The open submission format, whereby artists are invited to propose pieces for inclusion, is perennial. Historically, such exhibitions were central to the evolution of art, particularly in the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century.

Similar to those predecessors, this show offers a platform for artists to enter into discourse with their peers, to present the public with a measure of what is being produced at a particular moment, and to create a forum for critical conversation in response to visual art. Ultimately, all this foregrounds the potential of exhibitions as fundamentally social occasions which unify a cohort of artists and, in so doing, generate the possibility of new alliances and collaborations.

This is the second exhibition of this type at Ormston House, the first having taken place in 2022. As with that show, this is a celebration of the breadth of art being produced in Limerick (city and county) today, showcasing thirty-nine artists and spanning painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, and video. This edition has no theme, but there are recurring motifs and subjects.

A preoccupation with cycles of life – youth, childhood, and death – inform several of the artworks. Notably, this show features one posthumous entry: a selection of portraits dating from the late 1980s. Allusions to specific locations anchor much of this work in the unique topography of Limerick, especially the River Shannon. Shells, molluscs, and hybrid animals and entities appear in several submissions.

In selecting the artworks for this show, Ormston House received the invaluable input of Melissa Appleton. A curator and co-director of Peak Cymru, Appleton grew up close to Nearport, where the River Usk meets the tidal Severn Estuary at the edge of industrial South Wales. Appleton was invited to participate in this process because of her implicit understanding of the complexities of exhibitions which merge the hyperlocal and the global.

In discussing the selection process, Appleton stated how “interesting it was to glean insights into what is happening in this part of Ireland. It’s a joy to be immersed in the work of Limerick-based artists. Many of the themes here resonate with my rurally-based practice in the Welsh Borders. This rooted, yet far-reaching, exhibition is a conversation between humans, more-than-humans, and fantastical beings, in communion with place, history, nature, and imagination. I can’t wait to see them all come together at Ormston House.”

Through The Limerick Show, Ormston House continues our commitment to supporting artists and arts workers in Limerick. We proudly present:

Struàn Bell, Shirani Bolle, Josh Brown, Seán Cahill, Spencer Cain, Lorraine Cleary, Gerry Davis, Carl Doran, Pamela Dunne, Brendan Egan, Claire Forward, Máire de Bhosc, Caoilfhinn Geary, Anna Gormley & Alisson Rocha, Stephen Gunning, Edel Hogan, Gavin Hogg, Theo Hynan-Ratcliffe, Mícheál Keating, Ger Kenny, Gillian Kenny Shinnors, Breda Lynch, Emma Mulrooney, Asha Murray, Áine Nic Giolla Coda, Sorcha O’Brien, Gerald O’Connell, Tim O’Neil, Ester Redlichova, Karen Rodrigues Enokibara, Robert Ryan, Steph Saidha, Shania Sampson, Aksana Sasnouskaya, John Shinnors, Isabella Walsh, James Wellwood, and Anastasiia Zubareva.

The Limerick Show is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland, Limerick City and County Council, and Limerick Arts Office.