Leaving Cert Art Appreciation
Thu 05 Mar — Fri 01 May 2026
Curated by Aisling Prior
Opening on Wednesday 4th March at 7pm by Cllr Siobhan Shovlin.
Draíocht is delighted to announce SPRING26 its Open Call Exhibition, Curated by Aisling Prior, and featuring 26 emerging artists with a Fingal connection, part of a series of initiatives for artists to mark Draíocht’s 25th Birthday.
The exhibition is the outcome of an competitive Open Call process for visual art graduates of the last four years (2022-2025) from recognised third-level art colleges across the island of Ireland and abroad, at BA, MA or PhD levels who are from, live in or work in Fingal; and for early career artists who are from, live in or work in Fingal.
The aim of the Exhibition is to support and celebrate the work of the selected artists while showcasing the breath of work artists are engaged in, across the Fingal area. The work ranges across video, painting, sculpture, textiles, photography, drawing, print and installation.
The artists were selected by a panel including: Aisling Prior (Exhibition Curator), Emer McGowan (Director, Draíocht), Sarah O’Neill (Fingal County Council Arts Officer), Rich Gilligan (Artist) and Bassam Issa Al-Sabah (Artist).
This exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of engagement for young people.
Participating Artists:
Maria Atanacković | Maya Brezing | Lucy Carrick | Matthew Coll | Michael Shane Cox | Alex De Roeck | Aideen Farrell | Chris Forrester | Andrew Grace | Elizabeth Hogan | Uisce Jakubczyk | Sinead Kampff | Paula Leimane | Nathan Lowry | Nicole Manning | Justine McDonnell | James McLoughlin | Sorca O’Farrell | Kerrie O’Leary | Eileen O’Sullivan | Jack Pierce | Eileen Leonard Sealy | Annette Treacy | Aoife Ward | Catherine Ward | Diarmuid Woodcock.
"This extraordinary Exhibition platforms the work of 26 very talented Visual Artists who are from or live in Fingal. The Exhibition forms part of Draíocht’s 25th Birthday programme and is one of the anchor events of same. These works capture a moment in time and are representative of the quality and range of work that Fingal artists are engaged in and demonstrates the wealth of talent in the county. Together they create an Exhibition of the highest quality and one that is rich in its depth, consideration and artistry. Since its opening in 2001, Draíocht has facilitated 214 Exhibitions platforming the work of hundreds of artists. It’s Artists Studio is a very valuable resource and indeed a number of the artists exhibiting in SPRING26, have had the opportunity to spend some time there on Residencies. Draíocht has a track record of delivering for Dublin 15 and Fingal to the highest standards. The organisation's ongoing commitment to the support of artists and the engagement of the public and facilitating the relationship between those two communities is steadfast. On that note, I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Draíocht team and to its Board of Directors for their work over the last 25 years." - Cllr Siobhan Shovlin