Save the Date: The Galway Wool Co-op will host their 6th National Harvest of Irish Wool from Ireland’s native sheep breed. This year, the Meitheal will be open to the public, and all are invited!
When: Saturday, the 18th of July, 10 AM to 12:30 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 content, please follow the link to the organisation involved in hosting the event.
Cecilia Vicuña‘s solo exhibition, ‘Reverse Migration: A Poetic Journey’, is the first show in Ireland by the renowned artist, poet and activist. For this exhibition at the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), Vicuña delves into themes of ancestry, ecological urgency, and the interconnectedness of humanity, inspired by the discovery of her ancient ties to Ireland.
Feltmakers Ireland guild member Katarina Hruskova, of WoolStore Ireland, assisted the artist in preparing the wool used in the creation of the installation, titled ‘Aran Quipu’.
Placard from the gallery wall.
Photos of the Piece, ‘Aran Quipu’
In her Co Galway workshop, Katarina washed and carded 50 kilograms of wool, which she purchased from the Galway Wool Co-op at their annual Meitheal. Then she needle-felted the clean fibre by hand into 50 strips, each 5.5 metres long. As Cecilia Vicuña wanted the strips to be very fluffy, hand needle felting was the method. Altogether, it came to 275 metres of Galway wool. The entire process from start (washing) to finish took Katarina 6-7 weeks to complete.
The Galway Wool, after being cleaned and carded
Needle Felting
The wool fibres were then needle felted.Further along, with more fibres added in.Loading the trailer with the felted wool.More wool.Unloading at IMMA
At IMMA, the long strips were then mounted, with assistance from other Irish artists, in a large hall.
Katarina Hruskova and artist Cecilia Vicuña at the openingKatarina and her partner Keith
Katarina said that at the opening, visitors were encouraged to walk between the strips. Editor’s Note: On a recent visit, a museum attendant encouraged attendees to touch a sample of needle-felted Galway Wool.
In addition to the installation incorporating Irish wool, the exhibition includes other installations featuring natural materials such as plants and shells, along with paintings, drawings, and sound art by Vicuña.
The Galway Wool Co-op will be featured on RTÉ’s Nationwide this Monday, the 24th of November at 19:00 (7 PM).
Learn about the story of Ireland’s native wool, the community, and the wool growers behind it. Galway wool is one of the few native Irish wools, so it is fantastic that it will be in the spotlight.
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.
Arts Thread — an international online platform that showcases emerging talent in art and design — is hosting its annual Global Creative Graduate Showcase. Among the featured designers is Ireland’s Sarah Dowling, whose innovative work highlights the potential of sustainable, homegrown materials.
Designer Sarah Dowling has created traceable, carbon-free, biodegradable garments made from felted and crocheted Galway Wool and deadstock Irish linen.
Dowling’s work emphasises slow production and the beauty of the craft within the textile history in Ireland. One standout piece, her crochet jumper (Báinín Geansaí), includes a stitch which mimics the knitted Blackberry Aran stitch. This traditional stitch is the only one which cannot be replicated by a machine. Fittingly, crochet can only be done by hand.
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 content-related questions, please follow the link to the organisation hosting the event.
This Inside The Gate Open Farm Day is organised by Farming For Nature and is an opportunity to visit a farm and see the vital work that farmers do for nature in your local community.
On Sunday, August 31st, Blátnaid and Niall Gallagher’s farm, featuring native Galway Sheep and Connemara Ponies, will be open for visitors.
This is a free event open to families and will be held on various farms across the country on the 31st. Please register to attend, as space is limited.
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.
A short Saturday morning bit of inspiration for you – two more sneak peeks from the upcoming Feltmakers Ireland’s exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’.
Claire Merry’s inspiration –
“The hare has been one of Ireland’s oldest symbols, dating back to the ancient Celts. It was seen as a symbol of fertility and prosperity, and was often depicted in Celtic art and mythology. The Irish Free State commemorated the hare on the first three penny piece coins.”
Irina Lampadova’s inspiration –
“I have decided to make a sheep adorned with shamrocks because these symbols of Ireland appeal to my emotions. They are my first memories of Ireland when I came here years ago. Beautiful and comforting green fields with sheep and cows made me feel welcome. It was a nice beginning of my new journey in life.”
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.
Siobhan Healy Ryan ‘Limestone footpath Mullaghmore-The Burren’
Sorry to post twice a day, but we wish to share many exciting events AND our upcoming exhibition!
The Open Call
Earlier in the year, our members were asked to share his or her inspiration to the theme ‘Symbols of Ireland’. We invited guild members to explore and interpret the rich cultural and historical imagery associated with Ireland. The theme was open to various representations, including traditional symbols, as well as more contemporary or personal expressions of Irish identity, landscape, folklore, and heritage. Artists were encouraged to present works that reflected their unique perspective on Ireland’s symbolic landscape through visual, conceptual, or abstract forms. Our open call welcomed all artistic styles and interpretations from our members.
Sneak Peek
One artist worked abstractly, while the other took a representational approach to capturing Ireland’s natural beauty. This evening, we are featuring Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann’s My View of Ireland and Siobhan Healy Ryan’s Limestone Footpath, Mullaghmore—The Burren. Both pieces explore elements of the Irish landscape, each through a unique lens.
Astrid Tomrop-Hofmann’s inspiration –
“I chose an abstract form to express my work, by using Galway Irish Wool and old Irish Linen pieces to show my impression of Ireland and its untouched nature!
The sky with its constant changes, light refraction from yellow to red-orange.
Moorland with its rich brown-black colours gradations interrupted by peat, rushes and flowers with “cotton blossom”,
Heather and broom brushes that blend into the landscape with their play of colours and stones that tell of their past, and touched my soul!
So, here I`m telling my story with sixteen tiles.”
Astrid’s work can be found in the following locations online:
“The Burren’s iconic limestone footpath is symbolic of Irish generations past and the weathering endured during the Ice Age. The majestic mountain at Mullaghmore stands proud over this rugged limestone landscape that continues to endure yet shift and evolve.” – Siobhan Healy Ryan
We will continue sharing our members’ inspiring contributions to our exhibition, ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Stay tuned!
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.
