An Táin Arts Centre are delighted to support 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 at An Táin Arts Centre in 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 An Táin Arts Centre are delighted to have secured funding to support them.

 Bó Studios will house the 4 practicing artists, with dedicated space for each artist in an open plan setting, which offers its members the opportunity to collaborate, support and exchange skills thereby growing their individual practice and in turn contributing to the visual arts scene in Dundalk.

Speaking about this latest collaboration Director of An Táin Arts Centre, Paul Hayes says “One of the main challenges facing visual artists is space, having somewhere they can go to work and create. I am delighted that we can support Etaoin, Dave, Olivia and Bláthnaid in Bó Studios. The space is wonderful and I look forward to seeing all the wonderful art they will produce.

 

CURRENT STUDIO ARTISTS

David Callan
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 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 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. https://www.beezti.com

 

Etaoin O’Reilly
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.. https://ceramicsbyetaoinoreilly.com/