Cow House Studios is located on the O’Gorman family farm, in rural Wexford, two hours south of Dublin. Nestled at the foot of the scenic Blackstairs Mountains, it is located three miles from the village of Rathnure. The farm has been in the O’Gorman family for almost 300 years; director Rosie O’Gorman grew up on the farm with her three sisters, and her father Michael worked the land for almost 50 years before retiring in 2017. There are 180 acres of land to explore, and a pond for swimming and fishing. To read more about the history of the Cow House please click here.

We have three dogs and three cats; Foley, the lurcher, Lulu, the chocolate Labrador and Rodney, the Tibetan Spaniel and Dolly, Nelson and Cash the country cats. They love to play. We also have one peacock named George Clooney, and a retired racehorse called Trigger.

Cow House Studios is located in rural farmland. The closest village, Rathnure is three miles away, and the nearest town, Enniscorthy is twelve miles away. It is a very safe, scenic environment. You can get directions here.

During the summer, the weather in Ireland is temperate; the average summer temperatures are 65 F/ 18 C. It is often sunny, but there is frequent, soft rain, and nighttime is cool.

Arrive: June 28 – Depart: July 25, 2023

During Art on the Farm, we teach drawing, painting, and photography. To read more about our curriculum click here.

No, our summer program is designed primarily to give each student as much individual attention as they need. Our maximum enrollment is 20 students, and we have five instructors dedicated to making everyone a better artist. Whenever you have a question or reach a stumbling block we’re there to help you through it.

Yes, all the instructors at Cow House Studios are practicing artists who were once in your position applying for schools. Instructors in the past have attended some of the most well-renowned art schools in the US and Ireland including Rhode Island School of Design, San Francisco Art Institute, Bard College, UCLA, and the National College of Art and Design in Dublin. We know what schools are looking for, and can help you develop your portfolio to the best of your ability for college submission

You do not need to submit a portfolio; Art on the Farm is designed for students of all skill levels. The most important quality in all our students is a desire to learn, and the motivation to make art. Our students come from diverse backgrounds with varied interests. While many of our students go on to outstanding art schools, others decide to take a more academic path. We challenge each student according to their skill level, making sure each student receives the individual attention and guidance they need to meet their goals for the program. We value the dynamic fostered in each of our sessions and feel strongly that it contributes greatly to our student’s experiences.

Our 28-day course is multidisciplinary. While students definitely have the opportunity to focus on their medium of choice, we do ask that all participate in some drawing exercises. We find that a bit of drawing every day helps all our students, even the ones most interested in photography. It helps with their observational skills, spatial awareness, and understanding of light and shade. We appreciate that a student whose primary interest lies elsewhere may be intimidated by this approach, but we find that most students surprise themselves with the quality of work they produce, and the overall quality of their work improves as a result.

A typical day at the Cow House starts at 9 am in the morning with breakfast. Our first class begins at 10 am where we usually focus on drawing to get the creative juices flowing. After a short break at 11:15, we’re back in the studio for the first of our two skills-based workshops. These workshops can include color theory and mixing, hand processing film in the darkroom, making cyanotypes, learning new software, or building and stretching a canvas. We serve lunch at 1 pm and head back to the studio at 2 pm for the second workshop of the day. The afternoon is spent in the studio working on assignments from earlier in the day, or enjoying the farm, taking a spin on the bikes, hiking or even fishing for dinner in the pond. A yummy home-cooked meal is served at 7 pm, and evenings are spent hanging out in the studio playing pool or pin pong. Many students continue to work on their projects from earlier in the day. Some nights we screen movies have artist talks or an optional evening activity like night photography. We will periodically have critiques as well, where everyone has a chance to talk about each other’s work, giving critical feedback on projects to date.

To see photos of previous sessions click here.

Most of our time is spent on the farm, and in the surrounding area, however, we do take four trips. The first day-trip is to Dublin, Ireland’s capital, a second trip takes us to the west of Ireland for three days and our final two excursions are day-trips within our own region of the southeast. To read more about our excursions click here.

We take 20 students for each session and with five teachers, this allows for much individual attention.

Our teachers are practicing artists who are passionate about working with young people. Directors Rosie and Frank are the primary teachers of Art on the Farm, Rosie’s sister Sinead runs several workshops, and each summer two of our associate artists also stay at the Cow House for the duration of the program. Click here for more information about our associate artists.

You must be between 15 and 17 years old to attend Art on the Farm. The average age of our students is between 16 and 17 years.

Approximately two-thirds of our students travel from the US, with the remaining students coming from Ireland, Europe, and the rest of the globe. To date, students have traveled from all over the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Taiwan, Colombia, Russia, Brazil, and Singapore.

Generally, for every boy, there are three girls.

Art on the Farm is designed as a 28-day course. It is important that everyone arrives on the first day together and participate in activities from the beginning of the session to the end. For this reason, students may not participate in only part of the session.

All courses at Cow House Studios are taught in English, therefore it is essential that you have an intermediate level of English to get the most out of this course.

Tuition is €6300. This fee includes accommodation, three nutritious meals per day, all art supplies, use of studio equipment, field trip transportation, room and entrance fees, transportation to and from Dublin airport, use of laundry facility, and bed linens.

The airline flight and medical insurance are not included. All participants must have medical insurance prior to their arrival in Ireland. Students can avail of basic medical insurance for the duration of the program through an International Student Identity Card (ISIC) which is easily available through ISIC. Medical vaccinations are not required for entry into Ireland.

All payments must be made in euros. Payment can be made by wire transfer or credit card. Those paying by wire transfer will be notified of wiring instructions once we have received your application form.

A full refund will be given if a request is received in writing at the Cow House Studios by March 31st, 2023. Requests received by April 30th, 2023 will be given a full refund minus an administrative fee of €1300. No refunds are given for cancellations received after April 30th, 2023.

Once the program has started, no refunds are granted for early voluntary withdrawals, absences, or behavioral dismissals. In the event that a class is canceled by Cow House Studios for whatever reason, all fees will be refunded.

Your child will be met by Director Frank Abruzzese at the arrival gate at Dublin airport. Frank will be holding a Cow House Studios sign and will have a photo of your child so he can recognize them. The group will then travel together on a bus to Cow House Studios, which is a two-hour drive from Dublin. Frank will also accompany your child to the airport on the last day of the program, check them in, and bring them safely to the security gate.

Parents are welcome to drive their child to Cow House Studios on the first morning of the program between 12 pm and 3 pm, and if parents would like to pick up their child from Cow House Studios they must do so between 8 pm and 10 pm on the penultimate day of the program.

EU residents and students from specific countries such as the USA and Canada do not need a visa to travel to Ireland. Citizens of certain countries do require a visa. Please click HERE to find out more about visa requirements. If you need a letter to assist in securing a visa, please do not hesitate to contact us.

All students must have medical insurance for the duration of their stay in Ireland. If you already have medical insurance it is best to check with your insurance provider first to see if they cover foreign travel.

Parents must write a letter of consent stating that their child has permission to travel to Ireland to participate in Art on the Farm. Students must have this letter when they go through immigration at Dublin airport. Please state that Frank Abruzzese and Rosie O’Gorman will be responsible for your child during their stay. Include their dates of travel, passport details, your contact information, the contact details of Cow House Studios, and their home address.

All flights must arrive at and depart from Dublin airport. It is important that arriving and departing flights are booked for specific times. Please schedule flights to arrive at Dublin airport between 8 am and 1 pm on the first morning of the program, and schedule departures home between 10 am and 2 pm on the last day of the program.

Your child’s safety and well-being are of the utmost importance. Both Directors Frank and Rosie are certified in Occupational First Aid, to deal with minor incidences, and in the event of a medical emergency, our doctor is a 20-minute drive from the Cow House, and Wexford General Hospital is a 35-minute drive from Cow House Studios.

Most of our time is spent together on the farm at the Cow House, where students live with Frank and Rosie in a family environment. During our trips to Dublin, students have a few hours of free time to explore the main shopping area in Dublin city center. Each student is given a map and contact details and then sent happily on their way to explore with a little more independence.

We have four computers at Cow House so your child can email you news from Ireland. Students can also use the phone in the Cow House to call home free of charge once a week.

You may bring your cell phone.  We collect the phones every morning before breakfast and students will be given their phones after dinner at 8 pm.

We do not allow students to bring laptops or tablet computers, but we have four computers in the studio for internet access and project research.

The tuition fee includes all accommodation and meals, art supplies, field trip transportation, and entrance fees, students only need to bring some spending money for gifts. €100 should be plenty.

All art materials are included in the tuition, but you are welcome to bring your own sketchbook and any other unusual materials that you might like to use.

While we have some cameras at Cow House Studios if you have a camera, it is best to bring and use your own. That way you are learning on the same equipment you’ll be continuing with when you return home. It need not be fancy, any SLR camera with manual controls will be fine. A mega-pixel rating of 12 or greater is recommended for your digital camera. Remember to bring the extra batteries, a manual if you have one, a memory card (if digital), and a carrying case to protect it.

Please make sure to pack efficiently. Bring one piece of check-in luggage. Pack a bag large enough to hold all personal toiletries, a light raincoat (this is absolutely necessary), comfortable walking shoes or sneakers (again, a necessity)
a bath towel, hand towel, and washcloth, a laundry bag, a small backpack (in addition to your check-in luggage), an old t-shirt/ sweatshirt to wear in the studio, and a swimsuit and beach towel. Bring practical clothing: including jeans, shorts, sweaters, tee-shirts, and one nice/ dressy outfit.

We have many pairs of gumboots (wellies) at the Cow House, all sizes and colors, but you may bring your own if you prefer.

Students do their own laundry once a week. Washing detergent is supplied.

Each bedroom sleeps between 4 and 6 students. The rooms are cozy, each with its own bathroom.

We take our food seriously at the Cow House and take pride in serving healthy delicious meals. Caitriona cooks a variety of dishes, from Italian to Indian, Mexican to Irish, and we are proud to serve food that has been produced locally; fresh milk and cheese, natural Irish beef and lamb, and delicious root vegetables. We also have our own vegetable patch-producing herbs and seasonal green goodies. Caitriona also bakes frequently and has become quite famous for her breads and desserts.

We are happy to accommodate any specific dietary needs, whether it be a food allergy, vegetarian or vegan requirements.

At the end of the program, all your work will be packaged for you to take home on the plane. Any oil paintings will be mailed to you later once they are dry.

Your work will be documented, posted in our online gallery, and sent to you on a cd for portfolio and college applications.