Press Release

The Arthouse,  Stradbally,  Co Laois .

May 13th , 2011

The official opening of The Arthouse Studios and Library, Stradbally County Laois will take place on 13th May 2011.  The opening will be performed by Minister Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.   Following an open competition, three artists and one craft worker were selected.  They have been settling into the Arthouse over the last month and already it has proven a busy time. In this time the Arthouse has hosted an open house weekend for the general public, attracting hundreds of guests, a visit from Imeall, Tg4’s arts programme, the Spring Conference of the Arts Officers Association and a meeting between French artists and Laois artists to explore the possibility of exchanges in the near future.  It has also started an arts education programme for the public headed by NCAD Graduate Artist Vera Mc Evoy.

The three artists at the Arthouse are Laois based artist, Karen Hendy, Kerry based artist, Laura Fitzgerald and Kildare based artist Vera Mc Evoy. The resident Craft Worker is Laois based Goldsmith Helena Malone. The Arts Administrator is Laura Byrne and the General Manager is Laois Arts Officer, Muireann Ní Chonaill. The complex is available for use by local community groups.  The development, costing in excess of €1.2million, commenced early in 2010 has been assisted with funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport Access 11 scheme.  Construction work was completed in December 2010. The architects on the job were Milligan, Reside and Larkin and the contractor was L&M Keating.

Facilities at the Library and Arthouse include a community library, artists’ studios and living accommodation, an exhibition gallery, an equipped music rehearsal space, a kiln, and a garden space with a commissioned Percent for Art wall mounted artwork and a meeting  room for the Laois Heritage Society. Under the percent for art scheme a stainless steel relief wall piece was created by Wicklow based artist James Hayes and it graces the garden wall of the studios.   A limestone sculpture by Henk Korthuys was purchased for the front of the building, also funded by the Percent for Art scheme.  This sculpture was made in Mc Keon’s Stone, Limestone Yard in Stradbally by Henk when he participated on their international artist visiting programme last Summer.

Laura Fitzgerald commented, “I am delighted to become part of Arthouse Stradbally, a pioneering development in arts and culture in Co. Laois. The opportunity to spend time developing projects in the Arthouse, is an opportunity I believe will create new ideas, stimulus and experience in my art practice. I am excited to embark on the next chapter of this process in such a creative and innovative environment.”

Karen Hendy commented ”I am honoured to be selected as one of the first  recipients  of the Professional  Artist Studio scheme  at the   Arthouse , Stradbally, Co. Laois. This is an important development in the Arts in Laois. I feel privileged to be chosen to be part of this new and innovative project. I look forward to developing my art practice and engaging with the wider community in one of these specially appointed studios.

Vera Mc Evoy is the recipient of the Laois County Council/NCAD Bursary Award, (funded through the percent for art scheme and worth €10,000). She said she was thrilled to be chosen as the NCAD recipient and that it would enable her to explore her art practice which is multidisciplinary (video, print and installation) and explores a wide range of sustainable, environmental and social issues. “I use universal, everyday materials and scenarios to encourage an alternative reality, incorporating practices of recycling and remaking into the realm of human interactions and social context. My work responds to the growing consumer problems and lifestyle trends in contemporary society: in particular to our many discarded consumer products and their reproductive values. I look forward to engaging with the wider community in County Laois.”

The NCAD Bursary Award will enable Vera McEvoy to set out to explore, with a small group of women, the Irish economy and whether creativity and recycling can serve as a means of reclaiming identity, as well as regenerating skill and belief back into Irish society.  Vera Mc Evoy will also run a Summer Arts Workshop for children in the area as part of Laois County Council Summer Arts Programme.

Helena Malone is using the craft studio facility to develop new designs, concepts and prototypes for new collections.  Helena is a jewellery designer working in precious metals and precious stones using traditional methods.  Helena refers to her style of work as “simple and discreetly different, elegant and feminine with an edge”.

Muireann Ní Chonaill, Arts Officer is managing the studios. Muireann says, “It is a privilege to be associated with such an exciting venture and I look forward to the many new experiences it affords us to provide for artists and the general public, enriching their lives through the arts.”

Laura Byrne has been appointed as Administrator Laura graduated from Edinburgh College of Art in July 2010 with a BA( hons) in drawing and painting. Laura says, “Coming back to Ireland was very important to me after being away for 7 years.  I thought becoming part of the art world in Ireland was going to be difficult but the Arthouse has welcomed me with open arms, I feel it will be a place for artists and the community to engage in a new type of visual language and push the boundaries of what art studios mean in Ireland today.”

The Arthouse studios represent an important resource to add to the strong Arts Programme and strategies already present in the County, under the direction of Laois County Council. The initiative will be of real value to the ongoing Arts Programme, the community and the visual arts and design sector in Ireland.  It will also represent an important pathway for artists from outside Ireland to make a valuable contribution to widening and deepening public experiences and direct involvement in the arts. The combination of crafts workers and artists using the Arthouse Studios will be lively and exciting.  Every support and assistance will be given to artists and craftspeople through mentoring, programming and exhibition opportunities.

Visitors are welcome to visit the Arthouse.  Please contact the Arts Office to make an appointment.
For further information, please contact Muireann Ní Chonaill, at The Arts Office, Laois County Council, 057 8674344/42 & 087-2257512, or email artsoff@laoiscoco.ie.