[et_pb_section fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_slider admin_label=”Fullwidth Slider” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” auto=”off” parallax=”on” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_slide heading=”About Us” background_image=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images/bg-about.jpg” background_color=”#ffffff” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off” /][/et_pb_fullwidth_slider][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”off” specialty=”off” transparent_background=”off” background_color=”#e8e8e8″ allow_player_pause=”off” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” module_id=”mission”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]
Mission
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[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]Presenting opportunities to visual artists, the Artist in Residence programme makes artists aware of a broader rural context and brings critically engaging contemporary artwork to our community.
Cow House Studios’ education programme provides the guidance necessary for students to think independently and create with intent and purpose. Our classes focus on individualized teaching while balancing observational skill and practiced craft with critical thinking and exposure to contemporary art.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section transparent_background=”on” background_color=”#ffffff” inner_shadow=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off” module_id=”family”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”center”]
The Family
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Frank Abruzzese
Frank, originally from Philadelphia, is a father, a photographer and avid cook. He exhibits his artwork internationally in galleries and universities and has been the recipient of various awards including Emerging Photographer of the Year from San Francisco Magazine. His work resides in the permanent collection of the Office of Public Works and has appeared in several publications. His Italian heritage and love of home cooked food have developed into a passion for cooking, and his meals are as much a part of the experience at Cow House as are the art-making and beautiful landscape. Frank is the photography instructor at Cow House. He loves teaching, and has a keen interest in a multidisciplinary, ideas-based approach to working with students. Frank obtained his BA in Moving Image Arts from the College of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and his MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute.
www.frankabruzzese.com[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]
Rosie O’Gorman
Rosie was born and raised in Wexford. Time spent on the farm as a child with her three sisters encouraged her love of inventive playfulness. She is a mother, an artist, a dedicated teacher, and her ancestral home is now the place where Cow House Studios resides. Rosie attended the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, receiving her BA in Art and Design Education. During that time she became devoted to making contemporary art relatable and personally meaningful to her students. She was awarded two national Irish awards: the Larkin Memorial Award for her teaching and the Taylor Award for her painting. From Dublin she moved to San Francisco where she received her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute with the support of a Fulbright Scholarship. Her practice grew to include drawing, painting, installation and sculpture. Through Cow House Studios Rosie shares her home, family and her love of art and education.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images/rosie.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”right” sticky=”off” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images//mm.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”left” sticky=”off” /][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]
Mary & Michael O’Gorman
The O’Gorman family have farmed in Ballybawn for over 250 years. Rosie’s parents have a major presence at Cow House Studios; their continued support is intrinsic to it’s success.
Michael took over the farm as a teenager and has now been farming for over 40 years. Over that time he has grown sugar beat, barley and wheat, reared pigs, cows, sheep and hens. Today he raises beef cattle. Apart from his farming talents, Michael is also extremely creative, with a sharp aesthetic eye he likes to create things by hand. He has created many things for his four daughters over the years including swing sets, see-saws and dolls houses. His love of stone is evidenced by the many stone walls he has built, as well as his collection of large standing stones around the garden. Most recently he has taken up wood turning creating individual functional piece from locally felled trees. His chair hanging from a tree by the pond is made from part of an old hay-baler. It provides a beautiful spot to relax and like many of his creations proves that his years of hoarding is useful. Michael first converted part of the buildings which now house the accommodations in 2000 as a studio for Rosie; laying the seeds for the future developments. His help in renovating the Cow House was integral to its success. He is often seen popping his head into the studio to see the new work being created.
Originally from Dublin, Mary moved to Ballybawn when she married Michael. Also extremely creative, Mary is a beautiful drafts person; her school portfolio (which included many drawings of the Beatles and hippies) was a big inspiration for her daughters to peruse art. Mary is the resident baker at the Cow House; her deserts and breads have become famous. Usually it only takes a few days for our students to realise who they need to gain favour with in order to enjoy a wide array of delicious deserts. Mary also tends to the garden with Michael and has been a big help in teaching Frank how to develop his vegetable patch.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]
Edel Nolan
Edel, one of Rosie’s three sisters, graduated from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin with a BA in Art and Design Education. She lives a short five minute walk from the studio with her husband Davie. They have been living close by ever since renovations on the farm began, and Edel joined our team in 2012. Her paintings have been exhibited both in Dublin and locally. Edel is responsible for much of the behind the scenes work that makes the Cow House run smoothly, and also assists with teaching in the studio. In the summer she helps to prepare delicious meals and keeps everyone entertained with her sharp wit.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images/edel.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”right” sticky=”off” /][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image” src=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images/sinead.jpg” show_in_lightbox=”off” url_new_window=”off” animation=”left” sticky=”off” /][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left”]
Sinead O’Gorman
Sinead is the youngest of the O’Gorman sisters. She holds a BA in Art and Design Education from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. Upon graduation Sinead went to work at Stewarts Hospital, Dublin where she spent her days communicating with intellectually disabled adults through the visual arts. Sinead has previously taught at Loreto College, Foxrock and Racing Academy Centre of Education, Kildare, and in 2013 she was named lead artist for Identi-key, a Leargas funded inner city Dublin youth group project through Liberty Church. Sinead brings her optimism, patience and ceramics expertise to the team, and her pug Bubba has become something of a mascot for the many programmmes run here at Cow House.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_slider admin_label=”Fullwidth Slider” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” auto=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_slide background_image=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images/bg-about-facilities.jpg” background_color=”#ffffff” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off”]
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Facilities
The studios are housed in a recently converted stone barn. Built in 1915, it was a working “cow house” until 2006. With its dense stone walls, abundant natural light, and high ceiling supported by striking wooden beams, the Cow House is architecturally unique at twice the width of typical Irish stone barns. Today, the 343 m2 (3700 ft2) open plan studio contains a darkroom, computer lab and lounge. The studios were designed for flexibility of use, the Cow House contains 6 individual spaces, and a shared open studio floor for larger group projects and alternative working methods.
The well equipped black & white darkroom is capable of making prints up to 50 x 60 cm (20 x 24 in), and our computer lab consists of Apple Macintosh computers, a high resolution film scanner, a wide format colour printer, Adobe Creative Suite and wireless broadband. Artists may also our various manual and electric hand tools, suitable for building canvas stretchers and small sculptural work.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_slider admin_label=”Fullwidth Slider” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” auto=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_slide background_image=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images/bg-about-facilities.jpg” background_color=”#ffffff” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off”]
NEED BETTER RESOLUTION ON INSIDE SHOTS
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Accommodations
Beside the studio lies our charming accommodation. The 300 year old barn has been transformed to provide a warm and welcoming atmosphere for our guests. The shared experience of living, eating and spending time together, forms an integral part of life at the Cow House. The Barn contains five en-suite bedrooms, a cosy dining room, a large living area, an expanding visual arts library, and a busy kitchen where Frank prepares home cooked food.
At the Cow House we take our food seriously. During our teen summer programme we ensure that everyone eats three delicious and healthy meals a day, and we are happy to accommodate for any specific dietary needs, whether it be food allergy or vegetarian requirements. During our residencies, artists share a delicious home cooked meal prepared by Frank once a week, and travel twice a week to local markets to purchase groceries. Additionally, artists may avail of our well stocked pantry. We are proud to serve food that has been produced locally: fresh milk and cheese, natural Irish beef and lamb, and delicious root vegetables, not to mention our home baked brown bread, fruit preserves, and delicious deserts.[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fullwidth=”on” specialty=”off”][et_pb_fullwidth_slider admin_label=”Fullwidth Slider” show_arrows=”on” show_pagination=”on” auto=”off” parallax=”off” parallax_method=”off”][et_pb_slide background_image=”https://www.cowhousestudios.com/wp-content/themes/Divi-child/images/bg-accomodations-1.jpg” background_color=”#ffffff” alignment=”center” background_layout=”dark” allow_player_pause=”off”]
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