Cork Culture Night & Last Chance to See Fort Camden Commissions

This weekend is a busy one for the arts in Cork. Friday night, 23rd September, is Culture Night, the annual event where over 75 of the city's cultural venues are open late for one night only with hundreds of events happening for free. You can download the program here. At Backwater Artists Studios we will be having an open night with tours of the studios every half hour as well as tea & buns. I'll be giving the tour at 7.30 & 8pm and I'd love to see you there.

Also opening on Culture Night is Memento in the James Barry Exhibition Centre in CIT. This exhibition is a result of an international Erasmus project, exploring the notion of memory and recollection. This work emerged from intensive workshops delivered across various institutions in Europe. You might remember that I was involved in running workshops both here in Cork at the Crawford College of Art & Design and at the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Enschede, Holland. Its an exhibition worth seeing. You can see photos from the Memento exhibition in Holland here.

Fort Camden by Joleen Cronin via the Rescue Camden website

This weekend is also the last weekend to see the Cork County Council and Fort Camden art commissions at Fort Camden in Crosshaven. This includes my piece Document II, a site specific piece documenting the passing of time through the changing light. Fort Camden will also have a number of different events for all the family running this weekend including over 40 reenactors and the Barracks Street Band. Check out the Fort Camden Facebook page for more details.

Culture Night Website - Cork City
Cork City Council Culture Night Website
Cork City Arts Facebook Page

Rescue Camden Website
Fort Camden Facebook Page

Ducking Paddy, Start and All My Lovin'

The installation of 'Ducking Paddy' at the Cork County Library

Its been a beautifully busy couple of months. I have been working on a commission for the Fort Camden Artistic Project, which aims to raise public awareness about the historical importance of this fortification and its place in local and national heritage. As well as my personal work for the project I co- facilitated a 13 week residency for 3rd year Fine Art Students from the Crawford College of Art & Design. The residency culminated in an exhibition in The County Library building, Cork, called 'Ducking Paddy' which I co-curated. 'Paddy' was the caretaker at Fort Camden, Crosshaven, Co Cork, until his retirement in 2008, and to 'duck Paddy' was to escape his watchful eye and get into the site. I am just about to take down this exhibition, but as one show ends another begins.

Wednesday 9th February sees the opening of another CIT/ CCAD photography student show I co-curated called 'Start'. It opens at Wandesford Quay Gallery, Cork at 6pm. The exhibition is part of a Cork wide photography event, around the exhibition 'All My Lovin' at Crawford Gallery, that includes artists talks, portfolio reviews and other happenings, all co -ordinated by Peggy Sue Amison of Sirius Gallery in Cobh. Click on the banner to down load the full list of events taking place throughout February or check out the event's Facebook Page.

The Inaugral Alliance Francaise photography award exhibition in Dublin has been postponed until mid March.

'Ducking Paddy' at the Cork County Library


'Ducking Paddy' at the Cork County Library

3rd Year Fine Art Students from CCAD at the Opening of their Exhibition 'Ducking Paddy'
L-R Top row: Orla Flynn, Head of College at CIT Crawford College of Art and design, Jess Knibb, Barry Donnolly, Sunny Lee, Erika Szel, Laurs beaufils, Stephanie Barry, Sinead Kiely (Artist facilitator) Fergus Dowd, Maris Timmons, Trish Brennan (Photography tutor CCAD), Roseanne Lynch (Photography Artist Facilitator)
Lower row: Lill Curtis, Anne Ahern, Sarah Ryan, Sophie Behal, Abbey Wood, Rory Mullen