Visiting Artists, Art on the Farm 2012

We are pleased to announce our 2012 visiting artists Devra Fox, Nora Rodriguez, Rachael MacFarlane and Sarah Hearn. During the programme they will run workshops, give individual tutorials and speak about their own creative process. This provides our students for Art on the Farm a great opportunity to work with and learn from dedicated and talented artists. For more examples of their work please click here.
Devra will receive her BFA from Bard college this year. A common theme that emerges in her practice is growth and deterioration in connection with the human body and nature. She seeks parallels, such as the correlation between the stemming of human veins and branches of a tree, and an overarching connectedness present between our bodies and nature.
Nora received her BA in Visual Art and Art History from Columbia University in 2011. She has taught at the Oxbow School in Napa, CA, Philips Academy, Andover MA and the De Young Museum in San Francisco, CA. Her recent work has been on paper in ink and pencil, and addresses sign systems, primarily personal and cultural symbols which express subjectivity.
Rachel received her BA from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 2008. She has been working as a technician and mentor at her alma mater, offering technical demonstrations, artist talks and individual critiques.Her work uses maquettes made of found refuse to serve as references for painted worlds that fall somewhere between mimetic representation and abstraction.
Sarah received her BFA from the College of Santa Fe in 2001 and her MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2010, and currently lives and teaches in Oklahoma City. Her recent work, An Unnatural History, is an installation that inhabits the space between the continuously shifting realms of science, pseudoscience and science fiction, documenting the (fictional) discovery of a taxonomy of marine life.
Agnes Irwin SSP

This year we welcomed back a group from The Agnes Irwin School for a second session of their SSP program focusing on drawing, photography, and the history and culture of Ireland.
Their time was jam packed and fun filled. Some of our activities included a three day trip to Dublin where we visited Kilmainham Gaol, Fire Station Artist Studios and the Royal Hibernian Academy. A day trip in Wexford was highlighted by a visit to Hook Head to see the oldest continuously operational lighthouse in the world, a ramble through the picturesque Tintern Abbey and a tour of the Dunbrody famine ship. Back at the Cow House the girls were treated to an evening of traditional Irish stories by story teller Jack Lynch, an artist talk by local artist Kate Murphy, and an exchange with students from Our Lady of Lourdes Secondary School.
In the studio everyone worked diligently through drawing, photography and bookmaking workshops, culminating in some wonderful handmade books. The nighttime photograph above by Margee Howell was taken during our night photo workshop. Amidst all the hard work lots of time was still found to play with the dogs, cycle and jog around the block, and to celebrate two birthdays!
This was our first group with our new baby boy Michael, and we couldn't have asked for a more kind, thoughtful and warm hearted group of girls to share it with. The two weeks seemed to just fly by, and we really look forward to catching up with everyone this winter. We would like to especially thank Keri Farrow for all her hard work in putting the trip together, and look forward to another great trip in 2014! You can have a look at images from the trip here.
Visiting Artists, Art on the Farm 2011

For the summer of 2011 we will host artists Christin Boggs and Zsofia Schweger. For nine weeks they will run workshops, give individual tutorials and speak about their own creative process. This gives our students for Art on the Farm a great opportunity to work with and learn from young, dedicated and talented artists. For more examples of their work please click here.
Christin is an artist, photographer, educator, and sustainable food advocate. A native of the Washington Metropolitan Area, she holds a MFA in Imaging Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology [2010] and a BFA in Art and Visual Technology from George Mason University [2007]. Her recent project Slow & Steady has appeared in a number of public venues including a solo exhibition at the Design Gallery at the Rochester Regional Community Design Center.
Originally from Szeged, Hungary, Zsofia is currently studying for her B.A. in Studio Art and Comparative Literature at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts. She has worked as gallery assistant at the Jewett Gallery of Art and interned at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Visiting Artists, Art on the Farm 2010

For the summer of 2010 we will host artists Manya Fox and Julie O’Rourke. For these nine weeks they will run workshops, give individual tutorials and speak about their own creative process. This gives our students for Art on the Farm a great opportunity to work with and learn from young, dedicated and talented artists. For more examples of their work please click here.
Manya, originally from Seattle, received her BA from Bard College in 2005 and her MFA from UCLA in 2008. She has exhibited her work extensively throughout the United States, and was included in the 2009 Collector’s Guide to Emerging Art Photography, published by the Humble Arts Foundation. Manya has had extensive teaching experience at both the UCLA and LACMA teen summer programmes, and as a guest lecturer at various institutions including Bard College, Sheridan College and UCLA. In 2009, Manya participated in two artist residencies, the Jentel Artist Residency Program in Banner Wyoming, and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City, Nebraska. Manya currently lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
Julie O’Rourke grew up in the woods of Maine. After receiving her BFA in Textile design from Rhode Island School of Design she continues explore traditional craft using modern design techniques. With a focus mainly in knitting, sewing, and weaving, Julie’s body of work reflects her appreciation for start to finish design, consciousness of material source, and the simplicity and versatility of natural materials. She draws inspiration from her ever-shifting surroundings and can still often be found with pockets full of rocks, feathers, and sea shells.
Presentation School Workshops
Rosie and Frank visited the Presentation Secondary School in Wexford town in March, to host workshops with the transition year students. Frank taught a cyanotypes workshop, and Rosie worked with the girls to produce large scale charcoal drawings focusing on negative space. Here are a few photos of the days activities.Visiting Artists for Art on the Farm 2009

From July 12 to July 25 we will host artists Matt Davis and Jennifer K. Beal Davis for one week during each of our sessions of Art on the Farm. During this time they will run workshops, give individual tutorials and speak about their own creative process. For more examples of their work please go here.
Jennifer K. Beal Davis
Jenny is a photographer and graphic designer based in New York and Philadelphia. She graduated from RISD with a BFA in Photography in 2001, and studied photography internationally at Spéos in Paris, France. Jenny has a deep passion for teaching. An expert printer, she's a traditionalist at heart, in love with the big clunk her Hasselblad camera makes with every film exposure. In her professional life she designs illustrated books and stationery at Clarkson Potter/Publishers with authors including Rachael Ray, Colin Cowie, theknot.com and many more. Jenny was formerly the Photo Editor at Packaged Goods, and a Photo Shoot Coordinator at Rockport Publishers, Fairwinds Press, and Quarry Books. She art directs photo shoots and works with photography on a daily basis.Matt Davis
Matt is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design where he received a BFA in Illustration. He is the Creative Director for a franchise corporation and has a busy freelance illustration career specializing in collectible silkscreen posters for popular music acts. His art tends to favor surrealism, traditional tattoo imagery, symmetry and pretty ladies.Cow House Studios partners with Wexford Arts Centre

Wexford Arts Centre, in partnership with Cow House Studios have initiated an annual international residency and exhibition programme. This collaboration consists of a ten week residency for an international visual artist at Cow House Studios, which will facilitate an exhibition at Wexford Arts Centre. This programme provides a significant opportunity for international artists to live, work and exhibit in Ireland, and simultaneously exposes Irish audiences to progressive contemporary art from around the world.
The artists awarded the 2008 residency are Peter Allen Hoffmann and Haden Nicholl.
Peter Allen Hoffmann lives and works in New York. He completed his MFA from Hunter College, New York. To date, Hoffman has exhibited in numerous solo and group shows in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia and Berlin. Hoffmann is represented by Freight + Volume Gallery, New York and Thomas Robertello Gallery, Chicago.
“These new works represent an ongoing dialogue with aspects of the art historical canon. Disparate as they appear, these paintings function as a collection, where the relationships between them create a forum for the continuation of the conversation.”
Haden Nicholl originally from Colorado, currently lives in San Francisco where he works with troubled teens. He received his MFA in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute, California, and his BA in Psychology and BFA from the University of Denver, Colorado. Nicholl has exhibited extensively in California and abroad, including London, Puerto Rico and Ecuador, and his work is represented by the Little Tree Gallery in San Francisco.
“The bulk of my practice involves using symbols and text to provoke introspective reactions in the viewer. Working in a different country and preparing for a show there, has challenged me to develop my understanding of the culture so that I can interact with the audience on a more intimate level.”
Furthermore, Cow House Studios award two additional residencies annually. Applications are open to both national and international visual artists working in any medium. Cow House Studios provide shared accommodation and twenty four hour access to the studio and facilities. The 2400 square-foot open plan space contains a wood shop, darkroom and computer lab. Individual spaces measure 18 square meters, each with abundant natural light.
The 2009 Artist in Residence Programme runs from September 14 until December 1.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 30 January, 2009.
Thanks to Jackie, Maria and the entire A=AGHT crew!

A big thank you to everyone involved with bringing the incredible kids from New Orleans and Tallaght together here at the Cow House for ten intense days of art-making. Rosie and I would like to especially thank Jackie for putting together such an ambitious project, and thinking of our studio as a place to end her residency here in Ireland, Maria for working so hard to ensure that everything ran smooth, and helping out in every possible way be it writing grant applications, cooking in the kitchen, helping out in the studios or designing awesome t-shirts. We would also like to thanks Timeka, Turron and YAYA for bringing such a great group of kids over from New Orleans. We can't wait to see ya'll on your home turf and try out those famed Po-Boys. And of course a fond farewell to Jay, Jasmine, Azania, Chloe, Aine, Padrig, Kwayne, Jourdan and Sarah. You will be missed dearly.
A=AGHT

Cow House Studios are proud to announce our support for and collaboration with artist Jackie Sumell in her newest project A=AGHT. For ten days our studios will facilitate a collaboration between students from New Orleans, LA and Tallaght, Co Dublin on projects designed by participating artists including Cow House founders Frank Abruzzese and Rosie O'Gorman.
A=AGHT is a project designed by lead artist Jackie Sumell under the South Dublin County Percent for Art Scheme. Ms. Sumell is currently artist-in-resident through In Context-3 Programme, based in Tallaght and has been working in New Orleans over the last 7 years.
A=AGHT is a concept based on creating the same sound from two entirely different spellings. This serves as the conceptual catalyst for the process of identifying and extracting commoness in seemingly different communities. NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) and Tallaght (South County Dublin).
A=AGHT is a semi-utopic virtual space/town whose rules, population and culture are generated by a facilitated exchange between youth from New Orleans and Tallaght. Adult artists and cultural workers from both cities will develop projects that encourage youth participants to explore historic moments, social grievances, ethnic and racial disparities in order to invent a place of creative resolve.
New Summer Courses Added

