Oileán: Curator & Artists In Conversation

In this episode, we’ll hear from the curator Sinéad Barrett and artists Kate McElroy, Pádraic Barrett, Aoife Claffey and Deirdre Breen about the development of the ‘Oileán’ exhibition at The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, Fitzgerald’s Park, as part of Cork Harbour Festival 2021. By posing the question “what does being an island nation mean?”, Sinéad has invited the artists to develop new work in response to the idea of 21 st century island life, creating a platform for conversation about our future as an island nation in a time of uncertain political, economic and climatic upheaval. This episode gives these artists space to candidly discuss the inspiration behind their work and opens up a dialogue about the impact Covid-19 has had on both the creation of art and Irish society as a whole.

Host:

Curator: Sinéad Barrett is the former Graduate Curator in Residence at Sample-Studios, one of Ireland’s largest artist studios and creative workspaces, based in Cork City, Ireland and is the current Programme Coordinator.

Artists:

Kate McElroy is a Cork-based multidisciplinary artist and Artist in Residence in Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre. She recently completed her MA in Art and Process from CCAD having completed her BA and  Higher Diploma in Limerick School of Art and Design. She received a travel and training award for a residence in Lasanna, Nepal  in 2017 and is a member of Sample-Studios.  https://www.katemcelroy.com/   @katemcelroy

Padraic Barrett is an Irish visual and performance artist born in Kerry and now living and working in Cork. Barrett graduated this year with an MA in Art and Process from CCAD. He is the current Graduate Studio Residency Award Recipient in Sample-Studios and his recent exhibitions include Confluence, The Lavit Gallery, Cork. https://www.padraicbarrett.com   @padraicbarrettstudio

Aoife Claffey is a Cork-based visual artist who  recently qualified with an MA in Art and Process from CCAD. She is a member of the Sample-Studios and Cork Printmakers. Her work is in the collection of Eli Lilly and has been featured in Bloomers Magazine #07: Emerging Female Artists. https://www.aoifeclaffeyart.com  @aoifeclaffeyart

Deirdre Breen is a multidisciplinary designer and visual artist who recently obtained her MA in Art and Process in CCAD. Breen was a multi-disciplinary designer in London before returning to Ireland in 2013 working as a graphic designer. Her work has been acquired by The Office of Public Works, Ireland, the Glucksman, UCC, Cork, and a number of private collections. @deirdrebreen

This podcast is supported by The Arts Council of Ireland and Cork City Arts Office.