EDUCATION
2008- 2010 Masters by Research in Fine Art at the CIT Crawford College of Art and Design.
1988 Diploma in Fine Art Painting, Limerick College of Art and Design. (Degree equivalent).
1984 One year Certificate in Visual Education, Crawford College of Art and Design.
EXHIBITIONS SOLO/ TWO PERSON
2019 PENUMBRA, solo exhibition at the Sternview gallery, Cork
2015 TU ME MANQUES, solo exhibition at Backwater Artists Studios. Opening 11th June, Midsummer Arts Festival.
2015 CREWEL, a collaborative exhibition between Mags Geaney, painter, and Jenny Monks, textile artist, The Lightboxes at Tom
Barry’s. March – May.
2011 FALL, solo exhibition at Backwater Artists Studios.
2010 BY REQUEST, Wandesford Quay Gallery.
2010 LUCKY video projection in the Wandesford Quay courtyard
2004 VASALISA’S JOURNEY, The Light boxes TomBarry’s
2000 TRYST, Tig Fili, Cork and toured to Siamsa Tire Gallery, Tralee, Kerry
SELECTED GROUP
2017 BACKWATER AT THE GLUCKSMAN
2017 OPEN at Backwater Studios.
2016 IMAGO MUNDI curated by Ciara Gibbons, Blue leaf Gallery, Dublin for Benetton.
2016/11 ART FOR CAMBODIA Henchy’s annual exhibition, St.Lukes, Cork.
2011 MAGS GEANEY at Brown Thomas exhibition, invited artist.
2010 BACKWATER TWENTY 10 at the Crawford Art Gallery
2009 STRAY LIGHT/ DARK LIGHT performance festival, curator Amanda Coogan, Dublin Milll Gallery, Dublin
2008 FRUITCAKES AND FURRY COLLARS, West Cork Arts Centre, Cork
2007 FENTON GALLERY Summer Show
DEATH AND DESIRE, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Cork
2006 FETISH IN A BOX, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
CHRISTMAS SHOW, Fenton Gallery, Cork
MOTHER ART,Buckley Gallery, Clonakilty, Cork
2005 CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE CATHEDRAL, St.Finbarres
C2, CONTEMPORARY ART FROM CORK Crawford Gallery
2004 TERRIBLE BEAUTY, Contemporary Irish Artists, Sala Consiliare,Varese,Italy
2004 BACKWATER MEETS BLACKWATER, Mallow, Cork
ART TRAIL, Backwater Artists Studios.
2003 BACKWATER TOURING EXHIBITION, Sligo Art Gallery, Triskel Arts Centre, Clotsworthy Arts Centre
2002 HAPPY ACCIDENTS, Triskel Arts Centre
FIGURE IT OUT, Group show, U.C.C.
SUMMER SOW / CHRISTMAS SHOW, The Fenton Gallery, Cork
ART IN THE CATHEDRAL, St. Finbarres, Cork
2000 SAMHAIN SWING, APT Gallery, Greenwich Gallery, London
MILLENIUM ART AND CHRISTIANITY, West Cork Arts Centre,
1999 BACKWATER IN BERLIN Dock 11 Gallery, Kastanienallee, Berlin
PLEIN AIR EXHIBITION,Theatre Gallery, Alytus, Lithuania
1998 ART TRAIL,Backwater Studios
1997 PARAGON STUDIOS Exhibition, The Gallery, Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland
1996 ART REBELS, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
1995 FLOOR TO CEILING, Visual Arts Programme, Belfast Festival at Queens.
1995 IONTAS Touring Exhibition, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast.
1994 THE HOLLOW MEN, Collaborative project with actor David Warden, Catalyst Arts, Belfast.
AWARDS
2010 Winner of Cork Printmakers Image selection, to be used on a carrier bag to promote Cork.Printmakers.
2007 Commission for Cork City Council at ‘The City Waterworks”
2004 Art Flight, Arts Council of Ireland
1999 Residency at International Plein Air, Alytus, Lithuania
1998 Art Flight, ACOI
1994 Visual Arts Bursary, ACNI
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2011 Public commission for The Discovery Centre, Neurological Paediatric Research at UCC/CUH. Opened in Cork University Hospital by Professor Anita Maguire, Vice President for Research & Innovation, UCC in association with the Health Research board and the HSE.
2008 The Lifetime Lab, Cork City Waterworks for Cork City Council. I created 21 paintings to be used for interpretative signage. The paintings are on permanent display and the panels depicting the history of the Cork City Waterworks are used in their education programme on site. This project entailed 3 months of research, visits to the Kew Steam Museum, London and a series of meetings with archeologists, engineers, social historians and teachers.
2008/2003 St. Maries of the Isle primary school. I completed a series of murals incorporating the history of the school with the drawings of the children from every class. I designed the play area outside with games, hopscotch, line up area, etc on the ground.
I returned in 2008 to paint the entrance and façade of the building with signage.
2004/2001 North Monastery Primary school. To celebrate the school’s founder Edmund Rice as part of its 50thAnniversary celebrations, I completed a very large mural the length of the school/playground I facilitated the participation of every student in the school. I worked closely with the class teachers for many weeks as artist- in- residence, getting the students to make the mural ‘theirs’ in every way to give them a sense of ownership and pride in it. This was the principal Con Higgins’s idea to prevent vandalism of the completed mural. It was a great success with a grand opening, complete with a brass band and coverage by TG4.
I returned in 2004 to create another mural. This time to celebrate the school’s first vegetable garden, the Monastery Garden. The purpose of the garden was to educate the children about nature in a school setting and the mural outlines the lifecycle of a garden, with a sunflower that the children can use to measure their height while they harvest their produce to create delicious meals. I worked on the project with artist Paul La Rocque and Hester Forde, the school co-coordinator/ creator of the garden.
OTHER INFORMATION
2015 Art Beat, Interview by Don O’ Mahony, for UCC 98.3fm !9thJune.
2011/2004 Director of Backwater Artists Studios.
2010 I organized two different exhibitions for Backwater Artists Studios to celebrate twenty years in existence, ‘Backwater
2010’ at the Crawford Art Gallery, and The Lightboxes at Tom Barry’s.
2009 Opening speaker at the 21stannual summer exhibition of Art and DesignIN THE NOW at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa.
2008/2007 Generic Facilitation Skills certificate, Social & Health Psychology
2007/2005 Foundation Level One and Level Two in Social & Health Psychology.
EMPLOYMENT
2017/18 Art Teacher of Ceramics, Fetac Level 3,CSN, Art, Craft & DesignFetac Level 3, level 5 & 6 Art Appreciationlevel 5 & 6.,
2016/17 ArtTeacher of CeramicsFetac Level 3 BTEIat CSN,Tramore Road.
2016/17 Art Teacher of DrawingFetac Level 5 atCSN, Tramore Road.
2015/16 Art Teacher of PaintingFetac Level 5 and 6, and of History of Art and Art Appreciation,Fetac level 5 and 6 at CSN, Tramore
Rd.
2015 Art Tutor at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa, Tramore Road. (Since 2000)
I teach Drawing and Painting Fetac level 4 and beginners & Intermediate level. I help students develop their portfolio and prepare for college interview. I bring them on guided tours of the Crawford Art Gallery’s permanent collection and its contemporary exhibition programme, combined with studio visits and to other galleries, Wandesford Quay gallery/Glucksman etc.
I run a summer camp with mixed media practical workshops, life drawing, still life, collage, 3D work and printmaking. I organized two annual exhibitions of the students work off site and many others at CSN. The inaugural exhibition at the O’ Rahilly Building at UCC was opened by Mr. Ted Owens, CEO, Cork VEC. (CETB). Mr. Joe Burns, Director of the Lavit Gallery, opened the second exhibition, Cork. I worked with the Arts Administration students recommended by Carol White (head of Arts Admin at CSN), creating the invitation, press release, hanging the work and facilitating the opening.
I have given lectures using PowerPoint to the students about my own work, my MA research at CSN. I invite them to my exhibitions and share my experience of being a practicing artist, combining teaching, creating public commissions and lectures/ workshops in all areas of Art education for all levels.
2011 Canova at the Crawford Gallery, (ongoing) since 2003. In this workshop I give a lecture on the history of the statuary, its arrival in Cork and the first art students taught in Cork City rather than in London/ Europe. The practical side of the workshop entails a small group of students doing life drawing in the cast gallery in situ, becoming each other’s model assuming the various poses of the athletes of ancient Greece and Rome. On completion of these preparatory sketches, photographs of the students in the different poses are taken and then ultimately the students transcribe their chosen pose/ image onto sheets of acetate. These drypoints created are then printed on paper back at the studio. I have modified this lecture/ workshop so that it is accessible to all students at all levels, adults, groups with special needs, corporate visitors, etc.
2005/2003 I created and implemented the Education Programme at the Crawford Art Gallerywith artist Una Quigley. We set up guided tours with practical workshops, managed the art budget and facilitated the onsite/ outreach programme. We worked with primary/post primary schools all over Cork, fostering a link with the school onsite at the gallery and then a follow up visit to maintain the relationship with the Crawford Gallery.
2004/2002 Artist in residence at St. Mary’s on the Hill primary school, as part of the’ Bridging the Gap’ programme. I worked with the two 5th classes for the first year; I gave them guided tours of the permanent collection at the Crawford Art Gallery and the contemporary exhibition programme. In accordance with the curriculum I developed a series of workshops and encouraged their use of available, free, local educational amenities. I developed ‘Inside Your Head’ a self-portrait exhibition and this culminated in a ceramic tile mural at the school with all their portraits laser trained on to the tiles.
2003 I facilitated a drawing workshop with all of the teachers at St. Mary’s on the Hill primary school, explaining the basics of drawing to allow them to develop lesson plans themselves.
2004/1999 Adult Education Tutorin oil and acrylic painting, pastel, charcoal/ ink/ mixed media to the parents of the students in St. Vincent’s Secondary school. I organized their annual exhibition and fundraising for local charities.
2001/1998 Tutor of drawing and paintingat the Roches Resource Centre, Roches Bldgs. I taught beginners/intermediate classes for 7- 11 yrs, teenagers 12-18 yrs, adults, and the elderly. I organized an annual exhibition with an opening speaker, poster, wine, sales etc.
1997/1994 Education Officer at the Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast. I was responsible for the creation and implementation of the Education programme, which coincided with the four exhibitions in the gallery at any time. I was responsible for the budget of the Education programme. I worked onsite and outreach. I visited all primary schools in the Belfast area. I worked with hearing impaired children, developmentally challenged, Down syndrome and all special needs groups to encourage their engagement with all suitable/ appropriate exhibitions at the gallery. I gave lectures on all exhibitions, which changed monthly to all levels. I facilitated Artist talks and I matched specific artists with particular schools to achieve the Education programme’s main objectives of accessibility and inclusiveness for everyone.
COLLECTIONS
Bank of IrelandCollection
Alytus Art Museum, Lithuania.
Private collections in Ireland, Northern Ireland and USA.
2008- 2010 Masters by Research in Fine Art at the CIT Crawford College of Art and Design.
1988 Diploma in Fine Art Painting, Limerick College of Art and Design. (Degree equivalent).
1984 One year Certificate in Visual Education, Crawford College of Art and Design.
EXHIBITIONS SOLO/ TWO PERSON
2019 PENUMBRA, solo exhibition at the Sternview gallery, Cork
2015 TU ME MANQUES, solo exhibition at Backwater Artists Studios. Opening 11th June, Midsummer Arts Festival.
2015 CREWEL, a collaborative exhibition between Mags Geaney, painter, and Jenny Monks, textile artist, The Lightboxes at Tom
Barry’s. March – May.
2011 FALL, solo exhibition at Backwater Artists Studios.
2010 BY REQUEST, Wandesford Quay Gallery.
2010 LUCKY video projection in the Wandesford Quay courtyard
2004 VASALISA’S JOURNEY, The Light boxes TomBarry’s
2000 TRYST, Tig Fili, Cork and toured to Siamsa Tire Gallery, Tralee, Kerry
SELECTED GROUP
2017 BACKWATER AT THE GLUCKSMAN
2017 OPEN at Backwater Studios.
2016 IMAGO MUNDI curated by Ciara Gibbons, Blue leaf Gallery, Dublin for Benetton.
2016/11 ART FOR CAMBODIA Henchy’s annual exhibition, St.Lukes, Cork.
2011 MAGS GEANEY at Brown Thomas exhibition, invited artist.
2010 BACKWATER TWENTY 10 at the Crawford Art Gallery
2009 STRAY LIGHT/ DARK LIGHT performance festival, curator Amanda Coogan, Dublin Milll Gallery, Dublin
2008 FRUITCAKES AND FURRY COLLARS, West Cork Arts Centre, Cork
2007 FENTON GALLERY Summer Show
DEATH AND DESIRE, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Cork
2006 FETISH IN A BOX, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
CHRISTMAS SHOW, Fenton Gallery, Cork
MOTHER ART,Buckley Gallery, Clonakilty, Cork
2005 CONTEMPORARY ART IN THE CATHEDRAL, St.Finbarres
C2, CONTEMPORARY ART FROM CORK Crawford Gallery
2004 TERRIBLE BEAUTY, Contemporary Irish Artists, Sala Consiliare,Varese,Italy
2004 BACKWATER MEETS BLACKWATER, Mallow, Cork
ART TRAIL, Backwater Artists Studios.
2003 BACKWATER TOURING EXHIBITION, Sligo Art Gallery, Triskel Arts Centre, Clotsworthy Arts Centre
2002 HAPPY ACCIDENTS, Triskel Arts Centre
FIGURE IT OUT, Group show, U.C.C.
SUMMER SOW / CHRISTMAS SHOW, The Fenton Gallery, Cork
ART IN THE CATHEDRAL, St. Finbarres, Cork
2000 SAMHAIN SWING, APT Gallery, Greenwich Gallery, London
MILLENIUM ART AND CHRISTIANITY, West Cork Arts Centre,
1999 BACKWATER IN BERLIN Dock 11 Gallery, Kastanienallee, Berlin
PLEIN AIR EXHIBITION,Theatre Gallery, Alytus, Lithuania
1998 ART TRAIL,Backwater Studios
1997 PARAGON STUDIOS Exhibition, The Gallery, Donegall Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland
1996 ART REBELS, Catalyst Arts, Belfast
1995 FLOOR TO CEILING, Visual Arts Programme, Belfast Festival at Queens.
1995 IONTAS Touring Exhibition, Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast.
1994 THE HOLLOW MEN, Collaborative project with actor David Warden, Catalyst Arts, Belfast.
AWARDS
2010 Winner of Cork Printmakers Image selection, to be used on a carrier bag to promote Cork.Printmakers.
2007 Commission for Cork City Council at ‘The City Waterworks”
2004 Art Flight, Arts Council of Ireland
1999 Residency at International Plein Air, Alytus, Lithuania
1998 Art Flight, ACOI
1994 Visual Arts Bursary, ACNI
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2011 Public commission for The Discovery Centre, Neurological Paediatric Research at UCC/CUH. Opened in Cork University Hospital by Professor Anita Maguire, Vice President for Research & Innovation, UCC in association with the Health Research board and the HSE.
2008 The Lifetime Lab, Cork City Waterworks for Cork City Council. I created 21 paintings to be used for interpretative signage. The paintings are on permanent display and the panels depicting the history of the Cork City Waterworks are used in their education programme on site. This project entailed 3 months of research, visits to the Kew Steam Museum, London and a series of meetings with archeologists, engineers, social historians and teachers.
2008/2003 St. Maries of the Isle primary school. I completed a series of murals incorporating the history of the school with the drawings of the children from every class. I designed the play area outside with games, hopscotch, line up area, etc on the ground.
I returned in 2008 to paint the entrance and façade of the building with signage.
2004/2001 North Monastery Primary school. To celebrate the school’s founder Edmund Rice as part of its 50thAnniversary celebrations, I completed a very large mural the length of the school/playground I facilitated the participation of every student in the school. I worked closely with the class teachers for many weeks as artist- in- residence, getting the students to make the mural ‘theirs’ in every way to give them a sense of ownership and pride in it. This was the principal Con Higgins’s idea to prevent vandalism of the completed mural. It was a great success with a grand opening, complete with a brass band and coverage by TG4.
I returned in 2004 to create another mural. This time to celebrate the school’s first vegetable garden, the Monastery Garden. The purpose of the garden was to educate the children about nature in a school setting and the mural outlines the lifecycle of a garden, with a sunflower that the children can use to measure their height while they harvest their produce to create delicious meals. I worked on the project with artist Paul La Rocque and Hester Forde, the school co-coordinator/ creator of the garden.
OTHER INFORMATION
2015 Art Beat, Interview by Don O’ Mahony, for UCC 98.3fm !9thJune.
2011/2004 Director of Backwater Artists Studios.
2010 I organized two different exhibitions for Backwater Artists Studios to celebrate twenty years in existence, ‘Backwater
2010’ at the Crawford Art Gallery, and The Lightboxes at Tom Barry’s.
2009 Opening speaker at the 21stannual summer exhibition of Art and DesignIN THE NOW at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa.
2008/2007 Generic Facilitation Skills certificate, Social & Health Psychology
2007/2005 Foundation Level One and Level Two in Social & Health Psychology.
EMPLOYMENT
2017/18 Art Teacher of Ceramics, Fetac Level 3,CSN, Art, Craft & DesignFetac Level 3, level 5 & 6 Art Appreciationlevel 5 & 6.,
2016/17 ArtTeacher of CeramicsFetac Level 3 BTEIat CSN,Tramore Road.
2016/17 Art Teacher of DrawingFetac Level 5 atCSN, Tramore Road.
2015/16 Art Teacher of PaintingFetac Level 5 and 6, and of History of Art and Art Appreciation,Fetac level 5 and 6 at CSN, Tramore
Rd.
2015 Art Tutor at Coláiste Stiofáin Naofa, Tramore Road. (Since 2000)
I teach Drawing and Painting Fetac level 4 and beginners & Intermediate level. I help students develop their portfolio and prepare for college interview. I bring them on guided tours of the Crawford Art Gallery’s permanent collection and its contemporary exhibition programme, combined with studio visits and to other galleries, Wandesford Quay gallery/Glucksman etc.
I run a summer camp with mixed media practical workshops, life drawing, still life, collage, 3D work and printmaking. I organized two annual exhibitions of the students work off site and many others at CSN. The inaugural exhibition at the O’ Rahilly Building at UCC was opened by Mr. Ted Owens, CEO, Cork VEC. (CETB). Mr. Joe Burns, Director of the Lavit Gallery, opened the second exhibition, Cork. I worked with the Arts Administration students recommended by Carol White (head of Arts Admin at CSN), creating the invitation, press release, hanging the work and facilitating the opening.
I have given lectures using PowerPoint to the students about my own work, my MA research at CSN. I invite them to my exhibitions and share my experience of being a practicing artist, combining teaching, creating public commissions and lectures/ workshops in all areas of Art education for all levels.
2011 Canova at the Crawford Gallery, (ongoing) since 2003. In this workshop I give a lecture on the history of the statuary, its arrival in Cork and the first art students taught in Cork City rather than in London/ Europe. The practical side of the workshop entails a small group of students doing life drawing in the cast gallery in situ, becoming each other’s model assuming the various poses of the athletes of ancient Greece and Rome. On completion of these preparatory sketches, photographs of the students in the different poses are taken and then ultimately the students transcribe their chosen pose/ image onto sheets of acetate. These drypoints created are then printed on paper back at the studio. I have modified this lecture/ workshop so that it is accessible to all students at all levels, adults, groups with special needs, corporate visitors, etc.
2005/2003 I created and implemented the Education Programme at the Crawford Art Gallerywith artist Una Quigley. We set up guided tours with practical workshops, managed the art budget and facilitated the onsite/ outreach programme. We worked with primary/post primary schools all over Cork, fostering a link with the school onsite at the gallery and then a follow up visit to maintain the relationship with the Crawford Gallery.
2004/2002 Artist in residence at St. Mary’s on the Hill primary school, as part of the’ Bridging the Gap’ programme. I worked with the two 5th classes for the first year; I gave them guided tours of the permanent collection at the Crawford Art Gallery and the contemporary exhibition programme. In accordance with the curriculum I developed a series of workshops and encouraged their use of available, free, local educational amenities. I developed ‘Inside Your Head’ a self-portrait exhibition and this culminated in a ceramic tile mural at the school with all their portraits laser trained on to the tiles.
2003 I facilitated a drawing workshop with all of the teachers at St. Mary’s on the Hill primary school, explaining the basics of drawing to allow them to develop lesson plans themselves.
2004/1999 Adult Education Tutorin oil and acrylic painting, pastel, charcoal/ ink/ mixed media to the parents of the students in St. Vincent’s Secondary school. I organized their annual exhibition and fundraising for local charities.
2001/1998 Tutor of drawing and paintingat the Roches Resource Centre, Roches Bldgs. I taught beginners/intermediate classes for 7- 11 yrs, teenagers 12-18 yrs, adults, and the elderly. I organized an annual exhibition with an opening speaker, poster, wine, sales etc.
1997/1994 Education Officer at the Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast. I was responsible for the creation and implementation of the Education programme, which coincided with the four exhibitions in the gallery at any time. I was responsible for the budget of the Education programme. I worked onsite and outreach. I visited all primary schools in the Belfast area. I worked with hearing impaired children, developmentally challenged, Down syndrome and all special needs groups to encourage their engagement with all suitable/ appropriate exhibitions at the gallery. I gave lectures on all exhibitions, which changed monthly to all levels. I facilitated Artist talks and I matched specific artists with particular schools to achieve the Education programme’s main objectives of accessibility and inclusiveness for everyone.
COLLECTIONS
Bank of IrelandCollection
Alytus Art Museum, Lithuania.
Private collections in Ireland, Northern Ireland and USA.