Welcome

The 2009 Easter Arts and Children's Bumble Bee Festivals will run from April 11th to April 13th, 2009. If you would like to see your artwork appear in the Programme Guide or in the Festival please send entries or contact Samhlaiocht on 066 712 9934 or via email info@samhlaiocht.com for more information.

Salon Style Show to Open on Thursday, 20th November in Tralee

In the style of 18th Century French exhibitions, Samhlaiocht will unveil the second annual Salon de Chiarrai exhibition late this November. No wall space will be left uncovered!

Artists from all over Kerry are invited to submit work for the second annual Salon de Chiarrai, which will take place from 20th November to 23rd December at The Samhlaiocht Gallery in The Old Presbytery, Lower Castle Street Tralee.

"We were blown away with the number of entries for our first Salon De Chiarrai show," said Jason O' Mahony, Artistic Director of Samhlaiocht. "We received original paintings, drawings and etchings, large and small pieces in a whole variety of styles."

All original paintings, drawings and etchings, in any medium are welcome and there is no limitation on the scale of the work, however, submissions are limited to one per Artist. The only conditions for submission are that all work must be framed and ready for hanging, all work must be for sale, and work must not have previously been exhibited at The Samhlaiocht Gallery.

Last year over 80 pieces of art were selected from the submitted works and hung all over the walls in Samhlaiocht's intimate gallery on Lower Castle Street in the heart of Tralee.

"Kerry has always been known for its writers but last year the amount of work that was submitted suggests that in the future it'll be every bit as famous for its Artists!" added O' Mahony.

Work must be delivered to The Samhlaiocht Gallery during the week of the 10th to the 14th November. Artists will be notified if their work has been selected by Tuesday 18th November.

The Salon De Chiarrai Exhibition opens on 20th November and runs right through the Christmas period until December 23rd.

Last year's Salon had a wonderfully eclectic feeling to it, featuring everything from stunning landscapes to sketches of colourful Kerry characters such as John B. Keane and sales were brisk as the public picked up unique Christmas gifts that were treasured long after the holiday season passed.

All work must be clearly labelled with name and address and contact details of the Artist. Artists are encouraged to contact Trish Thompson on 066 712 9934 or through email on trish@samhlaiocht.com for more information.

For more info on Samhlaiocht please log on to http://www.samhlaiocht.com/

Samhlaiocht is supported through grant aid from The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Failte Ireland and through generous corporate sponsorship from Kerry Group.

Kerry Film Festival & Siamsa Tire Present

Kerry Film Club's Winter Season 2008

INTO THE WILD, 8.00PM, TUES, 14TH OCT
TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE, 8.00 PM, TUES, 11TH NOV
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, 7:30 PM, TUES, 16TH DEC

If you like movies then you'll love this! Film Club Screenings - 2008 Winter Season

JJ Sheehy and Con Houlihan

Work inspired by the People and Places of Kerry, exhibition titled Kerry: People & Place, Opens in Samhlaiocht, Thursday, October 2nd

Kerry is an exquisite, enchanting place and those of us lucky enough to live here can easily conjure up pictures of colourful characters and beautiful landscapes. It is these that form the basis of new work by Janet Tvedten Fitzgerald and JJ Sheehy.

Janet, who hails originally from Kansas City in the U.S., and JJ, who hails from Lyreacrompane, have, despite the differences in their birth places, an outlook on life and on art that is as similar as those two places are different. Each draws inspiration from Kerry and from the beautiful landscape, the countryside and from the personalities that live here.

"I have a natural love of what we see all around us," says JJ, "it's the magical things in every day life that I love. For instance, later on this evening, I'm off to the pub to play a game of 45 for a euro! It's those simple pleasures, those every day things that I love most and are closest to my heart."

It's this simple love of everyday things that creates a truth that shines from his work. Janet, who has been living in Ireland since 2001 and in Dingle since 2003, is similarly enamoured with the people she meets or comes across on a daily basis.

"My portrait drawings in the exhibition focus on people that live and work in the Dingle area," says Janet.

Yet from such seemingly ordinary inspiration, both artists have created work that is anything but commonplace. "The people in my portraits come from all walks of life," adds Janet. "A well know Kerry Politician, a respected writer and artists, an elderly gentleman often seen walking the streets of Dingle who never fails to offer a friendly smile, a salute, and a nod. A person's face is a window to the soul and a record of their life, loves, desires and experiences. What interests me is the humanity, honesty, integrity and, sometimes, pure 'character', shinning through each face. And that's what I endeavour to capture and relate to the viewer."

She succeeds in spades. JJ is equally fond of the characters that he comes across and well known, and better loved, Kerry writers feature strongly in his work. Men such as Con Houlihan, Brian McMahon and John B Keane. JJ's proud of the international renown in which these authors are held and prouder still to have known some of them personally, his love of portraiture comes to the fore in his treatment of his subjects.

"I love strong features," says JJ. "For example Brian McMahon had such striking features, yet really calm eyes. My father and mother told me about meeting him in Listowel. He was a man that loved to stop and chat. He liked to talk and to pass the time of day."

While inspired by similar traits the artists use different techniques to portray their subjects. JJ uses generous layers and applications that combine to form images full of character representing the great writers in a powerful yet subtle way while Janet uses sensitive, personal pencil drawings to capture the personalities of her subjects to perfection.

Both artists believe that their upbringing had a huge part to play in their artistic undertakings.

"I was involved in the arts from the time I could hold a pencil," says Janet. "My Father's method for minding his children was setting up a still life arrangement and passing out paper and pencils. I often accompanied him on sketching journeys to rural areas around Kansas City. And it's been a life long passion ever since."

"My father was a writer, a farmer first and foremost, but also a writer. He wrote a lot of songs and poems and many of them were printed in the local papers years back. If you saw where I was born and reared you'd know immediately why he was a writer and I'm a painter!" adds JJ with a laugh. "When you're surrounded by such beauty on a daily basis, it's hard not to try to express it in some way – either through writing or through art."

Two artists, one from Kerry and one from Kansas, despite all the differences, it seems both places are practically the same!