Engage Art Studios was incorporated on 9th July 2012 as a Limitied Company. Company Number: 515928. On July 14th 2016 Engage Arts Studios moved its status to Company Limited by Guarantee. Engage Art Sudio Company Limited by Guarantee, Trades as Engage Art Studios.
Click here to view the company’s Constitution (Memorandum & Articles of Association).
Our Child Protection Policy Statement can be found here.
Our Anti Bullying Policy can be found here
Board of Directors
Fiona Hession - Chairperson
Fiona Hession is a creative practitioner with extensive experience in arts development, strategic planning, cultural programming and organisational development.
Her work spans arts governance, production, programme and strategic development and partnership building, with experience working across independent, public and community arts contexts. She brings a strong understanding of the structures, relationships, and strategic thinking needed to support artists, organisations and creative communities to thrive.
As the new Chairperson of the Board of Engage Artist Studios, Fiona is looking forward to building on the incredible work of the previous Board and the foundations they have established for Engage. She is committed to supporting the organisation’s continued development, strengthening its strategic direction and ensuring that Engage remains a dynamic, artist-centred space that responds to the needs and ambitions of its creative community.
“I’m delighted to take on the role of Chairperson and I’m looking forward to working with the newly assigned Board, artists and wider creative community to build on what has already been achieved and to explore what comes next for Engage.”
Vicky Smith - Secretary
Vicky Smith is a visual artist, educator and arts professional from Galway City. She holds a BA in Fine Art Printmaking, a H.Dip for Art & Design Teachers from Crawford College of Art and Design, an MA in Arts & Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths, University of London, a diploma in the History of Irish and European Art from Trinity College Dublin, and an MA in Art in the Contemporary World from NCAD, Dublin.
A registered art teacher with the Teaching Council of Ireland, she spent two years teaching art, craft and design in Botswana with the British Council, and has been artist-in-residence in schools across the West of Ireland through Creative Ireland and Galway County Council's Artist in School Award. She has served on the board of 126 Artist Run Gallery and on the steering committee for féach Contemporary, a visual arts centre for Galway City.
Her practice is rooted in painting, and she is currently on the Turps Art School Correspondence Course, London (2023 to 2025). She has received the Arts Council Visual Arts Agility Award (2021, 2023) and a Galway City Council Individual Artist Award (2022). Recent exhibitions include Stocaí ó Saoirse, Engage Art Studios Gallery (2024) and her solo show 'The Cold Bark Against My Back', Engage Gallery and the Olivier Cornet Gallery (2022).
Ceara Conway
Ceara Conway is an independent Irish artist whose interdisciplinary practice places song and vocal expression at its centre. Her work is research-led and self-reflexive, and she often collaborates with communities of place and interest in her projects. Working through live performance, visual media (photography/film), and traditional and contemporary song, Ceara creates affective performances and artworks that address pertinent issues such as the effects of colonialism, capitalism, and patriarchy on the environment, language, culture, and our lives.
Ceara has presented and performed work widely in Ireland and internationally, including the Museum of Fine Art (Florida), STABLE Gallery (Washington), the Katzen Arts Centre (Washington), the Barbican (UK), the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum (UK), the Galway Arts Centre, and the National Gallery of Ireland. She is a recent Oscar and Annie Award nominee (lyrics, vocals) for Best Music for Éiru, Cartoon Saloon with composer Leo Pearson.
Ceara is currently Arts Development Officer for Ealaín na Gaeltachta (traditional and contemporary practices). She is an International Board Member of NASC (North Atlantic Song Convention).
Shane Finan
Shane Finan (he/them) assembles artworks and projects from interactive contemporary technologies, found objects, and traditional artistic media. Their work is as both artist and creative producer on collaborative projects. It is research based and explores the impact of technologies on rural places.
Shane always collaborates, most recently working with and learning from artists, plankton, environmental scientists, fungi and biologists. In their practice, Shane develops collaborative projects with artists, communities and researchers. This has included establishing and co-running the collective artist workspace ^ in Manorhamilton (2022-26), and founding the artist ensemble Drop Table (2025-date) exploring the environmental and social impact of data centres in south Dublin. They co-founded 'Levels of Compromise' in 2024, a collective of artists across Ireland who work with critical technologies. They worked as project manager on collaborative European research projects at Trinity College Dublin (2014-2020) developing technologies for emergency management.
Tara O’Connor
Tara O’Connor is an experienced arts administrator and legal professional currently serving as the General Manager and Company Secretary of the Galway Arts Centre. Since stepping into the role in September 2018, Tara has been responsible for the seamless operational, financial, and strategic management of one of the West of Ireland’s premier contemporary arts organizations.
In her capacity as General Manager, she works closely with the Director and Curator to implement institutional policies, drive strategic organizational growth, manage financial resources, and support the delivery of a diverse year-round programme spanning contemporary visual arts, theatre, and community workshops.
