It is so, that 80% of County Offaly's artists live in and around this charming town in the Midlands. We hope that through promoting our local artists, it encourages local people to buy something made locally and created by hand. But just as importantly our page has been created to increase awareness of our region's artists nationally and internationally. A number of our 'local artists' have in fac
t exhibited in leading galleries and some of their works have sold throughout Ireland, and are in collections abroad. But we are more than simple 'painters and sketchers'. A fellow artist of another kind has contributed to this little list, and you can find us all hereabouts, in and around Birr: Musicians and Drummers; Writers of songs and of Poetry and Prose Writers; Calligraphers and Print-makers; Dancers and Animators; Film-makers and Stained-glass makers; Physical Theatre Practitioners (Juggling/Fire-throwing/Rope-walking); Physico-spiritual artists; Designers, Carvers, Potters and Artists in Paper... and of course the Visual Artists. (Please send more if you are one or know another kind of artist nearby.) Originally, the idea of this page was to promote the creative people who are working in the arts: just the 'professional, working artists of Birr and the gallery/exhibition spaces and shops selling our art. However, there are so many of us doing other jobs to earn money such as teaching art, or just greatly involved with community projects. Doing everyday what is way wider than 'the arts' - maybe neglecting the art in which we were schooled or have developed through practice. There are some local (working) artists here who are largely self-taught and others who have been or are going back to college to evolve an aspect of the arts, such as Art Therapy. It seems unfair to exclude others who may be consistently working on their own art and exhibiting (and maybe even selling more than A Professional Working Artist!) but who are professionals in full-time jobs in other fields. The important thing is that this page can help bring a focus upon Birr's artists and their art, inspired by living in this beautiful county of Offaly.
