Sculpture in Context will celebrate 40 Years of showcasing sculpture in Ireland this September. The DEADLINE for applying is next Friday!
Exhibition entries are open to artists working in three dimensions in any medium. They encourage the broadest possible definition of sculptural practice, encompassing object-making, installation, performance, video, and emerging hybrid forms, both permanent and ephemeral.
Note: In the past, several feltmakers have submitted and been accepted to exhibit in Sculpture in Context shows. Search ‘Sculpture in Context’ on our Feltmakers Ireland website to read about some of these members’ pieces.
The exhibition attracts numerous visitors and offers significant visibility and potential for selling work.
The large sculptures will be showcased in the garden’s natural setting, creating a dialogue between art and nature. The indoor gallery will showcase a curated selection of works, offering an intimate and thoughtfully arranged viewing experience.
Entrance is by open submission, and selection is made by an independent panel of judges.
DEADLINE: 11:59 PM, on Friday the 25th April, 2025.
How to Submit
Up to three submissions per artist are allowed, with an entry fee of € 16 for each submission.
The online submission process requires support documentation.Please note that if you close the portal mid-entry, your application will not be saved.
The exhibition opens this Thursday, April 10th, from 5 to 7 PM in @thedunmored6, a restaurant that is a new Dublin Artform venue. Susan Connolly selected the work, Big Look Art curated it, and Richard Coghlan installed it.
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.
Sculpture in Context will celebrate 40 Years of showcasing sculpture in Ireland this September.
Exhibition entries are open to artists working in three dimensions in any medium. They encourage the broadest possible definition of sculptural practice, including object making, installation, performance, video, and emerging hybrid forms, both permanent and ephemeral.
Note: In the past, several feltmakers have submitted and been accepted to exhibit in Sculpture in Context shows. Search ‘Sculpture in Context’ on our Feltmakers Ireland website to read about some of these members’ pieces.
The exhibition attracts many visitors and offers significant visibility and potential to sell work.
The large sculptures will be showcased in the garden’s natural setting, creating a dialogue between art and nature. The indoor gallery will display a selection of works, providing an intimate and curated viewing experience.
Entrance is by open submission, and selection is made by an independent panel of judges.
DEADLINE: 11:59 PM, on Friday the 25th April, 2025.
How to Submit
Up to 3 submissions per artist are allowed, with an entry fee of 16 euros for each submission.
The online submission process requires support documentation.Please note that if you close the portal mid-entry, your application will not be saved.
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.
Have you had the chance to visit ‘Symbols of Ireland’, the stunning exhibition by Feltmakers Ireland? If not, now is your last opportunity! The exhibition, showcasing the incredible talent of 47 members, is in its final week at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre.
Featuring a diverse range of textile artistry, ‘Symbols of Ireland’ includes intricate needle and wet felting techniques displayed through wall art, sculptures, and wearable creations. Each piece tells a story, representing elements of Ireland’s rich culture and heritage through the unique medium of felt.
The exhibition is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM, with a slightly earlier closing time of 3 PM on Sunday, its final day.
Whether you’re an admirer of textile art, a craft enthusiast, or simply looking for an inspiring outing, don’t miss this chance to experience the beauty and creativity of Irish feltmaking.
Visit before it’s gone – and immerse yourself in the textures, colours, and symbolism that define this remarkable exhibition.
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 group exhibition opens this Sunday! We are thrilled to announce that Sabina Higgins will officially launch the event at 3 PM.
For this year’s exhibition theme, ‘Symbols of Ireland’, we invited members to explore and interpret it in their own unique way. The exhibition showcases a diverse and inspiring collection of wall art, sculptures, and wearable pieces—all crafted from sheep’s wool. The works feature a variety of felting techniques, including wet felting, needle felting, and even combinations of both, highlighting the creativity and skill of our members.
We are especially delighted to see a growing use of Irish wool, a cause close to our hearts. In fact, our book, ‘Exploring Irish Wool for Feltmaking’, was born from our passion for this remarkable sustainable material.
To whet your appetite for the exhibition, we continue on sharing some Sneak Peeks!
Sneak Peeks
A close-up of Anne Heavey‘s piece – ‘Fadó Fadó’
Anne was inspired by the following:
“A look back into Ireland’s past through the eyes of the Dolmen. Ancient structures that date back to the Neolithic period, 4000 BC to 2500 BC. This ancient symbol represents the history of the Irish people emerging from hunter-gatherers to a more permanent settled life. Agriculture and the domestication of animals emerged, along with the construction of these dolmens, mostly used as burial tombs, while others were part of a territorial marker. Under 200 dolmens remain dotted around Ireland, and were immersed into Irish mythological stories and folklore, such as Diarmuid and Grainne’s bed, whereas others are associated with graves of famous giants or warriors such as the Finna and Fionn Mac Cunhall.
The most famous and photographed is the Poulnabrone, Burren Co Clare; the largest is Brownshill, Co Carlow. These structures were usually erected with tall portal stones in the front and two at the back, with a large capstone resting at an angle on the portal stones. In ancient times, cairns would have been erected in front of the entrance, but now have been scattered over time. A picture at the Burren with my mom inspired me to use this symbol.”
A close-up of the piece by Helena Mc Guinness – ‘Round Tower’
Helena was inspired by the following:
“I live in the village with the oldest Round Tower in Ireland. A visitors centre has been built on the grounds just behind the tower. It has a lovely garden and a house showcasing the area’s history. It is in the village of Clondalkin, Dublin 22. It is well worth a visit.”
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.
A sneak peek of Breda Fay’s ‘Anois Teacht an Earraigh / It’s springtime‘
Feltmakers Ireland’s group exhibition will open in less than a week, and we are so excited. There are almost 50 pieces of artwork (47, to be precise) from our members.
The theme of this year’s show is ‘Symbols of Ireland’. Guild member Breda Fay has created her piece inspired by Brigid’s Crosses, which are traditionally made from rush materials.
Here is her inspiration:
“The feast of Brigid is an important date in my calendar, not just because she’s my namesake but because February 1st, her Feast Day, heralds the beginning of Springtime with lengthening brighter days. For as long as I can remember, I have made Brigid’s Crosses from rushes gathered the day before, and one has hung in a prominent place in my home”. – Breda Fay
The exhibition opens on Sunday, the 2nd of March at 3 PM. Sabina Higgins will officially launch* the show. {For those living outside of Ireland, Mrs Higgins is the spouse of the President of Ireland, Michael Higgins}.
The exhibition runs from Wednesday, the 5th of March, to Sunday, the 30th of March 30th, 2025, at the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre Gallery. Currently, the Visitor Centre – and hence the Gallery – is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. If Centre staff become available, we may be able to open the exhibition on these days. Stay tuned to our blog and social media for further updates.
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.
Thank you for all of your excellent submissions! We are overjoyed to receive such an outpouring from you. There will be almost 50 pieces in our group show, ‘Symbols of Ireland’.
This Open Call is now shut – the deadline was extended a week to the 21st of February.
Email Confirmations Sent
Each artist should have received an email informing them where to drop off or mail their artwork. If you are NOT dropping it off at the gallery on the MORNING, 10:30 – 11:30 AM of the installation on the 1st of March, you should ensure your piece has been received by Thursday, the 27th of February.
{If you are dropping off your piece on the morning of the installation at the gallery, please let us know beforehand}.
If you have NOT received an Email Confirmation, please email ASAP – feltmakersIE@gmail.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.
The Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) Annual Exhibition is accepting submissions for next year’s 195th RHA Annual Exhibition. It is Ireland’s largest and longest-running open submission exhibition, and it will be open to the public from Monday, the 26th of May, to Sunday, the 3rd of August, with free admission at all times.
Open to all artists working in painting, drawing, print, sculpture, photography and architecture – the RHA Annual attracts a large public and critical audience.
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 Ulster Museum has an exhibition, ‘Threads of Empowerment: Conflict Textiles’ International Journey’, which explores the different experiences of conflict, oppression, and human rights violations worldwide through the medium of textiles. It is part of the Belfast International Arts Festival.
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.
Now in its 194th year, the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) Annual Exhibition is Ireland’s largest and longest-running open submission exhibition.
Excitingly, one of Feltmakers Ireland’s members, Leiko Uchiyama, has a piece in the exhibition!
Leiko Uchiyama – ‘Memories 64.20’
A video installation by Asha Murray has tufting in it! According to Tufting Shop: “Tufting is a modern technique in textile art that involves using a specialized tool called a tufting gun. This tool helps to weave yarn into a base fabric, creating intricate and textured designs.”
Asha Murray – ‘Are You Domestic Enough?”
Anna Macleod‘s sculpture, ‘Behold the Wind’ won the ESB Moran Award and Silver Medal for an outstanding sculpture. Her piece is made from Poplar wood, Harris tweed thread, and Lead.
Lastly, Abigail O’Brien‘s ‘Mentation I + II’ is a photographic print of two pieces of cross-stitch needlework: The photos show the stitching of the front and back of a colourful brain.
Abigail O’Brien – ‘Mentation I + II’
Overall, not many pieces in this year’s RHA Annual exhibition would be considered ‘textile art’.
However, for next year, members of Feltmakers Ireland and other fibre artists can hopefully increase the number of textile-related pieces by submitting our work under the ‘Mixed Media’ category. (The Open Call for this exhibition stated the following: “Submissions of work are invited from visual artists working in paint, photography, sculpture, architecture, print, drawing and mixed media. Works outside these categories are not accepted.“
Several high-profile, textile-related art exhibitions have recently taken place in the US, UK, and Europe, so there may be more opportunities for fibre-related work in future RHA shows.
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.
