The Ark Invites The Public To Exhibit Their Own Work This Summer

This summer at The Ark its ART 360°, where you get the chance to encounter a range of visual arts activities. From making art, with all kinds of diverse materials, to exhibiting your work: a true multi-media experience. Get your senses involved in bringing out the artist in you in two fantastic visual arts programmes at The Ark this summer.

The fun starts 8 July when The Ark, A Cultural Centre for Children in association with Temple Bar Cultural Trust's The Summer Sensational presents Feast for The Senses. From 8 -12 July at The Ark experience 5 senses - taste, touch, sight, sound and smell - in 5 workshops over 5 days in a summer sensory journey. Discover a different sense every day, or enjoy all five, in these drop-in, hour-long visual art workshops with artist Jane Groves.

Then from 14 July the main summer programme takes centre stage with EXHIBIT ME! This is a unique opportunity to work alongside professional artist Terry O'Farrell, who will guide you and inspire you to create your very own artworks in a visual arts experience exploring the theme of FAMILY.

The experience begins in The Ark's gallery, where you will view some of Terry's work. Meet and spend time with a ‘live' artist, share stories about her family, her work, and have creative conversations to explore your own ideas of family. The Ark workshop becomes your very own studio as each week, Terry introduces a range of exciting materials and techniques with which you can experiment. Everything you see and touch can be inspiration for the creation of your piece of art and each Sunday you can bring your whole family along to take part in the dedicated family workshops. The exhibition will be curated by Ashleigh Downey, The Ark's Visual Arts Programmer, in collaboration with the artist Terry O'Farrell.

You can also have your work showcased in The Ark gallery alongside Terry's work in an evolving exhibition open Wednesday to Sunday throughout the summer. So bring your family and friends along to see your creation on display alongside other new works which will be added to the exhibition each week.

Each week in the workshops you can make different types of art Clay Sculptures, Clay Pictures, Drawing, Plaster, Cloth and Mixed Media.

MORE DETAILS:

CLAY SCULPTURES 14-18 JULY
This week offers you the chance to learn new techniques of modelling, sculpting, sticking, pinching and coiling to create terracotta families.

CLAY PICTURES 21-25 JULY
Experiment with flat slabs of clay to create family drawings and cut-outs. You can work with a variety of coloured clay, using tools to scratch, cut, draw and reshape your family images.

DRAWING 28 JULY-1 AUGUST
Join us for a week of drawing where you will be introduced to a number of different mark making tools and techniques. Using interesting drawing methods, such as ripping, scratching, cutting, and collaging you can create flat or sculptured artworks.

PLASTER 4-8 AUGUST
Get your fingers even dirtier as you press and pour plaster shapes to create your ideas. For those who like to keep their hands clean there will be many other dry materials to bring your family to life.

CLOTH 11-15 AUGUST
Cloth is the focus with many colourful and textured fabrics to choose from. Let your imagination run wild as you wrap, stitch, cut, and bind cloth to make your family. Extra decorative details can be added by stitching beads and buttons to create figures that can stand or hang together.

MIXED MEDIA 18-22 AUGUST
A week full of infinite possibilities! Let your imagination run wild as you rummage through lots of different materials. Make your family from many crazy things you might find in your studio, such as shells, ping pong balls, wire, balloons, sand or even water which you can photograph before it dries. Why not bring in your own materials to add to what is already in the workshop?

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Terry O'Farrell has over 25 years experience working with children and adults of all ages. She has participated in many workshop programmes in both London and Dublin, including Whitechapel Gallery, the Camden Arts Centre and Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Arts Office. Terry facilitated workshops for Wiseways, an exhibition with IMMA's National Programme at X-PO Kilnabow, Co. Clare, which included work made by local schoolchildren and adults. She previously worked with The Ark during Earth Explorers in 2009. Terry is currently working with Creative Classrooms for Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown Arts Office as part of their artist panel. She has a great passion for the visual arts, nurturing creativity, ideas and expression and honouring the artist in everyone.

Jane Groves was educated in textile design at the Chelsea School of Art. Her work is a natural fusion of textile, jewellery and costumes. She has exhibited and commissioned extensively in New Zealand, where she lived for many years. Since moving to Ireland she has dressed sets at numerous high profile music events, including Electric Picnic, and participated in the Craft in the Classroom scheme run by the Crafts Council of Ireland. She is currently based in Wicklow, working with children in Pine Forest Art School as well as on her own body of work.

The Ark gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council in making the summer programme possible, and the support of the Department of Education and Skills, Temple Bar Cultural Trust and Dublin City Council.

FEAST FOR THE SENSES
DATES: 8-12 July
SUITABLE FOR: 3 - 14 years
TIMES: 10.30am / 12pm / 2.30pm
DURATION: 1 hour
PRICE: €6 / €4* per workshop
REAL DEALS: €24 / €16* for all 5 workshops if booked together in advance
€15 / €10* for any 3 workshops if booked together in advance

EXHIBIT ME!
DATES: 14 July - 22 August
SUITABLE FOR: 2 - 14 years
TIMES: EVOLVING EXHIBITION (free entry) open Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm-5pm
WORKSHOPS Wednesday to Saturday 10.30am/1.30pm/3.30pm
Sunday 1.30pm/3.30pm
DURATION: 1 ½ hours (Toddler workshop 1 hour)
PRICE: €10 / €8* per workshop
REAL DEALS: €50 / €40* SEASON TICKET - 6 workshops for the price of 5**
€34 / €28* SUNDAY FAMILY WORKSHOP TICKET (group of 4)

REMEMBER: TODDLER MORNINGS (2-3 year olds) every Wednesday at 10.30am
WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY WORKSHOPS (4-14 year olds) Wednesday 1:30pm/3.30pm & Thursday-Saturday 10.30am/1.30pm/3.30pm
SUNDAY IS FAMILY DAY! Workshop for family groups at 1.30pm / 3.30pm

* Price for students, senior citizens, the unwaged, those parenting alone and their accompanying children.

** Book a ticket for each of the six workshops and only pay for five. To avail of the season ticket prices, all workshops must be booked at the same time. Excludes family workshops.

BOOKING
Box office opens 31 May www.ark.ie Tel: 01 670 7788

 

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