A St Brigid's Day Musical Interlude for International

A collaboration between Composer Siobhán Cleary

and Leland Bardwell

In the run up to #IWD2019 and our special showing of "St Brigid's Day | 90 Women Artists at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Kildare Street Dublin we bring you a contemporary composition by Siobhán Cleary.

Siobhan was a friend and collaborator with Leland Bardwell whose poem "St Brigid's Day 1989" was the inspiration behind the exhibition. Leland was a great lover of opera and she wrote the libretto for Siobhans 2006 opera "Jack Ashore"

We've chosen “The Dole of the King’s Daughter" from the opera, Recorded by Kathleen Tynan and The Vanbrugh Quartet. It was commissioned by RTÉ lyric fm.

On her opera and working with Leland Siobhan Cleary writes:

I met Leland through her son, my friend and colleague John McLachlan. I had long been a huge admirer of her work and we hit it off immediately. I visited her many times in Maugherow in her house or in Ellen’s pub discussing love, life, music and literature. I told her about my nascent scribblings of an opera which was set in 1880’s London against the background of the Jack the Ripper murders with characters such as Oscar Wilde, Ellen Terry, Walter Sickert and James McNeill Whistler. This was a time period that was of great interest to Leland and she embarked on the writing of the libretto with great enthusiasm. Her knowledge of the inner workings of opera was remarkable and it was a great passion of hers throughout her wonderful life. The libretto is dynamic and full of Leland’s particular brand of wit . She completely immersed herself in the task and it was the most fun I have every had with a collaboration. Her friendship was one of the most special I have very had and it was an honour and a pleasure to have worked with her.
- Siobhán Cleary

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade #BalanceFoBetter

https://soundcloud.com/siobhancleary/the-dole-of-the-kings

#IWD2019 with St Brigid & 90 Women Artists Part IV

For International Womens Day #IWD2019 our current exhibition "St Brigids Day | 90 Women Artists" will be on display in the foyer of The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, Kildare Street Dublin 2.

The exhibition was themed around the poem "St Brigid's Day 1989" by the late Leland Bardwell, and was part of the Irish Embassy London's #StBrigidsDay celebration of women and creativity

This video is the final one of four we will post in the run up to International Women's Day 2019, showing the individual works of the 90 women artists who participated in the exhibition alongside coments and insight on their inspiration. The sound track "The Whitening" is composed by Siobhán Cleary who was a friend and collaborator with Leland Bardwell. Music is performed by Catherine Leonard (Violin) and Hugh Tinney (Piano).

On International Women's Day March 8th at 3pm there will be a special event in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine on Kildare Street to which all our Facebook fans and friends are invited.

Guest Seakers include:
Paula Barry Walsh,Chair of the Gender Balance Steering Group.

Susan Mckay, author,journalist and broadcaster, Susan has been a reader of Leland Bardwell’s over many years, and has always admired the bohemian wildness of her spirit and its accomplishment in her poetry and novels.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Ireland Professor of Poetry, will share ‘The Raging Foam’ a poem that she wrote in memory of her friend and colleague Leland

"St Brigid's Day" will be open to the public in Kildare Street from Wednesday 6th March until Friday 8th March,

it will then travel to the Embassy of Ireland Berlin for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Germany where it will show until May.
#BalanceForBetter Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

#IWD2019 with St Brigid & 90 Women Artists Part III

The exhibition is themed around the poem "St Brigid's Day 1989" by the late Leland Bardwell, and was part of the Irish Embassy London's #StBrigidsDaycelebration of women and creativity

This video the third of four we will post over the coming days showing the individual works of the 90 women artists who participated in the exhibition alongside comments and insight on their inspiration. The sound track "The Whitening" is composed by Siobhán Cleary who was a friend and collaborator with Leland Bardwell. Music is performed by Catherine Leonard (Violin) and Hugh Tinney (Piano).

On International Women's Day March 8th at 3pm there will be a special event in Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to which you are cordially invited.

Guest Seakers include:
Paula Barry Walsh,Chair of the Gender Balance Steering Group.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Ireland Professor of Poetry, will share ‘The Raging Foam’ a poem that she wrote in memory of her friend and colleague Leland

"St Brigid's Day" will be open to the public in Kildare Street from Wednesday 6th March until Friday 8th March,

it will then travel to the Embassy of Ireland Berlin for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Exhibition continues until May.
#BalanceForBetter Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

#IWD2019 with St Brigid & 90 Women Artists Part II

The exhibition was themed around the poem "St Brigid's Day 1989" by the late Leland Bardwell, and was part of the Irish Embassy London's #StBrigidsDay celebration of women and creativity

This video the second of four we will post over the coming days showing the individual works of the 90 women artists who participated in the exhibition alongside comments and insight on their inspiration. The sound track "The Whitening" is composed by Siobhán Cleary who was a friend and collaborator with Leland Bardwell. Music is performed by Catherine Leonard (Violin) and Hugh Tinney (Piano).

On International Women's Day March 8th at 3pm there will be a special event in @Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to which our Facebook Fans and Friends are cordially invited.

Guest Seakers include:
Paula Barry Walsh,Chair of the Gender Balance Steering Group.

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Ireland Professor of Poetry, will share ‘The Raging Foam’ a poem that she wrote in memory of her friend and colleague Leland

"St Brigid's Day" will be open to the public in Kildare Street from Wednesday 6th March until Friday 8th March,

it will then travel to the Embassy of Ireland Berlin for the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Exhibition continues until May.
#BalanceForBetter Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

We're Celebrating International Women's Day Celebration with St Brigid & 90 Women Artists

The exhibition was themed around the poem "St Brigid's Day 1989" by the late Leland Bardwell, and was part of the Irish Embassy London#StBrigidsDay celebration of women and creativity

This video is the first of four we will post over the coming days showing the individual works of the 90 women artists who participated in the exhibition alongside comments and insight on their inspiration. The sound track "The Whitening" is composed by Siobhán Cleary who was a friend and collaborator with Leland Bardwell. Music is performed by Catherine Leonard (Violin) and Hugh Tinney (Piano).

On International Women's Day March 8th at 3pm there will be a special event in @Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to which you are cordially invited.

Guest Seakers include:
Paula Barry Walsh,Chair of the Gender Balance Steering Group.
Susan Mckay, author, journalist and broadcaster. Susan has been a reader of Leland Bardwell’s over many years, and has always admired the bohemian wildness of her spirit and its accomplishment in her poetry and novels.
Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Ireland Professor of Poetry, will share ‘The Raging Foam’ a poem that she wrote in memory of her friend and colleague Leland

The exhibition will open to the public from Wednesday 6th March until Friday 8th March,

it will then travel to the Embassy of Ireland Berlin for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in Germany where it will continue until May.

#BalanceForBetter Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

A Special St Brigid's Day Celebration on February 1st In London

It’s a pleasure to share this photo essay of our closing day celebration at 12 Star Gallery in London by photographer Jamie Smith.

The afternoon was a signature event for the Irish Embassy of London’s St Brigid’s Day celebration of women and creativity. Now in its second year St Brigid’s Day is an initiative which is being rolled out at Irish Diplomatic missions around the world.

In addition to marking the culmination of our St Brigid’s Day Exhibition by 90 women artists, the afternoon was also a tribute to poet and author Leland Bardwell who passed away in 2016. Leland had lived the last 25 years of her life in Sligo. Her poem “St Brigid’s Day 1989” was the inspiration for the exhibition.

We wanted to say really special thanks to theatre Performer, writer and director Olwen Fouéré and multi-award winning musician Caoimhe Kearins who both traveled to London for the tribute to Leland. Olwen provided readings from Leland’s poetry and novels alongside musical interludes from Caoimhe.

Thank you also to Ireland’s Ambassador to Great Britain Adrian O’Neill who having opened the exhibition on January 22nd returned to spend time with us on February 1st even though his time was at a premium with all the St Brigid’s Day Celebration events across London.

Finally a huge word of thanks to all the participating artists, everyone who travelled over and all those who couldn’t make it for agreeing to be part of this initiative. To all the Sligo people, friends and family of Leland’s, friends and families of our participating artists, thank you for making such a magnificent effort to get to London for this day. We hope this will be the first of many such exhibition.

St Brigid's Day | 90- Women Artists opens at Hamilton Gallery with Tribute to Leland Bardwell

This video blog carries the formal and informal addresses that marked the Sligo launch of “St Brigid’s Day”, an exhibition featuring works by 90 Women Artists which opened at Hamilton Gallery Sligo on February 9th 2019.

The event was in tribute to poet and writer Leland Bardwell whose poem “St Brigid’s Day 1989” inspired the exhibition and who lived in Sligo for the last 25 years of her life.

“St Brigid’s Day” had already been shown at 12 Star Gallery London as part of the Irish Embassy of Great Britain’s St Brigid’s Day international celebration of women and creativity.

We were delighted that Ciarán Cannon TD Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with special responsibility for the Diaspora and International Development, was able to open the exhibition in Sligo.

We were also joined on the day by author Brian Leyden, poets Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin and Mary Branley, Professor Seán Golden and Leland's son, composer Dr. John McLachlan who individually paid moving and humorous tributes to Leland.

Dr John McLachlan’s composition ‘Dog Ear’, composed in memory of Leland features as part of the exhibition.

Welcome by Martina Hamilton and author Brian Leyden. Minister Ciarán Cannon TD officially opens the exhibition.

Click on Picture to see video

Tribute to Leland Bardwell by author Brian Leyden

Click on Picture to see video

Reminiscences by Dr John McLachlan on his mother Leland Bardwell

Click on Picture to see video

Poet Mary Branley pays tribute to her friend and neighbour Leland Bardwell

Click on Picture to see video

Professor Sean Golden pays tribute to his friend and neighbour Leland Bardwell

Click on Picture to see video

Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Ireland Professor of Poetry, member of Aosdána pays tribute to her friend Leland Bardwell.

Click on Picture to see video

Our February 1st Celebration of Leland Bardwell in London

Our St Brigid s Day exhibition culminates this Friday February 1st at 12 Star Gallery London with a celebration themed on the work of Leland Bardwell.

Leland’s poem “St Brigid’s Day 1989” was the inspiration for the 90 paintings featured in the exhibition.

Commencing at 3 pm in 12 Star Gallery there will be readings from Leland’s poetry and novels given by renowned Irish actor, writer and director Olwen Fouéré, with music provided by champion Sligo fiddle player Caoimhe Kearns.

Olwen Fouéré will read from the Poetry and novels of Leland Bardwell Photo courtesy of http://anthonywoods.org/

Caoimhe Kearins will perform live at the St Brigid’s Day event. Photo Courtesy of Sean Rowe.

Relatives and friends of Leland Bardwell and many participating artists from the North and South of Ireland are due to attend the celebration. alongside the Irish Ambassador to Great Britain Adrian O’Neill. A large contingent of travelling support from Sligo, and the Irish community in London who already turned out in great numbers for the exhibition opening on January 22nd will also be in attendance.

St Brigid's Day London 2019 / Opening Reception

We are delighted to share this album of photographs from the opening of our St Brigid's Day exhibition at 12 Star Gallery in London on January 22nd. The exhibition was opened by Irish Ambassador to Great Britain Adrian O’Neill with guest of honour Ireland’s Professor of Poetry, Eilean Ni Chuilleanain.

Photography http://www.jamiesmith.photo/

The exhibition was inspired by the late Leland Bardwell's poem "St Brigid's Day 1989". Our deepest thanks to Eilean Ni Chuilleanain - Leland's friend for many years - who travelled over to London to give a stunning and moving opening address; to Ambassador Adrian O’Neill from the Irish Embassy To Great Britain for making us so welcome in the busy run up to their St Brigid's Day / Lá Fhéile Bríde celebration of women and creativity 2019.

Thank you to all the members of Leland Bardwell's family who joined us as well. Your presence made the opening extremely special.

We can't express enough thanks to Anne Derwin at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade who came to us with the original proposal to undertake the exhibition last year, and to Jeremy O'Sullivan and all at 12 Star Gallery for their immense support and encouragement on this project.

Above all thank you to the 90 women artists who entrusted us with their art works, and took a leap of faith with us on this really exciting endeavour.

The exhibition runs at 12 Star gallery until Friday February 1st, St Brigid's Day. That day there will be a closing celebration with many of the exhibiting artists in attendance. Renowned Irish Actor Olwen Fouéré will give readings from the poetry and writings of Leland Bardwell, with music from Sligo's own award winning fiddle player Caoimhe Kearins and much more.

Thank you to Jamie Smith of Jamie Smith Photography www.jamiesmith.photo the 12 Star Gallery official photographer on the night who captured the event magnificently through his lens.

St Brigid's Day London 2019 / Blog #20

Hamilton Gallery St Brigids Day 12star Gallery Invite.jpg

Hamilton Gallery countdown to our St Brigid’s Day exhibition at 12 Star Gallery, Europe House London, is underway.

The exhibition will open to the public from January 23rd and run until February 1st, St Brigid’s Day, and it is part of the Irish Embassy in London’s St Brigid’s Day Celebration of Women and creativity.

In the run up to our opening night in London we bring you the very last daily blog with a selection of the 90 works by Irish women artists that will be shown at the exhibition.

Today our featured artists are Liz Sheridan, Jacqueline Stanley, Emma Stroude, Marion Thomson, Mavis Thomson, Sydney Thomson, Lorna Watkins and Heidi Wickham.

We also include the poem “The Knowledge of Beezie McGowan” by Leland Bardwell. Leland’s poem “St Brigid’s Day 1989” was circulated to all participating artists as the thematic inspiration for the exhibition.

Sold / No Longer Available

Sheridan, Liz - BROCCA

€150.00

solar printing on textile and hand embroidery

30 cm x 30 cm

unframed

Sheridan, Liz artist hamilton gallery 2019.jpg

Liz Sheridan

Liz Sheridan is a textile artist from Dublin but living in Sligo for over twenty years. Her medium is surface design, making negatives from old photos and printing them onto fabric using solar reactive dyes and using stitch to embellish the piece.

“In my piece 'Brocca' I highlight the work of women in the early days of the Irish state. In particular Dr. Kathleen Lynn, who strived to improve the lives of women and children from the Dublin tenements through innovative health and educational initiatives. Much of this work was impeded by the interference of the Catholic Church with the support of the government of the day. In this momentous year for Irish women we are developing type of access to health care which Dr. Lynn envisaged almost century ago.“

From Dostoevsky’s Grave | Leland Bardwell |Published by Dedalus Press. — From Dostoevsky’s Grave | Leland Bardwell |
Published by Dedalus Press.

Stanley, Jacqueline Cutting Reeds at Rossbrin

€1,750.00

Jacqueline Stanley: Born in 1928, Camberwell, London. Studied at Beckenham College of Art and Royal College of Art, London 1949-52. A prolific painter and print-maker, her early work documented a rapidly changing London, before becoming primarily concerned with landscape. She has been living and working in Ireland since 1975. Jacqueline has exhibited widely and much of her work is in major public and private collections.

“Where we lived in West Cork we were surrounded by beautiful reed beds, mainly cut for basket making, but it made a perfect setting for the St Brigid’s subject.”

Sold / No Longer Available

Stroude, Emma - Follow

€720.00

oil on canvas

30 cm X 30 cm

unframed

Emma Stroude

Emma Stroude was born in Berlin and raised in Cheshire, England. She studied in London and Dublin before finding her home on the coast of North Sligo.

Stroude Emma artist hamilton gallery 2019.jpg

'Follow' centres on the notion of womanhood and the sisterhood women share regardless of nationality, culture or creed. Brigid is found in many cultures. For me she signifies intelligence, courage, determination, nature and creativity. My choice of model for the portrait embodies all these qualities communicating them to us via her gaze. She is old enough to be a mother but young enough to be a daughter subtly suggesting the passing on of these strengths through the generations.

Thomson, Marion - Pink staccato voices weave

€1,500.00

oil, graphite and coloured pencil on Gesso panel

30cm X 30cm

Unframed

Exhibition Complete. Please Contact Gallery before purchasing as this piece may no longer be available

Marion Thomson: Born Enniskillen Co Fermanagh, now living in Lincolnshire. B A Hons Fine Art, University of Newcastle upon Tyne 1979 -1983. Postgraduate diploma in Painting, Royal Academy Schools, London 1988 - 1991. University lecturer/ tutor 1994 -2013 (Sheffield College and University of Nottingham).

‘Pink Staccato voices weave’ explores the geometric rhythm created over decades of making as inspired from the poem St Brigid’s Day 1989 by Leland Bardwell. Sound, movement, repetition, rotation - on a logical grid

Sold / No Longer Available

Thomson, Mavis -Celebration St. Brigid

€350.00

gouache, pasted papers, with collage, on Japanese paper laid on canvas

30 cm X 30 cm

unframed

Thomson Mavis artist Hamilton Gallery 2019.jpg

Mavis Thomson: Born in Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland. (born 1935) Moved to live in Co. Fermanagh, after marriage. (1959) Place of residence: ‘Minas Tirith’, 6 Hollyhill Crescent, ENNISKILLEN BT74 6DB, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland.

“Immediately impressed with the poem ‘ST BRIGID’S DAY 1989 BY LELAND BARDWELL, I decided to focus on the first five lines with the addition of words relating to my title ‘CELEBRATION ST. BRIGID’ by making a cross symbolic of her strength of fruitfulness and learning. I sensed the sounds of women calling – musical staccato notation – manuscript paper and torn collaged cross, with crayon rubbings on fine Japanese papers representing reeds. The colours were chosen to complement the verse - greens producing the reed-hushed margin impression surrounded by the blues of the lake.”

Thomson, Sydney - The Gatherers

€400.00

Sydney, Thomson: Sydney Thomson ACR, is a conservator of Japanese Paintings at the Restorient Studio, located in the old University city of Leiden, The Netherlands. Sydney was born in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh.

“I gathered tiny reeds on a Dutch Polder for a St Brigid’s Cross. From Bardwell’s words 'anxious to garner reeds for Brigid's Cross, bending' I created the image 'The Gatherers'.”

Watkins, Lorna - Brigid, post op, pre-chemo, Ireland, 2018

€480.00

Lorna Watkins: Originally from Straffan, Co. Kildare, I studied art in Thomastown, Edinburgh and Dublin. Moved to North Sligo 19 years ago where I love to live and work.

A dear friend asked me to document and honour her journey dealing with breast cancer through painting. I drew a parallel between her and Brigid, who were both strong in the face of adversity.

Sold / No Longer Available

Wickham, Heidi - Brigid's Fox

€395.00

Heidi Wickham: Born in The Black Mountains of South Wales in 1966, Heidi moved to England and grew up in Surrey. First attending West Surrey College of Art and Design for her foundation year followed by BA(Hons) in FA. Heidi has lived in Sligo for 26 years.
“As a predominately animal artist, I was keen to find a connection between Brigid and an animal. Researching, I found a story of her and a fox she trained. My close connection with all animals and the empowerment they bring, led me to make Brigid’s Fox.”