The official opening of The Arthouse Studios and Library, Stradbally County Laois took place on 13th May 2011. The opening was performed by Minister Jimmy Deenihan, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. The development, costing in excess of €1.2million, commenced early in 2010 has been assisted with funding from the Department of Tourism, Culture and Sport Access 11 scheme. Construction work was completed in December 2010. The architects for the development were Milligan, Reside and Larkin and the contractor was L&M Keating.
Facilities include a community library, artists’ studios and living accommodation, an exhibition gallery, an equipped music rehearsal space, a kiln, and a garden space with a commissioned Percent for Art wall mounted artwork and a meeting room for the Laois Heritage Society. Under the percent for art scheme a stainless steel relief wall piece was created by Wicklow based artist James Hayes and it graces the garden wall of the studios. A limestone sculpture by Henk Korthuys was purchased for the front of the building, also funded by the Percent for Art scheme. This sculpture was made in Mc Keon’s Stone, Limestone Yard in Stradbally by Henk when he participated on their international artist visiting programme last Summer. 1
Exhibitions
Selected exhibitions featuring lens-based media
- 2021-May 2022 In Trust. In Gratitude. In Hope. 10 years at the Laois Arthouse. This exhibition included in excess of 60 art works, all presented on 30x30cm canvas in addition two film works (one in animation). The photography and film is as follows: Eoin O Conaill, Clematis Vitalba Archival Injket print on aluminum, limited edition no 1 of 4 2021, So, these mornings, this window seat is where I find myself, nursing hot tea, Therry Rudin, Photograph on aluminum 2021, Padraig O Flannabhra Ag Stánadh Roimhe – Staring into space, against doubt, the dark, the Hurt. Handprinted photograph on canvas wrap, 2021, Padraig Robinson Fire (25mins) Digital film part of Five Stories on Fire, 2020
- 2018, 3 – 30 Mar, Portáidí Óir, Pardaig Ó Flannabhra, The Laois Arthouse, Stradbally
- 2017, A collaboration between dance artist Erica Pessanha Borges and Laois based photographer Terry Conroy.
- 2015, Saibhreas, Touring exhibition curated by Laois Arthouse, included, Artist Brian Redmond Title of Work Midlands man, Inkjet print from colour negative scan, vacuum press mounted and sealed, Artist Michael Boran – Title of Work Totem- Archival Inkjet Print, These photographs have been made in the midlands but also illustrate that sense of rotation, around or radiating from a central point, the function of the middle.
- 2014, 27th March – 17th April, Re-emergent, Paul Swan, multimedia work made during his Artist’s Residency, in the Killeshin Union of Parishes, based in the Rectory Maidenhead – with paintings, photographs and a short audio-visual piece.
- 2014, May 9th, Waiting for you, Lisa Fingleton, film screening
- 2013, There was a child / Field, archival pigment mounted on diabond, Cully 1 (From the series ‘Under a Grey Sky’) Simon Burch, Rudin ‘Lament for the Fallen Ash – Video-Loop, Small Installation
- 2013, In-Between Days [windsong] IV, Pat Fitzpatrick
- 2013, 17th October – Friday 15th November, Of Time and Place, Ollie Byrne, The Arthouse Gallery, Stradbally, 10 pieces of monochrome landscape photography taken between 2011 and 2013.
- 2012, Attic, Vera McEvoy
- 2008, Pat, Cloghan, Eoin O’Conaill
Series of Short Films, Ken Wardrop, 1. Hen [4:11] 2. Love is Like a Butterfly [2:57] 3. Dampened Spirit [3:28] 4. Raving [3:04] 5. Contagious [3:09] 6. Useless Dog [5:24] 7. Scoring [3:09] 8. Farewell Packets of Ten [3:03] 9. Ouch! [9:35] 10. Tongue Tied [3:10] 11. Bongo Bong [5:19] 12. Undressing my Mother [5:25] 13. The Herd [4:17] - 2008, Eggs in the Drills, Michael Fortune Eggs In The Drills is a collection of superstitious beliefs which were recorded in Cahir Day Care Centre, Cahir, Co. Tipperary, in April 2008. The work was recorded by Michael as part
of the 2008 Bealtaine Festival and was officially launched in Cahir Day Care Centre on Wednesday the 8th of May 2008.
