HISTORY OF CAC

CARLOW ART COLLECTION

 

A permanent public collection of art held in trust for the people of Carlow and its visitors.

 

The Carlow Art Collection is a voluntary initiative which grew out of the high energies of Éigse – Carlow Arts Festival at a time when community involvement was at its peak. Set up in 1992, the collection has been surrounded by goodwill and generosity and has grown steadily since. Today Carlow has a collection to be proud of, one of international importance which reflects the high standard achieved by Eigse Visual Arts since 1992. The Board thank Catherine Marshall for curating the selection of works from the collection presently on view. We thank our Patrons, Benefactors, Founders and our Founding Artists. We also thank the President and staff at Carlow College for their interim hospitality and goodwill in housing the collection. It is greatly appreciated.

Origins

Set up in 1992, The Carlow Art Collection is a voluntary community initiative that has been surrounded by goodwill and generosity from the people of Carlow. It has expanded into a diverse collection of work with artists from around the world. CAC became a fully registered charity in 2018. The home of our art collection is in Carlow College. The Carlow Art Collection is free to view in the front halls of Carlow College, Monday to Friday, and in the garden every day of the year.

Today

The art works in the permanent collection include painting, print, drawing, sculpture, sound, photography, live art, film and activism, with more to come. The collection and CAC projects reflect a broad range of art by over thirty artists, many of whom visited, exhibited, engaged with or lived in the area.

Our Goal

The CAC is deeply indebted to the artists who contribute to the collection, to its board members past and present, and to the many people and organisations that support it technically and financially. The Carlow Art Collection will continue to expand on the ideas of what art is and what an art collection can be, and become.