Louth's Highlanes Gallery announces 2026 programme to mark 20th anniversary

Highlanes Gallery in Drogheda, Louth, has today announced its 2026 exhibition programme, marking the 20th anniversary of the gallery’s opening in 2006. The milestone year will feature a diverse programme of exhibitions and public engagement activities that reflect the gallery’s commitment to contemporary practice, regional heritage and cross-generational participation.

Founded in 2006 in the former Drogheda Franciscan Church, Highlanes Gallery has grown into one of Ireland’s most active municipal art galleries, presenting exhibitions of national and international significance and supporting artists at all stages of their careers. The 2026 programme continues this focus and offers audiences a year of new work, fresh perspectives and collaborations, while also reflecting on the gallery’s role as a civic and cultural space over the past two decades.

Commenting today, Director of Highlanes Gallery, Aoife Ruane said: “Reaching twenty years offers a rare moment to pause and reflect. When we opened Highlanes in 2006 it marked the beginning of a new chapter for visual art in the North East, and it has been a privilege to help shape the gallery into a locally-rooted institution with a national reputation. 

“Over the years, I have seen audiences grow in confidence, artists push boundaries, and perceptions of what a municipal gallery can be continue to expand. The 2026 programme looks both to our past and to our future. It brings together work that speaks to place, identity and community, and it continues our long commitment to supporting emerging and established artists.”

In total, Highlanes will present 10 exhibitions during its 20th anniversary year. Programme highlights include:

Jackie Nickerson: Stateside

28 March to 9 May

A major solo exhibition by internationally recognised artist Jackie Nickerson, Stateside is a fragmented visual diary of a decade spent living and working across the United States. Drawing on photographs taken across multiple locations and reworked into layered compositions, the exhibition offers a compelling, ongoing narrative of the complex, troubled America of today.

Highlanes 20: Young Creatives Art Competition

8 August to 31 October

Developed with the gallery’s IGNITE and AMPLIFY youth panels, this new competition for children and young adults under 30 celebrates creativity and innovation. Focusing on themes of identity and the environment, the exhibition is shaped by young people themselves, with panel members acting as adjudicators.

Picturing the Border: 1921 to 2026

22 August to 31 October

This major exhibition focuses on artistic responses to the Irish border from 1922 to the present across painting, photography, film, print and popular culture. Drawing on work from ten invited artists, as well as work from public and private collections, Picturing the Border explores how the border has shaped communities on both sides, moving beyond stereotypical and clichéd depictions of the region. An accompanying seminar will take place in October.

Norah McGuinness: Pioneer

17 November to 20 February 2027

Inspired by the success of Nano Reid: Adamantine, this exhibition revisits the work and influence of twentieth-century artist and designer Norah McGuinness. Three contemporary artists will present new work inspired by McGuinness’s love of city life, colour, patterns and design, and the exhibition will also feature specially loaned and previously unseen work. An associated offsite project will extend the exhibition into Drogheda’s town centre.

Alongside the exhibition programme, Highlanes will continue its extensive public engagement work, including talks, tours, workshops and other initiatives for schools, families, young people and older members of the community.

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Reflecting on the year ahead, Aoife Ruane added: “What matters most to us is how people encounter and experience the gallery. Alongside the exhibitions, our public engagement programme continues to reach people of all ages and backgrounds – from toddlers and teenagers to people living with Alzheimer’s, from new communities to long-standing locals, as well as visitors travelling from further afield."

“I hope the depth and diversity of our anniversary programme resonates with people, and I look forward to welcoming both familiar faces and new visitors through the doors, and to the conversations these exhibitions will spark, both inside the gallery and beyond.”

Further details on the full exhibition and public engagement programme are available on the Highlanes Gallery’s website: www.highlanes.ie.