the art shelter
What does it mean to be an artist? The art shelter was created to form a community for artists to share their work. In a field that makes it increasingly difficult to be seen, the art shelter leaves room for artists to exhibit their work unapologetically; creating a space for them to be seen, a space to share who they are and why they create. We had the privilege of talking to the art shelter collective about why it was created, issues in the creative field, and what art means to them.
What inspired you to start The Art Shelter Collective?
It grew very organically out of helping each other with our exhibitions. We all know each other through our art and art education. In 2024, we were allowed to use the project space in Richmond Road Studios in Phibsborough to host an event/exhibition, and we had previously bridged art and music performance. We decided to host an exhibition with an opening event that also featured sound performance with two DJs, food and drink, which created a platform for exchange between different art forms. We planned the entire show in less than a month, and it was more for fun than professional, but during the process, we recognised how much the idea behind it resonated with creatives in the city and how much we all crave these spaces. We realised that this is something vital for us and the community in Dublin and decided to found The Art Shelter Collective during the planning period.
What’s the meaning behind the name?
Sadly, art and creativity have become an endangered species today. The name implies the question: Is art in danger? And if yes, how can we protect it? We called the collective The Art Shelter because we wanted to create a communal home for art by artists from all cultural, disciplinary and educational backgrounds. We feel that in Dublin, the different art forms happen in separate venues, some for music and sound performance, and some focused on visual art, and even within the visual art venues, some only showcase established artists, and many aren’t accessible for artists who haven’t gone through art education in Ireland. We want the Art Shelter shows to be a sanctuary where art and artists from all backgrounds and at all stages of their career can come together for exchange in a place free of application fees, commissions and barriers.
What were your first few events like — how did they shape your vision going forward?
Both of our previous events were created with the intention of community and exchange. Exchange between the visual arts and sound performance within a community of artists, creatives and the local community. Our first event, ‘Daonnacht’, which in multiple languages means something around the night of humans, was hosted in a project space of an artist-run studio and our second event, ‘How to Peel an Onion Without Crying’, which discussed the many layers that make up us and our identity onion, in the gallery space of a studio venue. Even though the venues were quite different, both events brought so many people from various disciplines and backgrounds together. We could have never imagined how much our shows and ideas would resonate with the city and its people, and we couldn’t have done them without the support of the community around us. We are very grateful and motivated to continue down this path. We want to continue bringing together the different art disciplines and are inspired to bring more mediums, including film, fashion and dance, into the mix. We also learned so much from the venues that worked with us in creating spaces for artists.
How do you choose the artists and collaborators you work with?
We are primarily guided by the theme or topic that is currently of interest to us and that we would like to explore through a project. We are not limited to people resident in Ireland, and we would soon like to expand our selection of artists internationally. In our first show, we focused on including artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds, at various stages in their careers, and both self-taught artists and those with art education. We wanted to showcase the diversity of the Dublin art scene and bring people together. We also included some studio artists from the studio where we hosted the show. For our second show, we started working from a theme we wanted to discuss and started researching artists who work in and around this theme.
We invited nine artists working around the theme of identity and selfhood, and what it means to be us today. Additionally, we did a small callout to the studio artists of Flux Studios, where the gallery space we used is located. In the future, we want to continue with a mix of these approaches. For each artist who sends in work to us via our email, we create a folder with images, artist statements and details to have as part of our research for future projects. We enjoy inviting artists who we feel fit the show, or, for example, for specific installations as we had by Fiona Somers in our recent show, as well as a specially made video piece by Evil Anto or a performance by Aoife Nolan. We also want to continue the open calls to give more artists a chance to show work and keep the ethos of diversity in our shows. Artists are also invited to send in work on a rolling basis to be included in our research folder.
What do you feel is missing in Ireland’s creative scene, and how are you trying to change that?
We wanted to create new events and a good buzz in Dublin. We aimed to offer a fresh perspective on the nature and presentation of art and to give a voice to artists from diverse cultural backgrounds and with diverse artistic practices. By bringing together a multitude of art forms and keeping our applications and exhibition commission participation fee free, we hope to create a space where artists and the community around them can just exist and express themselves freely. We believe this enriches our community and embraces the many different facets of Dublin. With our shows, we want to bridge the visual, sound and performance arts within the gallery space and transform the opening events into open and welcoming spaces for everyone.
Do the locations you use hold a specific meaning or atmosphere for your shows?
Yes, definitely! We enjoy working with venues whose focus lies in supporting the arts, the artists and the community. Our first venue, Richmond Road Studios, is an artist-run studio and project space for artists, and these spaces are becoming increasingly rare in Dublin now. We hope that through our shows, we can not only learn from them but also give back to the venue and support their mission. Flux Studios, as well, is a community-oriented venue that hosts many development and inclusion-focused events, as well as gives a platform to political work in the area.
Is your work rooted in any political, emotional, or cultural ideas?
Even though our work is not necessarily focused on politics, our shows are very much shaped by our coming from a variety of cultural and educational backgrounds. Among the three of us, we already have many different perspectives on art, culture, politics, self and identity, and this allows us to create a more inclusive space. We are learning every day how to make our events and exhibitions more accessible and want to keep an anti-capitalist approach to our selection of artists - no application fees and no commissions. The themes we discuss are layered with philosophical theories, combined with our personal experiences, backgrounds, emotions, and observations of the world around us.
What’s been the hardest part of building this collective so far?
One of the most challenging things is time. Dublin is very expensive to live in, so we all work full-time or multiple smaller jobs to get by, plus our art practice and then the collective. For our second show, we spent six months with meetings every week on preparing the proposal, and for the final month, we spent our entire free time getting things set up. Sometimes it can be stressful and emotions are heightened, but we feel very lucky to have each other and the support of many friends, colleagues, the venues and artists and many other contributors and sponsors who have helped us along the way, with music equipment, time, transport or just emotional support.
What does the future of The Art Shelter look like — any upcoming plans?
For the moment, we are working on a proposal for a new show in the coming year and potentially a small event in November of this year. Everything is still in the baby steps, so we don’t want to reveal too much, but please follow along on our Instagram and linktree for any updates! We are very excited to continue this journey and to create more exciting events, and to see everyone who came to our previous shows again at the next ones. We love being your Art Shelter!
Written by Robyn
Copy edit by Esther
