Creative Spark in Dundalk announces second Artist in Residence for 2023
Clara McSweeney is currently working as an Artist-in-Resident at Creative Spark
Creative Spark says it is pleased to announce the arrival of its second Artist in Residence for 2023. Clara McSweeney is a graduate of Fine Art Painting from Limerick School of Art and Design and Cultural Event Management from IADT Dun Laoghaire. She is currently working as an Artist-in-Resident at Creative Spark Dundalk.
Her present achievements to date included being awarded ‘Ireland at Venice’ mediator role, completing a two-month residency in PADA studios and gallery in Barreiro Portugal, completing a four-month graduate residency at The Darkroom Dublin and showcasing ‘Women from the Inside’ a collaborative project in The Belltable Limerick.
Clara’s interest and pure curiosity in learning new and different analogue techniques and processes are the basis of her work.
While she is a resident at Creative Spark she plans to continue to investigate the cyanotype printing process on fabric, watercolour paper and glass.
Clara uses her analogue processes to create work around a specific site, usually sites that are abandoned or derelict. The crumbling architectural features, found objects and forgotten histories form the basis from which she works.
To many, such spaces appear eerie and desolate. However, she wishes to portray the beauty and fascinating mystery hidden beneath the collapsing decay, waiting to be discovered.
During this residency, she will focus on creating a large new body of Cyanotype work using objects and film negatives from research walks through derelict buildings in the Louth area.
The Creative Spark Residency Programme provides opportunities for visual artists and art professionals to research and develop their practices.
It supports both emerging and established visual artists working in any medium, but gives preference to those artists developing a body of work in a printmaking discipline.
Each residency is supported by provision of studio space in Creative Spark, along with access to all the facilities and technical support. The residency generally lasts between 2-3 months.
This programme is generously supported by Create Louth (Arts Service of Louth County Council) and Arts Council Ireland.