzz and the lovely weather.
From left to right: Eithne O’Dea, Hilary Delaney, Joanne Foley, Mary O’Rourke, Claire Merry, Hélène Dooley, Sandra Reynolds, Annika Berglund, Fiona Leech, Jane Fox, Siobhan Healy Ryan, Sharon Wells, Leiko Uchiyama, and Deirdre Crofts. Editor’s Note: We apologise if we have noted anyone’s name incorrectly.
The exhibition was opened by the head of the DCCI, Mary Blanchfield, followed by a speech by Moya Gerarthy of the Quilters Guild of Ireland. After that, it was my turn. Our blog mistress, Juliane, asked me for my written notes, but since I only had keywords, the gist of it was that the two sets of works looked great together!
Annika Berglund and Mary BlanchfieldAnnika Berglund, Moya Gerarthy, Mary Blanchfield, and Sarah Ross
Then, I talked about the symbology of how wool is made, where wisps of wool combine into a strong whole through pressure and agitation, and I drew parallels to how our members come together and form a community. Finally, I extended a heartfelt thank you to the DCCI and our curator, Sarah Ross, who selected the work and worked with the gallery personnel to create a stunning exhibition. She spoke last and talked about the (massive) work involved in picking and how impressed she was with the quality of work on show.
We heartily recommend a visit to the gallery before the end of the show, which runs until the 1st of November.
~~ Annika Berglund, Dublin Ireland.
Portraits of Members
Annika BerglundDeirdre CroftsLeiko UchiyamaSiobhan Healy RyanSandra ReynoldsJoanne FoleyChristine JordanSharon WellsFiona LeechRamona FarrellyTamzen Lundy with the poster for the exhibitionLidiia NecheporenkoEithne O’DeaClaire MerryJuliane GormanNeasa RyanEmily A ThompsonHilary Delaney
Some more information about the show:
A contemporary textile exhibition exploring connection through fibre and form. This contemporary textile exhibition delves into the theme of connection—between people, materials, and traditions—through the tactile language of fibre and form. The exhibition will run from August 7 to November 1, 2025, offering visitors a rich sensory experience that celebrates both innovation and heritage in Irish textile art, showcasing the intricate and expressive work of artists from Feltmakers Ireland and The Quilters Guild of Ireland.
From our press release:
“This show is a testament to the creativity and technical expertise of the members of Feltmakers Ireland. Each piece tells a unique story, a vision realised in the medium of wool. It is a celebration of the diversity of feltmaking across Ireland. We are proud to showcase work that not only honours our craft but also pushes the boundaries of contemporary textile art.”
Feltmakers members included in the exhibition:
Annika Berglund
Christine Jordan
Claire Merry
Deirdre Crofts
Eithne O’Dea
Elaine Peden
Emily A Thompson
Fiona Leech
Heather Byrne
Hélène Dooley
Hilary Delaney
Jane Fox
Joanne Foley
Juliane Gorman
Karena Ryan
Leiko Uchiyama
Lidiia Necheporenko
Neasa Ryan
Ramona Farrelly
Sandra Reynolds
Sharon Wells
Siobhan Healy Ryan
Tamzen Lundy
Some Work from the Exhibition
Appreciation
Thank you to the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland, curator Sarah Ross, the Quilters Guild of Ireland, and the National Design and Craft Gallery of Ireland. Also, thanks to Annika for writing up the recap for the guild.
Thank you to the Gallery for the professional photos of the space, which we ‘borrowed’ from Instagram. Lastly, thank you to the members who shared their pictures via Instagram or WhatsApp. We apologise if we missed any artists’ works.
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 Design and Crafts Council of Ireland presents ‘Common Threads’, an exhibition curated by Sarah Ross, showcasing the intricate and expressive work of artists from Feltmakers Ireland and The Quilters’ Guild of Ireland.
The exhibition opens at the National Design and Craft Gallery (NDCG) on Thursday, the 7th of August and runs until the 1st of November.
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.
Colour Field is a newly developed garden at the Workhouse Union, in Callan, Co Kilkenny. It is dedicated to cultivating colour-giving plants. The project hosts workshops, talks, artists’ residencies, and a community celebration.
Different plants and the colours they create will be studied in the upcoming months.
The workshop programme begins with GREEN on Thursday, the 10th of April, 10:45 – 16:00. A full day working with fresh spring Nettle tops, this workshop will introduce natural dyeing, botanical drawing and embroidery.
Residencies
The Making Colour Studio Residency Programme invites artists to explore their practice through the creation of natural colour from plants. Selected through invitation and open call, participating artists will engage in a shared residency at Workhouse Union in the summer of 2025.
Artists will have access to the Colour Field dye garden, PrintBlock Callan print studio, outdoor dye kitchen, and the Workhouse Union library, which offer resources for research and experimentation.
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.
“Orla Kiely is one of the UK and Ireland’s most successful designers. Her stylised graphic patterns are innovative, influential and instantly recognisable. With a global audience in thrall to the rhythms and repeats of her designs, this exhibition explores the power of decoration to transform the way we feel.” – From the DCCI’s website.
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 aims to share our members’ events: Here is the first of the ‘craft fair season’. Please email your events to feltmakersie@gmail.com
Butler Gallery Craft Fair
This weekend, Feltmakers Ireland Guild member Emily Thompson is participating in the Butler Gallery‘s Craft Fair in Kilkenny, which showcases 30 Irish makers.
Butler Gallery will be filled with handmade, quality Irish craft from makers of ceramics, jewellery, and glass, as well as textiles, wood, metals, and precious metals, along with paper, leatherwork, and mixed media.
Guild member Lucia Errity has artwork in a group show with five other members of the Meath Made collective. The exhibition is at the Venue Theatre in Ratoath, Co Meath, from the 1st of November to the 3rd.
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.
This summer, Mount Juliet Estate, in partnership with Butler Gallery, will host a Summer Art Fair in the Ornamental Walled Garden of Mount Juliet Estate on Sunday, July 7th, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Whether you’re a painter, sculptor, photographer, or mixed-media artist, they welcome all mediums and styles. The Art Fair will showcase the highest-quality Irish art submitted by artists all over Ireland. They have space for 30 Artists who will be selected by the Butler Gallery Selection Committee.
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.
FORMDesignmade in Carlow will be presenting a viewing of their documentary film ‘Tension’ at the DCCIconference room, Castle Yard, Kilkenny, on Tuesday 15th at 1.30 and 5.30. The approximate duration of the film is 30 minutes.
This project was initiated during lockdown and is a collaboration between members, showcasing different skills, materials and approaches to craft making. Please join us if you can.
Feltmakers Ireland 