Visual Arts
Mary Powers
Born in Minnesota, USA, Mary Powers came to Ireland in 1951. She studied at the Dun Laoghaire School of Art, and at the National College of Art. She joined the Graphic Studio in 1973, where she specialised in etching at first, gradually moving into other areas of printmaking and working with paper. She was a director of Graphic Studio, Dublin.
Her work was widely exhibited in Ireland and abroad. Solo exhibitions included Tom Caldwell Gallery, Belfast (1981); Taylor Galleries, Dublin (1981, 84, 87); Gordon Gallery, Derry (1984), and Fenderesky Gallery, Belfast (1987). Group exhibitions included A Salute of Ireland Festival, Birmingham, Alabama (1980); British Council/Arts Council of Northern Ireland Travelling Exhibition, West Germany (1982); Presencia Plastica at Museo Francisco Goitia, Zacatecas, Mexico and at Galeria Tierra Adentro, Mexico City (1984); Contemporary Northern Irish Prints from the Octagon Gallery, Belfast, travelling in southern Germany (1985); European Large Format Printmaking Exhibition, Guinness Hop Store, Dublin (1991); PRINT ’92, Model Arts Centre, Sligo (posthumous) and the Euroamericana de Grabado 3/92, La Coruña, Spain (posthumous, 1992).
She was the recipient of numerous awards: Gold Medal winner at the Listowel Graphics Exhibition (1975), grant from the Arts Council/an Chomhairle Ealaíon (1978); fellowship as Printmaker in Residence, Arts Council of Northern Ireland print workshop (1980-81). The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon commemorates Mary Farl Power through a biennial award in her name to a practicing printmaker.