CA Collective at the RHA
The Spring 2024 Exhibition
This landmark exhibition was the first for artists with intellectual disabilities at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, setting the stage for future endeavors.
At our April 10th event celebrating the CA Collective, Patrick Murphy, Director of the RHA, reinforced this milestone by announcing RHA's commitment to continue to host our Spring exhibitions in 2025 and 2026. A testament to the groundbreaking impact of Connections Arts Centre and a significant recognition by the Irish arts community.
View highlights from our 10th of April event Celebrating the CA Collective at the RHA, in the image gallery below.
A Celebration of the Connecting Artists Collective
Connections Arts Centre hosted an incredible evening at the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts (RHA) celebrating artists of The Connecting Artists Collective! The electric atmosphere, filled with enthusiasm from our artists, their families, and supporters, truly made the night special.
We welcomed guests, artists, supporters, friends and family to the lively evening, filled with art, speakers, wine and food. Our speakers; Artist David Singleton and Artist Thomas Higgins along with his mentor Pamela shared their experiences as artists, as participants in the Connecting Artists programme, and their experiences creating and selling artwork since joining the CA collective. We also had Lavina, Thomas’s sister speak about how the Connecting Arts Centre community has impacted her family and others.
This exhibition at the RHA is a testament to CAC's commitment to supporting these artists, offering them a platform to exhibit their work and actively engage in the wider arts community. The opportunity to present their work at the RHA signifies a significant step in their artistic journey, contributing to a shift in societal perceptions of artists with intellectual disabilities.
Connections Arts Centre We are immensely grateful to the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts for hosting for our event, and to Ely Wine Bar and Bijou Rathgar for the refreshments.
Artists Talks and Demonstrations
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Artist Demonstration with Artist Niamh Eldridge-Barry
Meet the Artist:
Niamh Eldridge Barry is from Rathmore, Nass, Co Kildare. She was diagnosed with Dyspraxia at the age of eight. She has had a passion for art since childhood. When she was eight, one of her paintings caught the attention of the 2005 Rose of Tralee winner, Aoibheann Ní Shúilleabháin, who walked the runway with Niamh that year, holding the painting. Niamh's preferred subjects are landscapes and animals and she takes inspiration from her imagination and referencing places she has visted.
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Artist Talk with Thomas Higgins and his mentor Pamela
Meet the Artist:
11 years ago, Thomas overcome a a brain haemorrhage and subsequent left leg paralysis. His love for art was a constant source of inspiration and expression during this time and throughout his life. His favourite medium is oil paints and he loves recreating old photographs. He begins each painting by dividing the image into a grid, sketching the main elements, and gradually painting from dark to light. Thomas has a wide knowledge of art and can talk about his love of it for hours.
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Artist Demonstration with Alan Tarpey
Meet the Artist:
Alan loves to paint familiar people and the buildings they inhabit, using pen, ink, and watersoluble pastel on acrylic paper to bring out the colour of the subjects. A scene in real life is further enhanced by his stroke. Alan started with his own native Roscommon and proceeded to illustrate every enjoyable spot he encountered along his daily path, be it cycling, walking or visiting town or city by bus.
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Artist Demonstration with Amy Clarke
Meet the Artist:
Amy, an artists from Galway, loves art as it inspires her to be creative and helps her to inspire others. She loves using different paints and all sorts of materials for her artwork.