Fine Art Print Residency in partnership with Graphic Studio

As part of an ongoing commitment to professional artists Fingal County Council are offering a fine art print residency at Graphic Studio Dublin. This residency will offer to one emerging or established artist the opportunity to make a fine art print with the master printer at Graphic Studio Dublin. The weeklong residency in the autumn 2015 will provide an ideal environment for the development of a creative project in printmaking and an opportunity to network with other artists.

The professional aims and objectives of the successful candidate will be continually assessed during the residency to ensure the artist gains the maximum benefit from their time. The collaborative nature of being part of a collective print studio and working with a master printer will be ofenormous assistance to the artist. 
 

The residency will include:

• Induction training course into the use of equipment and models of good practice in a collective fine art print studio.
• Assistance and guidance of the master printer in making a multi colour print using a pre-prepared drawing/painting as a starting point.
• Professional studio support with regard to technical process, artistic development etc
• Assistance in printing a small edition of the finished work (it is hoped one of which will be become part of Fingal County Council’s Art Collection).
• The residency will be documented for the artist, Fingal County Council Arts Office and Graphic Studio Dublin.  Where appropriate, all information will be showcased through www.graphicstudiodublin.com and through other possible channels.

Criteria:

• The applicant must be an emerging or established artist with an interest in printmaking.
• The applicant must be born, have studied or currently resident in Fingal administrative area.
About Graphic Studio Dublin
Graphic Studio Dublin, fine-art print-makers, was established in 1960 to teach traditional printmaking skills (then unavailable in Irish art colleges), and to provide studios and technical assistance to artists to make fine-art prints.  Its Gallery (Graphic Studio Gallery) was established in 1988, to promote fine-art printmaking in Ireland and abroad, to educate the public about fine art printmaking, and to exhibit and sell fine art prints on behalf of our member artists. 
Graphic Studio Dublin, is an artist led organisation, which provides shared studio space for over 65 members, and up to 20 visiting and associated artists per annum at Distillery Court, 537 North Circular Road, Dublin 1.
Graphic Studio Dublin facilitates the following print techniques: Etching, lithography, linocut, drypoint, carborundum, woodblock, aquatint, photo etching, blind embossing, collography, letterpress and mezzotint.  Technical assistance and education of artist members in the above printmaking techniques is core to our ethos.
Artist members have subsidised studio facilities, access to training, and an outlet through which to sell their work.  An art historical analysis shows some of Ireland’s most established and successful artists have collaborated with Graphic Studio Dublin, including Tony O’Malley, Louis le Brocquy, Alice Maher, William Crozier, Martin Gale, Anne Madden, Seán McSweeney, Gerard Dillon, Patrick Collins, Patrick Scott, Felim Egan, Brian Bourke, and Mary Farl Powers. 
International links
Graphic Studio Dublin collaborates with major cultural partners in Ireland and abroad, including the National Gallery of Ireland, Chester Beatty Library, IMMA, to showcase the highest level of fine-art print-making (by our own members, and other international artists).
Distillery House Studios & technical specifications:
Distillery House was built as part of the Findlater Mountjoy Brewery in 1852, and comprises 7,000 square foot, over four floors, two of which have been maintained open-plan as significant printing facilities (2nd and 3rd floors).  These top two floors house etching presses (one of which is the largest in Ireland), woodblock presses and equipment, and the lithography department. The first floor incorporates the staff office of Graphic Studio Dublin, a beautiful print-room/education room/multi-purpose space complete with 19th century cast iron columns, and a large kitchen/dining room for artists which also contains a small (but growing) library of books on print-making and contemporary art.  This floor also contains the IT and new media area.  It facilitates print-makers working in new media such as digital imaging equipment and also enables members to access e-mail, print images and CV’s etc.  The ground floor comprises acid rooms, lithography stone stores, plate cutting equipment, and paper/copper storage.  All floors in Distillery House have plan chests for the storage of members’ prints, and Graphic Studio Dublin’s archives.

Personnel:
Graphic Studio Dublin fine art print support staff will assist the artist on this residency.  The Studio Director will advise as to world-class print methodologies, and assist the artist in all possible ways to technically professionally fulfil their objectives during the residency.
The Studio Director, Robert Russell, and Studio Assistants at Graphic Studio Dublin are all professional artists.
See: www.graphicstudiodublin.com

To apply:
Please complete the following:

1 Personal Details
Name(s) of Applicant(s): 
Contact Address:
Daytime Telephone:
Mobile:
E-mail:

2   Supporting Information
Please provide a short biography of up to 700 words, this should include briefly your education, solo and group exhibitions in the past 8 years, any publications, research projects, residencies, awards or bursaries, work in public collections and participation in any teaching or community projects. 

3  Current Practice
In more detail please tell us about the nature of your current practice, your ideas and how you are exploring and developing them through your work. (no more than 1 page A4)

4.    Summary of Residency Proposal
Please give a full description of how you propose to use the residency opportunity at Graphic Studio Dublin describing how the opportunity will impact and effect your artistic practice and current research, what benefits do you anticipate the residency will bring to you professionally.  (max 1 page A4).

5.  Supporting Visual Material
Please submit a proposal comprising:
Completed criteria as listed above:
A portfolio containing 6 pieces of samples of work, unframed, no larger than A1 (please include a list of these works with their titles, date, medium, edition size and any other relevant information).

Please return all applications to: 
Sarah O’Neill
Deputy Arts Officer
Fingal Arts Office
County Hall
Fingal County Council
Swords
Co. Dublin

After the selection process, portfolios will be available for collection on Monday 28th September only from County Hall, Swords.

The closing date for applications is Friday 18th September 2015 at 5pm.