Selected by Patrick Murphy 

With artists living in or from County Meath or County Louth invited to submit works of all disciplines, Solstice Arts Centre, in collaboration with North East Network, is delighted to present the fourteenth SURVEYOR open exhibition. Supporting, valuing, and encouraging artists in the development of their practices and creative careers, the exhibition showcases an overview of contemporary visual arts practice throughout the two counties.

This year, Solstice Arts Centre partners with fellow North East Network members, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda and An Táin Arts Centre, Dundalk, in a unique extension of its annual selected survey of local professional arts practice.

SURVEYOR 2025 simultaneously runs across Solstice Arts Centre, Droichead Arts Centre, and An Táin Arts Centre, displaying the work of artists from the northeast of the country. Artists living in or from Co. Meath or Co. Louth were welcomed to apply to any of the three participating venues, choosing just one venue when ultimately submitting their work. A visual arts award of €2,000 selected by each curator in each arts centre was on offer to the winning participants.

This year, Patrick Murphy, Director of the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, selected the work at Solstice Arts Centre. Solstice continues its Solstice Visual Arts Award of €2,000 and was pleased to announce, on the eve of its 20th birthday year, the establishment of two new awards: Meath County Council Arts Office Going Solo Award 2025 to the value of €2,000, and the Newgrange Gold Award, also to the value of €2,000.

Solstice Surveyor Awards 2025:

• Solstice Visual Arts Award, for a work of distinction in any medium was awarded to Dee Walsh.
• Meath County Council Arts Office “Going Solo Award 2025” to a recent graduate and/or emerging artist was awarded to Harriet Casey.
• Newgrange Gold Award for a work of destination in any medium that connects to the natural environment, was awarded to Anna Marie Savage.