The beautiful Laois Arthouse Gallery in Stradbally, which is celebrating its 10th year this year, has re-opened with an exhibtion entitled Painting the Particular – Paintings of Suburban Dublin 2004-2016 by Mary Burke.
Mary Burke studied Fine Art at NCAD graduating in 1982. She has exhibited extensively both in Ireland and abroad and she has been awarded residencies at the Leighton Artists’ Colony at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada and a United States Information Agency fellowship to work at the Vermont Studio Center, USA.
She has received several awards including three Arts Council bursaries, a bursary from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation (Montreal), a Golden Fleece Merit Award from the Lillias Mitchell Trust and two Professional Development grants from Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.
Her work has been purchased for many public and corporate collections including The Arts Council, AIB International Financial Services Centre, Ulster Bank, KBC Bank, Eircom, Dublin Airport Authority, Aer Motive Ireland, South Dublin County Council, Fingal County Council, Laois County Council and the Office of Public Works.
She also has a Masters degrees in Anthropology and Digital Media Technologies. Recent projects include House Portraits (in partnership with Tallaght Community Arts and Maynooth University 2015) and TOWNSCAPE (in collaboration with Laois County Council Arts Office and the Sociology Department of Maynooth University 2018-19).
Her most recent project At Home on the Farm is a commissioned exhibition for the Limerick City Gallery of Art (2021) A selection of Mary Burkes paintings will be on display in the Laois Arthouse.
Mary conducted this year’s annual Adult Summer Art course in the Malthouse, located in the centre of Stradbally where eight particpants enjoyed the four day course and Mary shared her work methods and experience to assist and guide students in making art works that responded to the town of Stradbally. T
The exhibition open from July 20 until September 3 and from Tuesday to Friday, 1pm-4pm. and Saturday 10am-1pm.
The Gallery can be accessed through the Public Library each day except for Friday when it can be accessed through the Arthouse, on the Timahoe Road. Admission is free.
For further informaiton about the exhibition, please contact Muireann Ní Chonaill and/or the Arts Office team at artsoff@laoiscoco.ie on 057 86 64109.
You can check out a selection of images from photographer Michael Scully below.
