The 41st General Assembly of Aosdána will not take place in 2021. It is hoped that the 41st General Assembly will take place in Spring 2022. A decision has been taken not to hold the General Assembly due to continuing uncertainty on gatherings. In its place a postal vote will take place for the election of new members as was the case in 2020. All 246 current members will receive a postal vote by 2 November for return no later than 12 November. The ballot count will take place in the Arts Council and it is expected new members will be announced mid November 2021.
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Aosdána and the Arts Council express great sadness at the passing of Seamus Deane
Photograph Joe St Leger
Aosdána and the Arts Council express great sadness at the passing of writer Seamus Deane. Arts Council Chair Prof. Kevin Rafter said: “A gifted writer and a profound intellect, Seamus Deane was a master of every writing form. As a critic, an editor, a poet and a novelist, Deane brought concentrated rigour and empathy to his work. An inspiring teacher and continual advocate for Irish writing, Seamus Deane leaves behind a powerful literary and cultural legacy.”
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Celebrating Poetry Day Ireland
Aosdána expresses its sadness at the passing of David Shaw-Smith
Aosdána and the Arts Council express great sadness at the passing of film-maker and Aosdána member David Shaw-Smith. Speaking today, Kevin Rafter, Chair of the Arts Council said: “David Shaw-Smith was a documentary film-maker of note who leaves a rich and valuable record of Irish craft traditions in his singular documentary works, including the acclaimed Hands series for RTE.”
Continue readingAosdana New Members Event
New Aosdána members, elected in 2020, gathered via zoom on 10 Dec, to learn more about the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland and what it means to be a member.
Continue readingAosdána elects 13 new members
Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland, elects 13 new members by postal vote October / November 2020. A postal vote process took place in 2020 in lieu of a General Assembly. It is hope that a General Assembly will take place in 2021.
Continue readingAosdána and the Arts Council express great sadness at the passing of visual artist Felim Egan.
Eamon Colman writes “Felim Egan was born in Strabane in 1952, he was always interested in drawing and from an early age showed promise, he went on to study in London He had early success representing Ireland in the 1980 Paris Exhibition. Here he showed a series of large paintings in mutated colour palette, for this show he incorporated the smaller square within a square, he went on to use this same format for the rest of his life. During this time he started using marble dust mixed with the colour, this infused his painting with a transparent texture. In Paris he won the UNESCO prize for painting, this brought him to the attention of the New York Metropolitan Museum of contemporary art where he is now in their permanent collection. One of Felim Egan’s quirks is that he always wore a striped hat, almost like a suit of armour. A man with a great sense of humor and a quiet display of warmth for his fellow artist he will be sadly missed.”
Kevin Rafter, Chair of the Arts Council said: “The Arts Council is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of renowned painter Felim Egan. The importance of his work as a unique, modernist voice in Irish painting has been demonstrated by his inclusion in numerous important collections and his participation in international events such as the Sao Paulo Biennale and the Biennale de Paris during the 1980s. His unique marrying of pure abstraction with soft, poetic tones and colours add a particularly moving element to his works.”
Continue readingAosdána Announces New Member
Today, Aosdána elects 1 new member. The newly elected member is choreographer John Scott. There had been a tie between 3 candidates for the last available place at the first ballot count on 13 October. Today’s election completes the election of new members for 2020.
Continue readingThe Arts Council and Aosdána express deep regret at the passing of Julia O’ Faolain.
The Arts Council and Aosdána express great sadness at the passing of Aosdána member Julia Ó Faolain.
Aosdána elects 12 new members
Today, Aosdána, the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland, elects 12 new members. The 12 newly elected members are: Kevin Barry (Literature); Gerard Byrne (Visual Art); Pat Collins (Visual Art); Jim Doherty (Music); Margo Harkin (Visual Art); Martin Lynch (Literature); Gina Moxley (Literature); Valerie Mulvin (Architecture); Mairead O’hEocha (Visual Art); Arthur Riordan (Literature); Liz Roche (Choreography); Jennifer Walshe (Music). This brings the membership to 249 members.
There is a tie between candidates for the last available place, a postal ballot will be arranged as soon as possible to decide the outcome for the final place.
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