The Connecting Artists Collective
Created by Artists for Artists
Upcoming Events:
We are exhibiting at the RHA!
Exhibition running from Thursday, 15th February to Sunday, 28th April 2024
Click the button below to find out more.
The Collective is proud and honoured to exhibit at the Royal Hibernian Academy. This exhibition at the RHA marks a ground-breaking moment in the art world. This is the inaugural occasion for a collective of artists living with intellectual disabilities to showcase their work at the RHA, a prestigious art institution.
The Connecting Artists Collective itself is an offshoot of the Connecting Artists Programme, an annual, innovative online initiative aimed at helping visual artists with intellectual disabilities refine their artistic skills.
The Connecting Artists Collective was developed based on a strong wish expressed by the artists who participated in the inaugural Connecting Artist programme in 2022 and 2023 programmes to stay connected and continue to support each other and share their skills. It acts as a dynamic online hub that promotes artistic exploration and collaboration, both within the disability community and the broader society. This unique space allows artists to express their individuality and cultural identity, showcasing and selling their work.
Connections Arts Centre supports the group of artists along with mentors from the Connecting Artists programme who have joined the Collective with an active WhatsApp group, monthly online meetings and opportunities to exhibit and sell their work.
The Collective aims to give Artists a safe supported space where they can continue to share their skills, learn from each other, and know that there is always someone available who can answer any questions about their practice.
Meet the Artists and Collective Members:
The artists from 2022 and 2023 are very active in the Collective community and share their work and experiences. We are growing our community here at Connections Arts Centre and will run a 2024 Connecting Artists Programme. In September 2024 we will bring this year’s artists and mentors together with Collective members. Our aim by the end of 2024 is to have up to 40 Artists and mentors in the collective and to have developed a dedicated space on our website with accessible resources to support the artists.
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Alan Tarpey
Artist
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Amy Begley
Artist
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Amy Clarke
Artist
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David Singleton
Artist
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Jenny Stafford
Artist
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Peter Kehoe
Artist
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Vicky Kilpatrick
Artist
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Niamh Eldridge-Barry
Artist
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Samuel Hillard
Artist
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Clement Yang
Artist
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Jennifer Humphreys
Artist
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Jessica Londi
Artist
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Mark Buckley
Artist
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Matthew Sexton
Artist
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Thomas Higgins
Artist
Collective Events
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Artist Demonstration at the RHA
Artist Alan Tarpey gave an artist demonstration at the RHA. Alan shared his artistic practice and techniques while giving a live drawing demonstration. He also answered questions from the audience and shared some poetry a well. He was engaging and the audience loved learning about his creative process.
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CA collective at the RHA Exhibition Opening Night
The Collective artists celebrated with the other artists exhibiting at the RHA and the art community. The opening night event for the CAC at RHA exhibition, was a joyous event where everyone got to celebrate the creative work of all the artists.
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Artist Workshop: Crawford Gallery, Cork
What amazing day!!! And made great connections with @doubletakearts @kcat.art.centre @crawford.supportedstudio @suisha.arts @crawfordartgallery can’t thank @crawfordartgallery for all their support and welcoming and hosting us!
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Selling and Exhibition: ArtSource Cork
Collective artists sold and exhibited artwork at ArtSource Cork, at Cork City Hall. During the three day event, 6th-8th October 2023. Many of the artists came to the event to speak about their work and meet the other artists selling at the event. Fun was had by all and connections were made.
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Exhibition: University of Atypical
Collective artists and their artwork took to the road. The exhibition at University of Atypical ran from the 3rd - 25th August 2023. For the opening event some of the artists were there; sharing their stories and experience from the Connecting Artist Programme.
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CA 2023 Exhibition: Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Our ten amazing artists from Connecting Artists 2023 exhibited their work at the prestigious Royal College of Surgeons (RCSI) from Sunday 16th of July until Tuesday 18th of July, 2023.
We saw over 300 attendees across the 3-day exhibition; which included attendees from all across Ireland. We were honoured to have Irish television broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan participate in the exhibition, give her time to meet the artists, and launch the opening of the event, with an inspiring introduction.
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CitiBank Christmas Fair
Along with other organisations from from Inner City Enterprise and supported by CAC. The Collective artists were able to showcase and sell original art at the 2023 Citi Bank Christmas fair in Dublin.
CAC would like to thank our Connecting Artists Collective sponsors Bank of Ireland, Business to Arts begin together fund. “Connecting corporate and cultural sectors through purposeful arts partnerships”. And RHA for their exhibition and workshop support.
