Elaine Mears - artist

26/11/2023

Proud of Ballina today where mothers, fathers and their children stood in solidarity with the parents of Palestine, who like all parents, have hopes and dreams for their children, the most basic of which is to see them grow up happy and healthy. Our banner is a handmade textile version of an incredibly moving photo taken by in Gaza last month. The child’s burial shroud is made from Irish linen in a nod to Ireland and Palestine’s shared textile history. The is in the background. PHOTO: ALISON LAREDO

26/11/2023

Proud of Ballina today where mothers and fathers stood in solidarity with the parents and children of Palestine, who like all parents, have hopes and dreams for their children, the most basic of which is to see them grow up happy and healthy. Well done to everyone who joined in our call for a permanent ceasefire, an end to the occupation and accountability for war crimes. Speaker: Nóirín Farren. Musician: Muiris Cloherty. Video: Alison Laredo.

16/11/2023

I am not Palestinian. I am Irish. But my ancestors survived hundreds of years of colonial occupation and multiple genocides through starvation and stealing of our resources by British colonial powers. And so I advocate. I can’t stand by as history is repeated. In that way I’m also Palestinian. Talamh na tíre do mhuintir na tíre.

09/11/2023

Fantastic cause 🇵🇸

Action! Auction! Art!
INTERNATIONAL EMERGENCY APPEAL
The Irish Red Cross in association with the Red Crescent Movement
CALL FOR ENTRIES
Action! Auction! Art! is a charitable auction of work from artists, designers, sculptors, metalworkers, ceramicists, textile artists, writers, printmakers, weavers, knitters, bakers, candlestick makers and all manner of practitioners based in the NorthWest.

If you would like to donate an artwork or crafted item for this worthy cause, deliver your work (no bigger than 2ft square) by hand to: Cluainin Coop Shop, Main Street, Manorhamilton.
https://www.instagram.com/cluainincoopshop/

Or send by post to: The Leitrim Sculpture Centre, International Emergency Appeal, New Line, Manorhamilton, Co. Leitrim, F91 EAW7

FINAL DELIVERY OF WORK SHOULD ARRIVE BETWEEN Wed 22nd to Sat 25th November

The Auction will take place at The Glens Centre, New Line, Manorhamilton on
Sunday 03 December, 3pm – 7pm, All Welcome (Free)

Irish Red Cross

16/09/2023

Delighted to assist the Linenhall Arts Centre with this event. The Linenhall are a champion for artists in Mayo and so supportive of both community and professional art. It was lovely to see so many well known faces there last night and to see the venue shine in all its greatness. Support your local arts centre - most are charity organisations and operating far beyond their capacity on very limited budgets. It’s easy to forget that when they provide such professional services ♥️

The King and Queen of tonight's celebrations 👏

Tommy O'Malley of the Brose Walsh Band has become a familiar sight in the Linenhall office over the past few months as he helped us extensively in putting together this celebratory weekemd in honour of the Brose Walsh Band's 86 year history.

And as always, artist Elaine Mears has gone above and beyond in curating the retrospective exhibition and film screening with Marie Murray. What a night so far and it ain't over yet 🫡

The waitlist for tomorrow's sold out concert is accessible in our stories...supporting local has never felt so good ❤️

29/03/2023

This was such a privilege to create. Thank you so much to everyone who supported this project and took part in it. It couldn’t have happened without my fellow artists Seán Reynolds, Marie Murray and Deirdre Kennedy ♥️

Generously supported by Creative Ireland through our Seed Grant programme, Elaine Mears and Marie Murray’s ‘Memories’ exhibition returned to the Linenhall Ar...

19/02/2023

Our annual grants and bursaries are now open for application.

To support the application process, there will be an online information session on Saturday February 25th at 12pm.

To book for this session please email [email protected]

Mayo.ie

29/01/2023

What a week! Huge thanks to everyone who visited our exhibition and attended workshops, to Irish Hospice Foundation and Creative Ireland for providing such a fantastic opportunity through their Seeds Grant, and to the wonderful staff in the Linenhall Arts Centre for all their help and lovely company all week. Special thanks to my talented collaborators who stitched and mixed the Memories piece together- Marie Murray, Seán Reynolds, and Deirdre Kennedy, and of course to all of those who added their stories. What a privilege and joy this has been to create ♥️♥️♥️
Linenhall Arts Centre CreativeIrl Irish Hospice Foundation Mayo Arts Office

23/01/2023

♥️

If you could only keep one object that is of sentimental value to you, what would you keep and why?

The workshops and gorgeous exhibition based on this question by artist Elaine Mears opens tomorrow at the Linenhall Arts Centre Linenhall Arts Centre in Castlebar

🎨‘Memories’ exhibition
Tuesday 24 - Saturday 28 January
Bookings 🔗www.thelinenhall.com / email [email protected] / call (094) 902 3733

Elaine’s inspiration for ‘Memories’ came from stories told to her by people in Mayo during dozens of interviews she conducted, each beginning with this question. Popular responses were photographs, jewellery, a pet’s collar..
What would YOU keep? Please tell us in the Comments 🙏

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This exhibition is one of our projects to support creative explorations of dying, death, and bereavement generously supported by

Elaine and fellow textile artist Marie Murray are also facilitating workshops to coincide with the exhibition, which is free to attend. There is a nominal €10 charge to participate in a workshop. Discounts are available for those who request.

More info 🔗https://hospicefoundation.ie/arts-and-creativity/memories-exhibition-opening/

23/01/2023

Some more examples of techniques we used making ‘Memories’:

Image 1: Ink painted on linen. Machine and hand sewn image
Image 2: Image transfer on fabric and hand embroidery
Image 3: Photo on canvas. Negative photo printed using fabric fixer. Burnt fabrics, textured fabric created using dissolvable fabric method, vintage lace, natural fabric dyeing, machine sewn writing
Image 4: Image transfer on fabric, hand sewn writing. I love the loose threads in this image but I cut them short when attaching this image to the giant tapestry as they looked better that way in the company of all the other images
The process of making this piece was so enjoyable. I worked with 3 amazing artists - Marie Murray, Séan Reynolds, and Deirdre Kennedy.
I can’t wait to see what images emerge from the first of our workshops tomorrow. Still a few places left - booking link in my bio.
Kindly supported by Irish Hospice Foundation CreativeIrl Linenhall Arts Centre Mayo Arts Office

22/01/2023

Some of the techniques we used to make the 'Memories' art work and that we'll be using in the workshops next week:

Image 1: Photo transfer onto fabric
Image 2: Rust dyed fabrics (cotton, linen, wool, silk) and photo printed on canvas photo paper
Image 3: Photo printed on canvas photo paper and machine sewn writing
Image 4: Machine sewn writing and image on vintage doilie

Workshop details:
📌12pm – 3pm Tuesday 24th January
📌10am – 1pm Friday 27th January
📌12pm – 3pm Saturday 28th January

✏️Limited places so book on https://thelinenhall.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/873642623

✨ Made possible by CreativeIrl Irish Hospice Foundation Mayo Arts Office Linenhall Arts Centre