By Dan Walsh EXCLUSIVE at the Cow House Studios, Rathnure.
Born and bred in central Co. Wexford I have traversed the highways and byways of most of the county – north, south, east and west, and the bits in between! – but yesterday I paid my first ever visit to the Cow House Studios in the townland of Ballybaun, close to Rathnure, high up on the airy slopes of the White Mountain and as the words of the song might suggest; “the last place that God made and the first place that he blessed!”
Creative Places, Enniscorthy, has launched a partnership with Cow House Studios, for a residency programme and the co-ordinator Deryn O’Callaghan supplied me with all the details and advised me to get stuck in; but when I met legendary Wexford and Rathnure hurling star, Teddy O’Connor, and his wife, Anne, at the recent Fleadh in Wexford town, they gave me directions to the studios and yesterday I completed the pilgrimage. It was one of the nicest projects I have covered for some time!
Cow House Studios is an artist run workspace. It is a unique, centre of excellence set on a working farm amidst the rolling hills and adjacent to a forest in rural Wexford. Founded in 2008 it provides a nurturing environment for artists to create, collaborate and engage with each other and local community. This is a wonderful opportunity for artists to meet and work alongside a dynamic group of local and international practitioners.
During my visit on Thursday afternoon, I met with Paul Cashin an enthusiastic talented artist from Laois based in Wexford whose chosen medium is oil on canvas, along with photography, drawing and sculpture. He is interested in large scale paintings that employ a sense of embodiment to create large complex scenes. Paul told me of “the magic of the Cow House Studios and how he is really enjoying his time there” and he has an engagement at the Irish National Heritage Park at Ferrycarrig in the coming weeks and he is “really looking forward to performing there and he is hoping people will come along and admire his talent.”
During August four selected artists will experience CPE residencies, and each residency will last for one week during which time the artists will immerse themselves in their practice have opportunity to collaborate and contribute to the cultural landscape of Enniscorthy.
We have already met Paul Cashin. Other artists include Sarah Walsh, a Dutch/Irish actor, as well as a drama facilitator with an M.Ed in drama and education who used her week at Cow House Studio to finish a play she had been developing in a playwriting course that will be performed in a pub.
Gillian O’Shea is there from Monday 19th-25th August and is described as “an emerging visual Irish artist passionate about highlighting the importance of our natural world, particularly in the face of the climate crisis. Her practice explores themes of the nature, conservation.”
Fiona O’Connor is also coming to the Cow House Studios. Fiona is an artist who uses photography as a medium to explore her ideas. She has an interest in things that catch her eye, make her think, smile and spark her curiosity.”
Speaking to WexfordLocal.com, Co-Ordinator of Creative Places, Deryn O’Callaghan said; “Creative Places Enniscorthy are thrilled to partner with Cow House Studios on this initiative. We hope these residencies will encourage cultural exchanges, break down boundaries and build bridges between artists living and working in our community in ways that can be transformative.”
For more information about the Cow House Studios artist residency programme and full artists biographies and other Creative Places Enniscorthy projects contact Deryn O’Callaghan – Co-Ordinator at www.creativeplacesenniscorthy.ie https://cowhousestudios.com orcpenniscorthy@wexfordartscentre.ie.
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