Announcement! Creative Engagement Facilitators

Sculpture Dublin is pleased to announce the artists who will be working with us to facilitate creative engagement activities around the six sculpture commissions.

The artists are: David Archbold, Sophie Behal, Jean Cleary, Conleth Gent, Pat Gillis, Hawkie, Aoife McCloughlin, Alan Mongey, Renata Pekowska, Frank Prendergast, Sophie von Maltzan.

The artists were selected through an open call process, which sought expressions of interest from creative professionals with a strong knowledge of sculpture and experience in arts education and facilitation. The selection panel included:

  • Liz Coman, Assistant Arts Officer, Dublin City Council
  • Jessica O’Donnell, Head of Education and Community Outreach, The Hugh Lane Gallery
  • Shelly McDonnell, Advocacy & Advice, Visual Artists Ireland

Sculpture Dublin is commissioning a new permanent sculpture in in Ballyfermot People’s Park; Kildonan Park, Finglas; St. Anne’s Park, Raheny; Bushy Park, Terenure; Smithfield Square Lower, an a temporary installation for the O’Connell Plinth outside City Hall.

We are developing a local engagement programme in each of the neighbourhoods where a new sculpture commission is happening. We are connecting with schools, community organisations, libraries, local history societies and DCC Local Area Offices to raise awareness of the new commissions and the sculpture commissioning process, to involve people in shared experiences of learning and making, and to provoke conversations about how public art enhances our surroundings and enriches our lives.

About the Artists

David Archbold is a curator and art historian. He was previously the Gallery Manager at Hang Tough Gallery and the Project Manager at Iverna. David is currently curating the 2021 edition of the SCOOP Art Auction and also producing new research regarding the mathematics of sculpture. 

Sophie Behal is a visual artist and educator. She has worked on creative engagement projects with Temple Bar Gallery + Studios, the RHA and Glasnevin Educate Together National School. Her work concentrates on the imaginative process, searching and asking questions, and facilitating people’s creation. 

Jean Cleary is an artist and educator who, since graduating with a Master of Arts in Ceramics, has worked extensively in the area of visual art education for over 21 years. Jean’s expertise lies in the area of sculpture, in particular the area of ceramic sculpture.  

Conleth Gent is a founder member of Signal Arts Centre in Bray, Co. Wicklow. Conleth facilitates workshops at The Schoolhouse for Art Enniskerry, the Seamus Ennis Art Centre in the Naul and at Trinity College. In 2017, he was awarded a Creative Ireland Bursary and worked with a group of Glencullen residents.

Pat Gillis is currently working as a Technical Instructor for CDETB, Finglas Training Centre, in parallel with his art practice. He studied Fine Art, majoring in Sculpture, while being a fully-trained plumber/welder – which has helped him to work with sculpture materials. His current work deals with the space, architecture and social history of Dublin.

Hawkie is a digital artist and painter who studied Art and Design (Ulster University) and has a Postgraduate Degree in Secondary Education (Plymouth University). He has worked for over 15 years as an educator and youth worker. Hawkie currently creates virtual reality projects and runs creative coding sessions with young people across Ireland.

Aoife McCloughlin is an emerging artist who lives and works in Dublin. She is a third-year student of Sculpture and Critical Cultures at the National College of Art and Design. Aoife has experience in working as an artist assistant in the facilitation of children art workshops. 

Alan Mongey has been actively engaged in arts education since he graduated in 2003. His practice is about play and interaction – he thinks that community-based projects offer fantastic opportunities to develop collaborative art that is relevant to those involved and the wider community. 

Renata Pekowska is an artist and researcher based in Dublin. Her background includes architectural studies, craft design, and art critical theory (NCAD). She is a member of Education Panels at the Butler Gallery, the National Museum of Ireland and the Artists and Lecturers Panel at the Hugh Lane Gallery.

Frank Prendergast has a background in sculpture and digital media. In conjunction with his own art practice, Frank is the co-owner of SpaceForms. He has worked with a range of groups from facilitating workshops such as “Raspberry Pi as a creative media player” to creative engagement in sculpture with Transition Year students. 

Sophie von Maltzan is an artist, landscape architect, gardener and educator. Her collaborative art practice approach weaves together ecology, participatory and site specific interventions in the public realm. Her practice combines social sculpture and community design.