Gráinne Murphy

Gráinne Murphy spearheaded an inspiring initiative in collaboration with Louth County Council’s Artist in the Community project. Alongside four other talented artists, including Susan Farrelly, Una Curley, Claire McAteer, and Etaoin O'Reilly, Gráinne led a series of workshops aimed at celebrating the life and legacy of St. Brigid as part of Louth’s Brigid 1500 programme.

Throughout the project, our team worked closely with an impressive array of 23 diverse groups, including the Irish Sign Language Group, Ashton School, Malta Connect, St John of Gods, Ardee Active Retirement, Gaelscoil Dhún Dealgan, Art as Exchange, Cooley Connect, Drogheda Library Book Club, Local artists, AAEX, Sea swimming groups, and Faughart School. Together, we engaged these communities in creative expression, fostering a sense of unity and celebration.

Under the guidance of our dedicated team, participants crafted distinct artworks, each imbued with the spirit of St. Brigid. Drawing from a rich tapestry of textile, mixed media, print, and ceramics, these pieces captivated audiences and served as poignant reminders of St. Brigid’s influence.

The collaborative nature of this project extended far and wide, embracing diverse groups from across the county. We were thrilled to unveil this remarkable collection at a special exhibition last February, where these artworks took center stage amidst the grand Brigid 1500 commemorations. Through creativity, community, and shared celebration, we honored St. Brigid and brought her legacy to life.

The pieces where displayed in an exhibition in February 2024 in Dundalk town centre.

This Creative Spark project was lead and curated by Gráinne Murphy.

The project brought together fifteen artists from County Louth. The artists, who were members of the Creative Spark Print Studio and the group Art as Exchange, utilized a variety of techniques such as sculptural forms, folded pages, drawings, and collages to create these one-of-a-kind works of art.

The theme of the project was Decade of Centenaries , the artists began their research with an introduction to the Louth Archives. The pieces took inspiration from the events from the Easter Rising, War of Independence and Civil War and more.

The Decade of Centenaries book project launched on Thursday March 2 2023 in conjunction with World Book Day.

The project was displayed on a large bookshelf shaped like a book, and visitors had the opportunity to browse through each artist’s book. The project celebrated creativity and the power of storytelling through art, showcasing the unique perspectives of local artists and their response to the Louth Archives’ collection.

The project was funded under the Louth County Council Decade of Centenaries Programme for 2022, which in itself was funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport, and Media through their Decade of Centenaries National Programme.

Project Manager of Event and artworks 2023.

Celebration of Brigid with Creative Spark Print Studio and Art as Exchange

On January 30th, Creative Spark Print Studio and Art as Exchange hosted an outdoor event in celebration of Brigid's Day. The event featured a performance, outdoor exhibition, and the release of a collaborative guidebook titled "A Guidebook to Your Brigid Feast Day".

The guidebook, a collaborative magazine filled with content about Brigid, including drawings, illustrations, recipes, how-to tutorials, stories, and folklore, was co-produced by the team. The Fabric Cloak, also co-produced by the team, took inspiration from Brigid and all aspects of her life.

AAEX Artist Susan Farrelly, who works with community engagement, visited pupils at Gaelscoil Dún Dealgan. Together, they created four segments of the cloak on fabric. The four panels represented the seasons of the year and the children explored how to use Neolithic symbols like those found at Newgrange and Knowth to tell stories. The children shared stories about some of the aspects of Brigid's life and, working in groups, they translated their stories into pictures of their own design. These panels joined together with other sections to form the circular cloak and it continued to grow as they added creative contributions from other artists and the surrounding community.

The outdoor exhibition showcased artworks inspired by traditional craft and symbols, such as the Brigid cross and brideog dolls, using natural materials from the land. A unique aspect of the event was the large loom onsite, where visitors added foliage, twigs, and other materials throughout the day, allowing them to actively participate in the creation of the final piece. This interactive element provided visitors with a hands-on opportunity to engage with the art and themes of the Brigid project

The project was generously funded by Create Louth and Creative Spark and had been in the works since mid-November by the team of artists. Visitors experienced the beauty and tradition of Brigid's Day through this exciting opportunity.

Working with Creative Spark in Dundalk, the Service Users from St. John of God Venegas will explore and design their very own bookmark inspired by their favourite local landmark, heritage site etc.

This will unlock their creativity by combining digital design technology with traditional techniques to produce artwork that represents their local cultural heritage.

The bookmarks will then be digitized and digitally cut (Laser/CNC) on wood blocks onsite with the Mobile FabLab facility.

The resulting hand printed bookmarks will be distributed for free to local libraries, schools and tourist offices.

This project consisted of three artists connecting with The Larch unit in Louth Hospital and The Cottage Hospital in Co. Louth. It will help to create an inclusive and stimulating environment for patients and staff.

Using three disciplines, print, textile and ceramics, Echoes created a series of site-specific works to enhance the Hospital. The aim was to create an area of creativity and stimulate a more human environment for everyone; patients, staff and visitors. To make the space less clinical and more inviting the artwork will focus on patient engagement with memory, stimulating imagery/text.

A place-making/story collecting workshop was held with staff and patients online, allowing the hub to reflect on their own stories and memories of the area and working collaboratively.

The artworks was be inspired by heritage, local history and memorabilia and will help create a friendly and welcoming environment for the community; a creative and connective place.

My Pieces were inspired by the landscapes of Coat of Louth. Stories of the old Blackrock Swimming pool , Dundalk Bays singing lighthouse keeper , days at the beach in Omeath and walks and dances at oriel pier.

This Project was funded through Creative Ireland.

Brutoplolis

Brutopolis is an Eastern Block relic, where an authoritarian regime is clinging on by the whites of its fingertips to a time when people did what they were told. This is an immersive theatrical experience of a vast scale, in which a revolution against years of oppression is on the cusp of exploding.

The propoganda printworks was an immersive performance printmakers at the area.

Electric Picnic 2022

I have over 7 years experience in teaching classes and workshops. I currently facilitate workshops at Creative Spark in Dundalk.

I facilitate workshops in Screenprint, Cyanotype, bookbinding and other forms of Printmaking.

I have worked with several groups locally, nationally and internationally.