Cork County Council announces a new Emerging Visual Artist Award

Cork County Council Arts Office has announced a new award for emerging visual artists. The Emerging Visual Artist Award 2024 will provide an artist with a financial bursary and the opportunity for a solo exhibition at the Cork County Council LHQ Gallery.

The award aims to further an emerging artist’s practice at a key stage in their early career. The award will financially support the artist to provide time and funding to create a new body of work and the opportunity to exhibit at Cork County Council’s LHQ Gallery.

Mayor of the County of Cork Cllr. Frank O’Flynn said,

Cork County Council is delighted to provide opportunities to emerging artists who are at a critical juncture in their careers. Recent graduates in any field, particularly emerging artists, can benefit from support and opportunity in their careers. We hope to nurture visual art talent in Cork County, and we look forward to seeing the results of this new award.

Applicants should be at the early stage of their career, regardless of age, have created and exhibited an original body of work and who can demonstrate a commitment to developing their career as a professional artist. Eligible artists must currently live in Cork County or be originally from Cork County (as defined by the current county administrative boundary), but now living elsewhere. Successful applicants will receive a solo exhibition at LHQ Gallery in 2025 with a bursary award of €3,000 to support the production of the work. Cork County Council’s Arts Office will also provide professional curatorial support as part of the development process, with the opportunity for the successful applicant to also receive professional mentorship.

Chief Executive of Cork County Council Valerie O’Sullivan said,

The arts and culture are central to our lives individually and as a society, it is important that Cork County Council plays a role in supporting such activity. This is an award which we hope will further an emerging artist’s practice. By providing support for the development of a new body of work, and the platform to stage it, the artist will further establish themselves in the visual art sector.

LHQ Gallery is based in the County Library on Carrigrohane Road. Recent exhibitions at the gallery have included solo shows by Denis O’Connor, Elize de Beer, and Evgeniya Martirosyan. The Gallery shows work by visual artists at all stages of their careers. The LHQ Gallery programme is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland.

For full guidelines and application form please contact arts@corkcoco.ie. The deadline for applications is the 3rd of May 2024.