The Linenhall Arts Centre is delighted to announce the awarding of two residencies in 2022. Multidisciplinary artist Valerie Asiimwe Amani has been awarded the first ever Linenhall International Artist Residency and visual artist Dominic Thorpe is the third recipient of the annual Bolay Residency.
Interim Director, Fiona Neary, looks forward to welcoming both Amani and Thorpe, and said: "The Linenhall is excited to support both artists in their practice. Hosting residencies is a very important part of our role at The Linenhall Arts Centre. We are excited at the potential for practice exploration and development for Amani and Thorpe."
Tanzanian artist and writer Valerie Asiimwe Amani is thrilled to have been selected as the award recipient for the Linenhall International Artist Residency 2022. “I am so excited to be able to experience the richness of County Mayo through The Linenhall International Artist Residency. Being my first experience in the region, I am really looking forward to delving into cultural histories and myths and connecting with the creative community - truly a great opportunity,” Amani commented.
The inaugural International Artist Residency was offered by the Linenhall Arts Centre to artists based anywhere outside of Ireland and had a huge response, with over 230 artists applying from all over the world. The residency encompasses a purpose-built studio, accommodation, tailored mentorship, a purpose-built digital suite, an artist fee of €8,000, a materials budget of €2,000 and a travel budget of €650. Amani will begin the International Artist Residency on September 5th 2022 for a period of eight weeks ending on October 30th 2022.
Applications were assessed by a panel consisting of Bryan Gerard Duffy (artist and Linenhall Board Trustee ); Sinéad Keogh (curator and artist ); Ann Marie McGing (Arts Officer for Mayo County Council ); Maria McKinney (artist and Bolay Residency recipient 2021 ); John Mulloy (Lecturer at ATU Mayo ) and Fiona Neary (Director of Linenhall Arts Centre ).
The Bolay Residency is a residency opportunity open to artists based in Ireland and Northern Ireland and is a uniquely supportive residency, focused on artists who feel disconnected from their practice. The residency encompasses a purpose-built studio, accommodation, tailored mentorship, a purpose-built digital suite, an artist fee of €8,000, a materials budget of €2,000 and an exhibition opportunity at the Linenhall in 2023.
On being awarded the residency, visual artist Thorpe commented: "I feel very grateful and excited to be awarded the Bolay residency at this time. For several reasons, I have largely withdrawn from making and showing new work in recent years.
"The resources, space and time afforded through the Bolay residency is an incredible opportunity to fully re-engage with my practice. The intention is to make a new body of sculptural and installation work related to perpetrator trauma and the Irish civil war.” Thorpe will begin the Bolay Residency on October 24, for a period of eight weeks ending on December 18.
98 applications were received from the residency’s open call for submissions, which were assessed by a panel consisting of Catherine Hemelryk (curator and Director of CCA Derry-Londonderry ); Joanna Hopkins (artist and Linenhall Visual Art Panel Member ); Séamus Nolan (artist and curator ); Aoife O’Toole (Public Art Coordinator for Mayo County Council ); Hazel Walker (artist and Lecturer at ATU Mayo ) and Sean Walsh (Director of Ballina Arts Centre ). The selection panel noted the exceptionally high standard of proposals received.
The Linenhall International Artist Residency 2022 and the Bolay Residency 2022 are kindly supported by the Arts Council.
