Bo Studio Group

Bó Studios

An Táin Arts Centre are expanding Bó Studios, a new artist studio, which is the latest addition to Dundalk’s vibrant arts scene.

Bó Studios is a new artist studio, supported by An Táin Arts Centre, The Arts Council of Ireland and Create Louth. 

Located in the heart of Dundalk town, the studios came to be when ceramicist Etaoin O’ Reilly was completing the Emerging Artist Residency with us in the Summer  of 2020 and was dismayed at the lack of suitable affordable artist studio space in the town. Lamenting this to David Callan, visual artist and a member of the An Táin Arts Centre team at the time, the pair decided to make it happen and joined forces with Ceramicist Olivia Hill and Fashion Designer Bláthnaid McClean. They subsequently found a suitable space and we were delighted to support them. 

In January 2023 as part of our expansion into our second space, An Táin Arts Centre Jocelyn Street, we were thrilled to be in a position to expand the artist studios and add four new artists to Bó Studios.

Bó Studios is currently made up of ceramicist’s Etaoin O’ Reilly and Olivia Hill, textile and print artist Bláthnaid Mc Clean and mixed media artist David Callan. They will be joined by, mixed media artist’s John Connolly and Stephen Hurley, printmaker and illustrator Linda McConville and video artist and musician James Mackin. 

Our Director Paul Hayes explains, “Each member will be provided with subsidized studio space until the end of the year and they will be afforded the opportunity to join a collective of multi-disciplinary artists making exciting new work and the chance to collaborate, support and exchange skills.We are very excited to see what they will create.”

David Callan
David CallanMixed Media Artist
David is a mixed media artist recently returned to his hometown of Dundalk. Since completing a BA in Art & Design at GMIT CCCAM in Galway, David has worked as a practicing artist, curator and art technician. He is a former director of 126, Artist-run Gallery, where he also had the opportunity to curate shows beyond the Galway gallery in Monstertruck Gallery, Dublin, E:vent, London and the RHA. He is a former member of the collectives Angry Hammers and Expanded Draught and has worked as an art technician for various galleries and festivals around the country.
Olivia Hill
Olivia HillCeramic Artist
Olivia says she has come to ceramics later than most, although she always used art and interior design as a creative outlet. She recently found the process of creating in ceramics helps her to express what her soul truly wants to express and therefore encourages great healing especially when dealing with the loss of her beautiful son Joshua. She now wants to take this time in the new studio to see where her art will take her, with the aim to create something beautiful while finding inner peace.
Bláthnaid McClean
Bláthnaid McCleanBeezti Designs
Bláthnaid studied at NCAD receiving a BA in Fashion Design. When she left college she started up her own label selling out of the Design Centre in Powerscourt Townhouse in Dublin. She was awarded a scholarship to study Bespoke Menswear Tailoring (CPD Diploma) with the National Tailoring Academy (in association with Louis Copeland). She spent some time working as a Product Designer for Horseware Ireland, and on a bespoke bridesmaid commission. In 2018 she started up her own hand screen printed T-shirt business called BEEZTI, selling her unique designs online.
Etaoin O’Reilly
Etaoin O’ReillyCeramic Artist
Etaoin is a ceramic artist who graduated from NCAD in 2014 with a first class honors in Craft Design. Since graduating Etaoin has completed residencies at NCAD, LSAD and An Táin Arts Centre. She completed training in glaze technology and production pottery on the Design and Crafts Councils of Ireland’s Ceramic Skills Course, in Thomastown, Kilkenny. Her achievements include; winner “The Overall Future Makers Award” for her NCAD degree show and acceptance on the “Young Ambassadors Program”. This program sent her to Venice where she worked for the “Homer Faber Exhibition”. She has just launched “Etaoin O’Reilly Ceramics” where she sells her own ceramic art work and functional range.
John Connolly
John ConnollyMixed Media Artist
John is a mixed media and performance artist who has recently graduated with a Masters in Fine Art & Sculpture from the University of Ulster. He is a member of Flax Studios in Belfast and also works as a visual arts technician. Recent exhibitions include ‘SHIT Show’ at the Project Space, 7 North Street Belfast and ‘The Magnitude of Small Things” The Mac Gallery Belfast.
Stephen Hurley
Stephen HurleyMixed Media Artist
Stephen is an artist with a background in Graphic Design. He holds a BA in Graphic Design and a BA in Visual Communications. His first exhibition ‘Local Legends’ was an off-site mixed-media installation, in a store front celebrating Dundalks ‘Local Legends’ during lockdown and was commissioned by An Táin Arts Centre. He has contributed work to exhibitions by Creative Spark and Belfast Print Works and is a member of the Creative Spark Print Studio.
Linda McConville
Linda McConvilleArtist, Printmaker and Illustrator
Linda McConville is an artist, illustrator and printmaker, who has a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Design and a Honours Degree in Fine Art from GMIT (now ATU). In 2011, she received the Emerging Artists Bursary Award from Cork Printmakers, receiving a membership and use of their workshop for a year. Her work has been exhibited around Ireland and Scotland, with two of her college graduate prints in the University of Galway. Linda now works in mainly watercolour, pencil, pen and ink, along with digital, and a number of crafts.
James Mackin
James MackinVideo Artist / Musician
James is an established composer, performer and session musician. He was in residence at An Táin Arts Centre in 2021. He has worked with a variety of organisations including Gothe-Institut, Brooklyn Academy of Music NYC, Kilkenny Arts Festival, Film Society at The Lincoln Centre NYC and The National Gallery of Art in Washington. James is currently developing his practice as a video artist and using music and soundscapes as the inspirations.