Sarah Iremonger was born in Dublin (1965) lives and works as a visual artist in Kinsale Co. Cork, Ireland; a Board Member of the Lavit Gallery Cork; a member of 'RedInk' Neurodivergent Artists Support Group; Board Member of the Backwater Artists Group, Cork 2003-09 (Chair 2006-09) and a founder of the Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork in 1985 volunteering there until 1999 and working as visual arts curator and artists liaison from 1999-2015.
Recent work includes the development drawings from Horizons work transformed into digital 3-D landscapes presented at the '2nd Symposium on Digital Art in Ireland' UCC University College Cork 2024; Vessels and Horizons exhibited at 'Coalescence' The Lavit Gallery, Cork 2024; participation in 'Quietly Dispelling the Dark' Arts Council Collection selected by Colm Tóibín, VISUAL, Centre of Contemporary Art, Carlow 2024; participation in 'Residence 3' exhibition Oliver Sears Gallery & Ting Ying Gallery, Cromwell Place, London, UK 2023; Vessels Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin 2022 supported by a Cork County Council Creative Artists Bursary 2022; Build Your Own Horizon/BYOH public participation project Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Bealtaine Artist in Residence and Cork County Council 2022, exhibited at 'Re:Group - Fragments in Constellation' with Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre and Skibbereen Arts Festival 2022; The Hunting Box Party exhibited at 'Change Hunters Hide' the Emmanuel Walderdorff Galerie, Hofgut Molsberg, Westerwald, Germany 2021;
Iremonger illustrated Atlantis by poet Derek Mahon 2019 and The Rain Bridge children's book 2017 both published by The Gallery Press "a story written by Derek Mahon for his son, then aged six, a tale of loss, kindness and recovery. Iremonger’s illustrations match, in their simplicity, the purity of the author’s style." (Peter Fallon 2017) IL Ponte Della Pioggia published by Valigie Rosse, Italy 2018 and Macedonia 2019.
Education
1997-98
MA European Fine Art, Winchester School of Art, Southampton University, Park Avenue, Winchester, Hampshire, UK and Barcelona, Spain
1985-87
Diploma in Fine Art Print, CCAD, Crawford College of Art and Design, Sharman-Crawford St. Cork, Ireland
1983-85
Foundation and First Year Fine Art, NCAD, National College of Art and Design, 100 Thomas St. Dublin, Ireland
Membership
Board Member of the Lavit Gallery, Cork 2023-present
RedInk Neurodivergent Artists Support Group 2022-present
VAI Visual Artists Ireland 2016-present
Cork Film Centre, Cork 2007-09
National Sculpture Factory, Cork 2007 & 2013 -17
Teaching Council 2010-11 (further education)
Member of the Spike Island Heritage Committee, Cobh 2009-11
Backwater Artists Group, Cork 2000-09
Board Member of Wandesford Quay Ltd. Cork 2004-09
Board Member of the Backwater Artists Group, Cork 2003-09 (Chair 2006-09)
Cork Arts Job Initiative Ltd. Community Employment Scheme, Cork 1999-2003 (Secretary)
Collections
The Liberty Hotel Group; OPW Office of Public Works, Northside Civic Centre, Coolock, Dublin & Government Offices at Tullamore, Co. Lois; The Arts Council of Ireland, Dublin; Micro Soft Ireland, Dublin; University College Cork, Cork; Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork; Kerry UDC, Killarney, Co. Kerry
2024
'Quietly Dispelling the Dark' Arts Council Collection selected by Colm Tóibín, VISUAL, Centre of Contemporary Art, Carlow
'Coalescence' exhibition The Lavit Gallery, Cork
'2nd Symposium on Digital Art in Ireland' UCC University College Cork with Sample Studios, Cork
'Space In-between' exhibition Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, West Cork
'Hermione' exhibition Alexandra College, Dublin
2023
Participant of the 'Cosmist Reading Group, The Institute of the Cosmos' by Anton Vidolke at the Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. CorkParticipant Sirius Arts Centre Summer School, Cobh Co. Cork
'Residence 3' exhibition Oliver Sears Gallery & Ting Ying Gallery, Cromwell Place, London, UK
2022'Arts Council Collection 60 Years' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen
Vessels exhibition Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
Space-Time: Horizons, Atlantis and A Rain Bridge paper presented at 'Art Poetique' in Memorium Derek Mahon (Study Day) Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, France
'Re:Group - Fragments in Constellation' collaboration project facilitated by Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, through online meetings in 2021 & 2022, O'Driscoll building, Skibbereen Arts Festival'Bealtaine Artist in Residence' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork funded by Cork County Council
'An Incandescent Connection' exhibition, Kinsale, Co. Cork with Hina Kahn and Eidin Griffin
Floating Above the Horizon paper presented at the 'Derek Mahon 80th Birthday Celebration Conference' Trinity College, Dublin
'Evanescent' exhibition Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'Friends and Members' exhibition Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'New & Recent Work' online exhibition Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
'30 Years of Making' exhibition Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
'Change Hunters Hide' exhibition Emmanuel Walderdorff Galerie, Hofgut Molsberg, Westerwald, Germany2020
'Outdraw' exhibition Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
Vessels/Research '24/7' online with the National Sculpture Factory Cork
'Arts for All' online featured artist
'The Time of Our Lives' online exhibition Oliver Sears Gallery Dublin
'Irish Examiner Wish List' Irish Examiner (Sunday 12 Jan)
Curatorial Projects
2021
'An Incandescent Connection' exhibition, Kinsale, Co. Cork with Hina Kahn and Eidin Griffin
2013
'World View of an Oyster' Macroom Town Hall, with Helen Horgan, Maximilian Le Can, Mick O’Shea & writer Danyel Ferrari for Cork County Council and Macroom Town Council
2012
'Sub-plots' Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork with Marianne Keating, Mick O’Shea & Stephen Brandes
2011
'Sub-plots' allerArt, Bludenz, Austria with Marianne Keating, Mick O’Shea & Stephen Brandes
2009
'Containers' with Stephen McGlynn and the Port of Cork, Custom House Quay for ArtTrail, Cork
2008
'Cork Harbour Project - Beyond the Myths' exhibition, seminar, school projects & off-site projects, Cork Harbour and Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork
2007
'Cork Harbour Project - Labs 1 & 2' Residency Program, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh Co. Cork
Publications
2019
The Rain Bridge children's book written by Derek Mahon, published in Macedonia www.pnv.mk
2018
IL Ponte Della Pioggia children's book written by Derek Mahon, published in Italian by Valigie Rosse, Italy
Atlantis illustrations for poetry pamphlet by Derek Mahon, published by The Gallery Press
2017
The Rain Bridge children's book written by Derek Mahon, published by The Gallery Press
Commissions
2004-05
Freedom Box & Where’s Me Cork? video works for 'Arigador - Cork Silver and Gold Exhibition' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork for European City of Culture 2005 and Bowen Construction
2003
Upside-down Mountains neon and mural installation, Northside Civic Centre, Coolock, Dublin, for the OPW Office of Public Works (updated in 2012)
Awards
2022
Arts Council Agility Award towards the development of a new text-based work Cantos
Cork County Council Creative Artists Bursary towards Vessels exhibition at Oliver Sears Gallery
Artist in Residence with Bealtaine Festival at Uillinn West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork with funding from Cork County Council
2015
Cork County Council Arts Grants Scheme Award towards the development of new work for Horizons
Residency, Cill Rialaig, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry
2014
Residency, Cill Rialaig, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry
2011
Culture Ireland Award towards exhibition Sub-plots, allerArt Bludenz, Austria
Culture Ireland Award towards exhibiting The Hunting Box Party at 'Magaslesek (Hochsitze – Raised Hides)' Knoll Gallery Budapest, Hungary
Culture Ireland Award towards exhibiting The Hunting Box Party at 'Buffer Zone' The Armory, Sydney Olympic Stadium, Sydney, Australia
Art Exchange Residency, Broken Hill, Australia
2010
Culture Ireland Award towards exhibiting I thought I dreamed of you at 'Tears Trash and Decay' Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne, Australia
Culture Ireland Award towards exhibition I thought I dreamed of you, Gallery 817, Anderson Hall, UARTS, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, USA
Von Hess Residency, Borowsky Centre & UARTS Multidisciplinary Fine Arts Program, Visiting Artist, UARTS, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, USA
2008
Cork County Council Arts Grants Scheme Award towards the development I thought I dreamed of you exhibition, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
2007
Residency, Cill Rialaig, Ballinskelligs, Co. Kerry
2005
Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland, towards The Hunting Box Party exhibited at 'C2' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork 2005; 'Buffer Zone' The Armory, Sydney Olympic Stadium, Sydney, Australia; 'Magaslesek (Hochsitze – Raised Hides)' Knoll Gallery Budapest, Hungary 2011; 'Hochsitze (Raised Hides)' Knoll Gallery Vienna, Austria 2010 and 'Change Hunters Hide' Emmanuel Walderdorff Galerie, Hofgut Molsberg, Westerwald, Germany 2021
2004
Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland, towards the development of The Hunting Box Party
2003
Fellowship Stipendiatin der Stiftung Kulturfonds Residency at Kunstlerhaus Schloss Wiepersdorf, Wiepersdorf, Germany
Cultural Relations Committee Award, Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, Ireland, towards Lumpy Art History exhibition, Turku Art Museum, Turku, Finland
2002
Bursary Award, Arts Council of Ireland, towards The Top Half of the Hero exhibition, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
Residency Award, Arts Council of Ireland, Kunstlerhaus Schloss Wiepersdorf, Germany
Project Award, Arts Council of Ireland, towards the research and development, Berlin, Germany
2001
Publication Award, Arts Council of Ireland, towards Lumpy Art History exhibition, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin
Materials/Documentation Grant, Arts Council of Ireland
1999
Materials/Documentation Grant, Arts Council of Ireland
1998
Cultural Relations Committee Award, Department of Foreign Affairs, towards an investigation into the act of interpretation in relation to the area of representation exhibition, Vizivarosi Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
1996
DHL ArtLift Award, Cork Paintings exhibition, J. D. Mooney Foundation, Chicago, USA & 'L’Imaginaire Irlandais' Villesalem Abbey in association with Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, France
Solo Exhibitions
2022
Vessels, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
2016 -17
Cover Photo Retrospective, Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/sarah.iremonger (weekly)
2011
Desert Union, 'World’s End' The Guesthouse, Cork2010
I thought I dreamed of you, Gallery 817, Anderson Hall, UARTS, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, USA
2009-10
I thought I dreamed of you, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
Hinterland, Tom Barry’s, Cork in association with Cork Arts Collective, Cork
2007
Myths, Alliance Francaise de Cork, Cork
2004
Research & Process Room, interpretative room 'George Petrie' exhibition, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork
2003
Lumpy Art History, Turku Museum, Turku, Finland
2002
Top Half of the Hero, Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
2001
Lumpy Art History, Temple Bar Gallery, Temple Bar, Dublin
2000
from effect to ideology and back again, CIT Exhibition Centre, Cork Institute of Technology, Cork
1998
an investigation into the act of interpretation in relation to the area of representation, Vizivarosi Gallery, Budapest, Hungary
1996
Cork Paintings, J. D. Mooney Foundation, Chicago, USA
Group Exhibitions
2024
'Quietly Dispelling the Dark' Arts Council Collection selected by Colm Tóibín, VISUAL, Centre of Contemporary Art, Carlow
'Coalescence' The Lavit Gallery, Cork City
'Space In-between' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, West Cork
'Hermione' Alexandra College, Dublin
'Residence 3' Oliver Sears Gallery, Cromwell Place, London, UK
2022
'Arts Council Collection 60 Years' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen
'Re:Group - Fragments in Constellation' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen through online meetings 2021 & 2022, O'Driscoll building for the Skibbereen Arts Festival
2021'An Incandescent Connection' Kinsale, Co. Cork with Hina Kahn and Eidin Griffin
'Evanescent' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'Friends and Members Exhibition' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'New & Recent Work' online, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
'30 Years of Making' Signal Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
'Change Hunters Hide' Emmanuel Walderdorff Gallery, Hofgut Molsberg, Westerwald, Germany
2020
'Outdraw' Uillinn, West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'24/7' online, National Sculpture Factory, Cork
'Arts for All' featured artist May & June
'The Time of Our Lives' online, Oliver Sears Gallery, Dublin
2019
'Press Play' Oliver Sears Gallery, Molesworth Street, Dublin
'Heroes and Villains' Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place, Cork
2018
'Heroes and Villains' Crawford Art Gallery, Emmet Place, Cork
'Gallery Artists and Guests' The Salon, Oliver Sears Gallery, Molesworth Street, Dublin
2014
'The 184th RHA Royal Hibernian Academy Annual Exhibition' Dublin (invited artist)
2013
'World View of an Oyster' Macroom Town Hall, Macroom, Co. Cork with Helen Horgan, Maximilian Le Can, Mick O’Shea & writer Danyel Ferrari for Cork County Council and Macroom Town Council
2012
'Sub-plots' Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork with Marianne Keating, Mick O’Shea & Stephen Brandes
2011
'Art Work Embassy' ArtTrail, Cork
'Sub-plots' AllerArt, Bludenz, Austria with Marianne Keating, Mick O’Shea & Stephen Brandes
'Buffer Zone' The Armory Gallery, Sydney Olympic Stadium, Sydney, Australia
'Magaslesek (Hochsitze – Raised Hides)' Knoll Gallery Budapest, Hungary
'Land/e/scape Art Walks' Historic Centre of Kalamata, Greece
'Living in Interesting Times' Tom Barry’s Light Boxes exhibition, in association with Backwater Artists Group and Cork Artists Collective, Cork
'When Flanders Failed' The RHA Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin curated by Stephen Brandes
2010
Rushbrooke Links Tank. tv online Museum of the Moving Image, London, UK
'Land/e/scape' Festival Midden, Historic Centre of Kalamata, Greece
'Hochsitze (Raised Hides)' Knoll Gallery Vienna, Austria
'Tears Trash & Decay' Yarra Sculpture Gallery, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
'Souvenirs from the Celtic Tiger' Xuhui Arts Museum, Shanghai, China
'West Cork Artists' West Cork Arts Centre, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'Backwater Artists' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
2009
'Video Screening' Skibbereen Arts Festival, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'The Hero of a Thousand Faces' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
'Fruitcakes and Furrycollars' off-site exhibition in association with West Cork Arts Centre & Cork Film Centre, Bridge House, Skibbereen, Co. Cork
'V for Video' The Roundy, Cork
2007
'Posted 3 – Future World' photographic project, Cork
Wreck video projection, Backwater Artists Group & Cork Printmakers open studios, Cork
'Tensions' Former Court House with the Cork Film Centre & ArtTrail, Cork
2006
'we must follow the circle' Triskel Arts Centre & Backwater Artists Group, Cork
'Coffee Project' Temple Bar Studio’s, Temple Bar, Dublin
2005
Secret Archaeology of an Artist Backwater Artists Group 'open studios' ArtTrail, Cork, Cork for European City of Culture
'Un/Inhibited' video projection, Backwater Artists Group 'open studios' for European City of Culture
'Arigador' Cork Silver & Gold exhibition, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork for European City of Culture
The Hunting Box Party at 'C2' Crawford Municipal Art Gallery, Cork for European City of Culture
2004
'Trunk Show (the artist as traveller)' King House, Boyle, Co. Roscommon
The Hunting Box Party ArtTrail critical essays & Backwater Artists Group 'open studios' Cork
2003
'Crawford Open 4' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
'ArtTrail' cover image of the catalogue; critical essays 'open studios' electric-rain, Cork
Hunting Boxes video projection IAWS building and Backwater Artists Group, Cork
Fake installations 'FLIX' Rubicon Gallery, Dublin
'Forbidden Writings' The Ping Pong Room, Kunstlerhaus Schloss Wiepersdorf, Germany
2002
Lumpy Art History EV&A Limerick City Art Gallery, Limerick
Dedalus - Bloomsday # 1 Context Gallery, Derry, Northern Ireland
2001
'Crawford Open 2' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
Homage Backwater Artists Group, ArtTrail, Backwater Artists Group 'open studios' Cork
Shh.. outline drawing project, ArtTrail, Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
'Projections' Parochial Church Hall, Old St. Mary’s Church, Clonmel the South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
2000
'Crawford Open' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
'Samhain Swing' Art Gallery, Deptford, London, UK
'Stuffed' Stuff Gallery, 5 Palmers Rd. Bethnal Green, London, UK
'M for Millennium' Cork Midsummer Festival, The Lavit Gallery, Cork
from effect to ideology and back again CIT Cork Institute of Technology, Rossa Avenue and Guy’s Buildings for Cork Midsummer Festival, Coal Quay, Cork
1999
'Fresh Art Studio' with Danny McCarthy, Helen O'Leary and Michael Daley for ArtTrail, Princes St. Cork
1998
'Cork Artists Collective' Proby’s Restaurant for ArtTrail, Cork
'Industria Art' Clifton Hall, Dublin
'MA Exhibition' Winchester School of Art, Winchester, Hampshire, UK
'Top ’98' Tallers Oberts Poblenou, Barcelona, Spain Can Filipi Centre Civic & Winchester School of Art, Barcelona, Spain
1997
'Micro-Soft Touring Exhibition' Ireland
'Scoip ‘97' Siamsa Tire Arts Centre, Tralee, Co. Kerry
'Kunst aus Irland Nordirland Schottland' Catalyst Arts, Arts Club, Burgwedel, Germany
1996
'Volume' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
'L’Imaginaire Irlandais' Villesalem Abbey in association with Le Confort Modern, Poitiers, France
'Model Home Ideas for Living' The Clock Tower PS1 Museum of Contemporary Art, Long Island City, NY, USA
'COE ’96' Claremorris Open Exhibition, Co. Mayo
'Art of The State' touring exhibition, Ireland and France
2024
'2nd Symposium on Digital Art in Ireland' UCC University College Cork with Sample Studios, Cork
2022
Space-Time: Horizons, Atlantis and A Rain Bridge, 'Art Poetique' in Memorium Derek Mahon (Study Day) Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, FranceFloating Above the Horizon Derek Mahon, 80th Birthday Celebration Conference, Trinity College, Dublin
2018
'Artists of Cobh and Great Island' 'This Must Be the Place' Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork
2011
'Cork Harbour Summer School' Port of Cork, Cork
'Artist Presentation' ERIA Environmental Research Initiative for Art, COFA College of Fine Art, UNSW University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
2010
'UARTS Multidisciplinary Fine Arts Program' University of the Arts, Philadelphia, USA
2007
'Cork Docklands Seminar & Tour' Port of Cork, ArtTrail, Cork
2005
'Culture 2000 Seminar' Arts Council of Ireland, Malta
'BAG Backwater Artists Group at the Crawford' Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
Where’s Me Cork? UCC University College Cork, Sociology Dept. Cork
Where’s Me Cork? Green Party Convention, Cork
2003
'Artist Presentation' Kunstlerhaus Schloss Wiepersdorf, Germany
2002
Top Half of the Hero Triskel Arts Centre, Cork
'Manifesta 4' presentation Crawford Art Gallery, Cork
2001
'Projections' Parochial Church Hall, Old St. Mary’s Church, Clonmel in association with the South Tipperary Arts Centre, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary
Lumpy Art History Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin
1996
Cork Paintings J. D. Mooney Foundation, Chicago, USA
1999–2015
Visual Arts Curator and Artists Liaison, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork (part-time)
1985-99
Co-founder and volunteer, Sirius Arts Centre, Cobh, Co. Cork