Tadhg Ó Cuirrín, INTERIM MANAGING DIRECTOR

Tadhg Ó Cuirrín is a multidisciplinary artist, with a focus on painting & digital media in recent years.

He has worked as a board member at 126 Artist Run Gallery in Galway, and a gallery and studio assistant at Pallas Projects/Studios in Dublin. He also currently works as the Connaught representative for Praxis, the Artists Trade Union of Ireland.

In 2024 he presented new work at the RHA as part of the Hennessey Craig Award exhibition. He undertook a residency at the Fish Factory Creative Center in Stöðvarfjörður, Iceland, and held a solo exhibition at the Cash Shop, a new Co Galway gallery & curatorial project of artist Jim Ricks. In 2025 he’ll undertake residencies at the Guesthouse in Cork city, & Áras Éanna in Co Galway.

Before that, since returning to Ireland in 2019, he has held solo exhibitions at Pallas Projects/Studios & Custom House Studios in Co Mayo, & presented new work at the TULCA Festival of Visual Art in Galway in 2022. His work is supported by the Arts Council, Ealaín na Gaeltachta & Galway County Council.  

Vicky Smith,INTERIM MANAGING DIRECTOR & FREELANCE Education Co-ordinator

Vicky Smith is a visual artist from Galway City. Her practice is rooted in painting, and she is a painter on the Turps Banana Art School Correspondence Course, London ‘23-’25. She graduated with a BA in Fine Art Printmaking in 1998 & received a H.Dip for Art & Design Teachers from Crawford College of Art and Design, Cork in 1999, an MA from Goldsmiths College (Arts & Cultural Policy), University of London in 2007, a diploma in the History of Irish and European Art from Trinity College, Dublin and an MA (Art in Contemporary World theory pathway) from the National College of Art & Design, Dublin in 2011. She worked with the British Council as a teacher of art, craft, and design on the Teachers of Botswana Recruitment Scheme for two years. She is a registered teacher of art, craft and design with the Teaching Council of Ireland.

A recipient of the Visual Arts Agility Award, Round 1 from the Arts Council in 2023 & 2021, she has been awarded an Individual Artist Award from Galway City Council In 2022 and received the Artist in School Award from Galway County Council and was the artist-in-residence with various schools in the West of Ireland as part of the Creative Ireland Arts Council initiative. She was an invited artist with the Red Bird Collective in 2024, She is an associate member of the AGA artist group with the Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin, IRL. She was a board member at 126 Artist Run Gallery and a member of the steering committee for féach Contemporary, a Visual Arts Centre for Galway City.

Recent exhibitions include Stocaí ó Saoirse, Artist Residency, Engage Art Studios Gallery, Galway (IRL) in 2024. Exhibitions include; Galway International Arts Festival, Galway(2022), ‘Outrageous, Obscene and Offensive’ The Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin (2022),‘The Cold Bark Against My Back’(solo), Engage Gallery, Galway & The Olivier Cornet Gallery, Dublin (2022) &‘Pluid Project’, Farmleigh (2021). In 2025 she will undertake a two week residency at Interface Inagh in Connemara.