We are very pleased to welcome Sarah Mooney Wiegersma to the Leitrim Design House on Friday 9th Dec. Please join us at 5.30pm to view a selection of Sarah’s absolutely stunning work. Sarah is a 2011 design graduate from the National College of Art and Design, Ireland where she specialised in ceramics

Her work draws inspiration from natural plant forms, specifically fractals in nature. Through the design process new plant forms are created. The use of vivid colour is also a prominent feature in Sarah’s art. Her work was very well received at her graduate show and can now be viewed in the following permanent collections:

• National University of Ireland, Permanent Collection,
• Collins Barracks, National Museum of Decorative Arts,
• Office of Public Works, Permanent Collection

She currently works from her studio in County Roscommon.

http://www.sarahwiegersma.com

An exhibition of wearable art, exploring different responses to the idea of place and location, curated by Erika Marks.

The purpose of Design Week is to highlight the important contribution that good design makes to the cultural, economic and social life of Ireland by fostering a reputation for creative excellence and innovation. The week involves seminars, workshops, lectures, trails and exhibitions across the island of Ireland. For further information and to download the week booklet see: www.designweek.ie

Design Week 2011 in association with Crown Paints. A celebration of Irish & International Design

Leitrim Design House is delighted to invite you and a friend to the opening of COLLECTIONS. A stunning exhibition of Fine Art Prints by local photographer Jo Gray. We warmly invite you to join us for a glass of wine to celebrate the opening of Collections. Brian Leyden will launch the exhibition. Stay for a glass of wine and some late night shopping and round the evening with ELEVENS- a not to miss three piece acoustic band from Dublin. A feast for the eyes and the ears! The Dock is the place to be Friday 4th November. Collections is a series of hand-printed, black and white photographs, using traditional methods of printing, all finished to exhibition standard with quality paper, antique white mountboard and natural wood frames stained with ebony or limed, and all finished with beeswax by Jo in his studio. This collection features some of the most beautiful images of our varied and rugged landscape and evokes the spirit and magic of the area. Jo uncovers the hidden beauty of the landscape, its people, music, culture and those evocative fleeting moments in life. The exhibition runs until the 23rd of November 2011. http://intoleitrim.com/ldh/artists/profile/jo-gray

ADORNMENT-a dramatic new photography and jewellery show

ADORNMENT is a special collaboration to mark the Year of Craft (2011) between renowned photographer Agata Stoinska and producer / art director Eddie Shanahan to celebrate the artistic quality and craftsmanship of contemporary Irish jewellery and accessories. This STRIKING exhibition opens at the Leitrim Design House and the Dock on Thursday the 7th July at 7pm coinciding with the 7th Annual Carrick-on-Shannon Water Music Festival.

As well as working together for a host of commercial clients both had previously collaborated on UNCOMMON THREADS a fashion photographic project that combined the work of iconic Irish designer Sybil Connolly with that of contemporary designers like Eilis Boyle, Ruth Duignan and Edmund McNulty in a series of stunning visuals.

ADORNMENT grew out of this project when Agata approached Eddie to come up with a new idea for an art photo collaboration. Originally it was intended to photograph the work of just 6 jewellery designers but the interest in the project was so immense that eventually three submissions days were held at D – Light Studios in Dublin with jewellers from all over Ireland submitting work for consideration.

Both Agata and Eddie were astonished at the treasure trove of innovation, imagination and design talent uncovered, so much so that the original single day’s shoot became three days -each with it’s own theme.

The theme for the exhibition at Leitrim Design House is ADORNME Edgy Monochrome and a strictly limited edition of the prints is available to purchase. The photographic exhibition will be accompanied by a selection of cutting edge Jewellery from nine featured jewellery designers. The exhibition is open to everyone for four weeks from the 7th to the 31st of July.

To add a little extra enjoyment to the evening; the launch of ADORNMENT will be followed with a performance in the candle lit ambience of The Dock by the wonderful instrumental quartet Gato Azul from 8.30pm. Offering music ranging from Brazil to Bulgaria via the Mediterranean and using jazz improvisation to unify these diverse musical languages, Gato Azul is the latest project from Dublin-based Italian Francesco Turrisi who appeared in Carrick Water Music’s 2009 Festival with the groups Tarab and Yurodny. He will be joined by Michael Coady on Double Bass, Lucas Gonzales on guitar and Robbie Harris on percussion for a night of smooth world sounds and infectious jazzy grooves. A perfect way to round up your evening after you peruse the delights on offer in the Leitrim Design House.

Leitrim Design House is celebrating the Year of Craft with a series of innovative exhibitions. This June we welcome a creative feast by a collective of highly talented designer/makers from our neighbouring County Donegal.
The Donegal Designer Makers formed in 2009 will show their brand new “Snapshots” exhibition here in the Leitrim Design House from the 4th to the 30th June. Sponsored by the Crafts Council of Ireland, Snapshots explores the idea of capturing a moment in a lifetime and will include the work of 20 makers. The exhibition will open on Saturday the 4th June at 4pm and everyone is welcome to join us and meet the makers from Donegal

The Network was established in 2009 by members of the Donegal Crafts Guild with the objective of promoting the work of local designers and crafts workers across the county. Chaired by jewellery maker Hannah McGuinness, the group has grown rapidly and now has over 30 members, with some of the best-known names in crafts and design joining in the past six months.The exhibition will include work from textile artist Sharon McGinley, papercraft from Naomi Fluery, quirky handcrafts from Mucky Daisy, jewellery designers Rosie Maloney, Emer Kelly and Joanne Gamble. Other exhibitors include hand-painted silks from Karen O’Kane, Koko designs, artist Fiona Higgins, ceramic artists Emer O’Sullivan, Brian McGee and Liam Logue, sculptor and painter Marina Hamilton, Rathlin Knitwear, contemporary Irish furniture designers Martin Gallagher, PJ Patton and Noel Cronin of WORC studio and Alice & Eve, a new and exciting collaboration between Laura Buchanan and Helen Scott combining screen printing, textiles and ceramics.
“The exhibitors reflect the huge range of design and craft work available across the county” says Hannah McGuinness. The exhibition will travel on to the collectives own gallery space in Ardara, County Donegal from 8th July until 20th August, 2011.
For further information about “Snapshots” please contact the Leitrim Design House on 071 96 50550 or email info@leitrimdesignhouse.ie For information on Donegal Designer Makers visit www.donegaldesignermakers.com
Join us at 4 pm on the 4th for afternoon tea hosted by the Rock and Roll Tea Party

Karen O’Kane of Kokodesigns produces a vibrant collection of paintings on silk inspired by the landscape and fauna of Donegal which she transforms into wearable accessories and home furnishings. She is a member of Donegal Designer Makers and we are delighted to welcome her to Leitrim Design House as part of the Contemporary Reflections showcase.

Every item Karen produces is hand painted and is in fact a piece of art. Karen uses a traditional serti technique and also a paint-wash technique which is similar to traditional water colour painting. This gives a more fluid design on the silk. These are beautiful pieces for you and your home.

Reidin is a recent graduate of G.M.I.T Galway receiving an honor’s degree in Textile design and another participant in Contemporary Reflections. She has recently exhibited her work in London at the “New Designer showcase” in Dublin at the “Knit and Stitch show” and as a part of Groundwork’s studios exhibited in the Galway city museum.
Reidin’s current work “in ammanna” explores and identifies the traditional culture associated with the female role. The collection explores themes of myths, traditional beliefs and practices. Using traditional techniques associated with the woman of the house such as crochet, embroidery, weave and felting we get a nostalgic feeling of times gone by.

New to Leitrim Design House is “Contemporary Reflections”an exhibition of contemporary textiles by artists, Serena O’Neill, Jennifer Slattery, Reidin O’Meara, Jenny Mc Kenna, Karen O’ Kane, Joanne Quigley and Suzanne Woods.

Galway artist Serena O’Neill’s collection -As You Were, Madam-is a woman’s journey towards normalacy in extraordinary times. This body of work is concerned with a neglected place in women’s history, glimpsed behind the smiling photographs in scrapbooks of life’s less-celebrated moments. Aged photographs of an American woman’s 1940′s journey from domestic housewife to professional Navy official, represents the changing lifestyle of a generation of housewives thrown into the demands of war and patriotic duty. In such extraordinary times the bizarre mixes with the everyday, redefining notions of “normal” in civilian life. Painted illustrations depicting this bizarre mixture creates a sense of unease, as routine innocent actions are tainted by their wartime environment. Collected wartime relics feed the creative drive and textile exploration of the work, where the viewer is encouraged to become the discoverer of these artifacts of previous generations, of lost names and motifs, forgotten lives and lifestyles, unravelling the past. Jennifer Slattery home once belonged to her grandmother and is resonant with echoes of her life. From small vases, to peculiar ornaments and odd objects, she was reminded of generations past. These odd trinkets link to the past memories and moments, although they may be worthless in monetary value, they are precious and are cherished as heirlooms are. With a focus on Interiors, Jennifer is interested in exploring surface pattern. She strives for a strong sense of atmosphere in her work. She is attracted to mood and feeling that can be created visually by use of colour and the mixed media processes of building up layers; like the charm of an old wall, the worn out layers peel back revealing history and change, a history of the people that have been before and their personal stamp on a space.

On Sat 27th November a different and eye catching exhibition is opening at Leitrim Design House. Come along at 4pm and lift your spirits with stunning scenes from India. Local photographer Eunan Sweeney is sharing the experiences of his recent trip to India through this wonderful exhibition. Every picture tells a story Come along and join us for refreshments on Saturday 27th November. Enjoy the wonder, light and magic of India.