Burren College of Art
This will likely be the last post in this series on my trip to Ireland, although in many ways, I think the impact of this trip will continue for a long time to come. It seems fitting that I end with what is perhaps the most foundational part of our trip, Burren College of Art. You will want to take a look at their website and see their facilities and the programs they offer. People come from all over the world to study there, some for a postgraduate degree, others for shorter periods of time. It is of no surprise that their focus is on ecology, for how could it not be as they live in the ancient and haunting landscape known as The Burren? (See some resources for The Burren below.) Even their logo depicts a pattern of hand-stacked rocks which are found in the stone fences of The Burren and which lace through the landscape at every turn.
Most who come to Burren College of Art (BCA) do so with an eye toward furthering their skills and finding inspiration for their art. Surprisingly, BCA is more than that. It’s a haven for intellectual discourse on many subjects, such as their recent symposium on the current issues between Israel, Palestine, and Hamas, and a place of respite for other types of art, including the David Whyte Poet in Residence Award. They have a fantastic library as well as beautiful individual and group studio spaces.
Their wonderful Food of the Arts Cafe serves up nutritious homemade lunches each day.
And did I mention the castle?
Most afternoons of our trip, we were upstairs in a group studio where each of us engaged in making a handmade book. Our co-director, Jane Dalton, began the project by having us randomly draw on a piece of paper while keeping our eyes closed and being led in meditation! Some of us incorporated those scribbles in our work, but mostly we were keeping an eye on Jane as she led us in learning a variety of mixed media techniques. We experimented with everything from paint to paste. Our other co-director, Catherine Anderson, would reach into her art goodie bag once in a while and distribute a fun little something to add to our art. Catherine also helped us learn photography skills and digital programs, and we incorporated our images into our books as well.
The welcoming hospitality of BCA, led by President Mary Hawkes-Greene, was like a breath of fresh air. It renewed our spirits, refreshed our minds, and was truly a magical place.
RESOURCES
The Burren: Heart of Stone [Part 1: “Songs of Our Ancestors” and Part 2: “Symphony of Life.”]. Available on PBS (aired March 2022) and distributed nationally by American Public Television.
J.W. O’Connell and A. Korff, eds., The Book of the Burren, Galway: Tir Eolas, 1991.