IrishArtFair.com

Ireland's largest visual arts event of the year 

Whether you're a dedicated connoisseur, an occasional collector or simply love the visual arts, be sure to keep your diary free for Art Ireland 2002 in the Main Hall of the RDS, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 from Friday to Sunday November 22nd - 24th, 2002. 

Since its launch two years ago, this annual event has successfully pioneered the concept of the accessible and enjoyable art fair in Ireland by providing a unique opportunity for members of the public to view thousands of works by dozens of the countryıs leading artists under a single roof. 

A long established concept in many other European countries, Art Ireland founder and organiser Maria McMenamin says Irish people have responded very positively to the to idea of a large-scale Irish art fair. 

"Thanks to its variety of exhibits and democratic nature, Art Ireland is playing an important role in breaking down many of the prejudices and pretensions surrounding the visual arts scene. One of our great strengths is that with so many artists on hand, visitors will quickly discover that they are the most down-to-earth people in the world. We also work hard to create a relaxed and friendly atmosphere in which people can enjoy themselves, including the provision of a restaurant, cafe and wine bar," she says. 

Ideally timed for seasonal shoppers with Christmas in mind, Art Irelandıs open philosophy is reflected by a wide range of prices to suit every pocket, starting from as little as E150 for an original print. Although prices can go as high as E40,000 for a major painting by a top name, the vast majority of the works on view are available at affordable prices which wonıt break the bank. And for the canny buyer, thereıs plenty of scope to make a shrewd investment. 

"The best advice we can give it that you really have to love a work of art to buy it. Having said that, itıs also true that some works may also represent a sound financial investment,² Maria says. 

With over 7,000 people attending last year's show, Maria McMenamin says she has been very excited by the exceptionally positive response from visitors to the previous two fairs. The introduction last year of late opening on Friday night proved particularly popular with people who took the opportunity to drop into the exhibition on their way home from work. 

"Our feedback to date has confirmed that there is a big market among people from all walks of life for quality works of art. For the artistic community, Art Ireland provides an excellent forum in which they can make contacts, generate sales and showcase their work before an exceptionally large audience. 

It all adds up to a uniquely accessible exhibition of a wide spectrum of contemporary art, from original paintings and high quality prints to one-off sculptural pieces and ceramics. 

Even if visitors do not buy anything at the fair, it is a very enjoyable day out with a great atmosphere. This year the exhibition is moving into the Main Hall of the RDS, so there will be plenty of space to sit and absorb the art works on view," Maria concludes. 

With over 100 participating artists, Art Ireland 2002 will be the countryıs biggest visual arts event of the year. Among those already confirmed to take part are such well known names as Sandra Bell, Graham Elliot, Darlene Garr, Ursula Klinger, Ludmila Korol, Syra Larkin, Louise Mansfield, John Philip Murray, John Nolan, Liam OıNeill, Ian Pollock, James Quinn and Claudio Viscardi. 

Galleries taking part will include the Catto Gallery (London), The Greenhouse Gallery (Scotland), The Greenlane Gallery (Dingle), The Leinster Gallery (Dublin), the Magil Fine Art Gallery (Dublin) and The Sandford Gallery (London). 

Art Ireland 2002 will take place over the weekend of Friday 22nd to Sunday November 24th next. Opening hours are from 12 noon until 10pm on Friday, 11 am to 7pm on Saturday and 11 am until 7pm on Sunday. Admission E7 (E3 concessions). Catalogues will be available at E5 each. 

For further information about the event, contact Maria McMenamin, Guinness Enterprise Centre, Taylor's Lane, Dublin 8. (Tel: 01-4100600) or visit the Art Ireland website: www.irishartfair.com Press Release Ends 

For further press information contact: Jan van Embden at 01 282 9853 or Maria McMenamin at 087 - 617 5418

More Background on IrishArtFair.com

IrishArtFair.com was the online home of Art Ireland, a large public art fair that emerged in Dublin at the beginning of the 2000s with an unusually straightforward mission: make contemporary art easier for ordinary people to see, understand and buy.

Rather than designing an event primarily for established collectors, dealers and art-world insiders, Art Ireland deliberately presented itself as approachable. Visitors could browse thousands of works, meet artists, compare different styles and prices, have lunch or a glass of wine, and potentially leave with an original work of art.

The formula proved successful. Art Ireland grew rapidly from its launch in 2000, developing from a single annual exhibition into spring/summer and autumn events at the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Ballsbridge. Contemporary newspaper reports described it as Ireland's biggest art fair or largest annual visual-arts showcase.

IrishArtFair.com played an important role in that development. It functioned not merely as advertising for an exhibition but as a practical guide for prospective visitors and exhibitors. The site published dates, admission prices, opening hours, participating galleries and artists, transportation information, exhibitor applications, press coverage and descriptions of the philosophy behind the fair.

Today, the domain provides an interesting window into a period when Ireland's commercial art market was expanding and art fairs were becoming a more visible way for the public to encounter contemporary Irish art.

The Origins of Art Ireland

Art Ireland was launched in 2000 by founder and organiser Maria McMenamin.

Its underlying idea was relatively simple but significant for Ireland at the time. Although large art fairs were already well established elsewhere in Europe, the format was still comparatively unfamiliar to much of the Irish public. Art Ireland attempted to bring that model to Dublin while removing some of the formality that could discourage people from entering traditional galleries.

The early exhibitions were scheduled close to Christmas, positioning original artwork as something people might consider buying for themselves, their homes or even as a distinctive Christmas present.

The strategy worked.

Contemporary reporting on the second Art Ireland exhibition in November 2001 described more than 120 artists from Ireland and abroad taking part and indicated that approximately 7,000 visitors were expected. Prices at that time reportedly ranged from around £100 for an original print to £10,000 for works at the higher end of the market.

By 2002, after Ireland had adopted the euro, the fair was promoting works beginning at approximately €150, while important paintings by established artists could reach €40,000 or more.

That enormous price range was central to Art Ireland's identity.

The message was that purchasing original art did not have to be reserved for wealthy collectors.

Maria McMenamin and the Philosophy Behind the Fair

Maria McMenamin was the central figure behind Art Ireland's development.

Her comments in contemporary publicity and newspaper reports repeatedly returned to accessibility. She believed the fair could help eliminate some of the prejudices and pretensions associated with the visual arts.

That philosophy influenced practically every aspect of the exhibition.

Visitors were encouraged to meet artists rather than simply look silently at paintings hanging on walls. People could compare dozens of artists in one visit instead of moving from gallery to gallery around Dublin. Someone who had never purchased art could browse beside an experienced collector without needing specialized knowledge before entering.

The concept also benefited artists.

An independent painter who might struggle to attract thousands of people to a solo exhibition could potentially expose work to a very large audience during one Art Ireland weekend. Artists could sell paintings, build mailing lists, meet collectors, develop gallery relationships and discover how the public responded to their work.

That combination of public accessibility and commercial opportunity became one of Art Ireland's defining characteristics.

Rapid Growth in Attendance and Sales

Contemporary Irish Independent reporting provides some of the clearest evidence of Art Ireland's early popularity.

According to a 2003 article, the first fair attracted approximately 4,500 visitors, who spent just under €1 million on paintings and sculptures during a single weekend.

By the November 2002 event, attendance had climbed to approximately 8,500 and spending exceeded €2 million, according to the same report.

Another contemporary report placed 2002 attendance at more than 8,000 and sales at more than €1.5 million. The precise totals therefore vary among period reports, but all point in the same direction: Art Ireland had quickly developed into a substantial retail marketplace for original art.

Growth continued.

The fourth annual Art Ireland exhibition in November 2003 had more than 130 participating exhibitors after the addition of over 30 new galleries and independent artists.

By November 2004, the fifth annual exhibition was reported as featuring more than 5,000 works presented by 147 artists and galleries.

The fair remained active well beyond those first years. An Irish Independent report concerning the 2009 Art Ireland Spring Collection said the previous year's event had attracted more than 10,000 visitors.

That longevity is important when evaluating IrishArtFair.com historically. The website represented an event that progressed beyond an experimental art-market concept and developed a sustained audience.

The Royal Dublin Society as Art Ireland's Home

Art Ireland became closely associated with the Royal Dublin Society grounds in Ballsbridge, Dublin.

The RDS was particularly appropriate for the concept because it was capable of accommodating a genuinely large exhibition while remaining accessible to the general public.

The 2002 exhibition moved into the RDS Main Hall, allowing considerably more space for artwork, exhibitors and visitors. The entrance was on Merrion Road.

Ballsbridge is only a short distance southeast of Dublin city centre. Visitors could reach the exhibition by car, bus or DART suburban rail. Lansdowne Road and Sandymount were identified as nearby DART stations, while several Dublin bus services connected the area with the city centre.

Parking was another practical advantage. RDS facilities offered substantial on-site parking, something particularly useful for buyers potentially leaving with artwork.

The location also put Art Ireland within one of Dublin's best-known exhibition districts. The RDS has long hosted major public exhibitions, trade shows, sporting events and cultural gatherings, giving Art Ireland a venue with substantially greater capacity than a conventional commercial gallery.

What Visitors Found Inside Art Ireland

Art Ireland was not restricted to paintings.

Exhibitions included original paintings, limited-edition and other high-quality prints, sculpture, photography, ceramics and other forms of contemporary visual art.

The breadth of material was important because the organizers were attempting to attract people with very different tastes and levels of collecting experience.

Visitors might encounter an established commercial gallery only a short distance from an independent artist selling directly to the public.

This mixed model distinguished Art Ireland from fairs organized exclusively around gallery representation.

In 2002, participating artists included Sandra Bell, Graham Elliot, Darlene Garr, Ursula Klinger, Ludmila Korol, Syra Larkin, Louise Mansfield, John Philip Murray, John Nolan, Liam O'Neill, Ian Pollock, James Quinn and Claudio Viscardi.

The 2003 independent-artist roster expanded considerably and included such exhibitors as Niall Harrington, Kate Beagan, Val Byrne, Deborah Donnelly, Gerry Glynn, Kenneth King, Annabel Langrish, Eoin O'Connor, Kevin Sharkey and numerous others.

Independent artist biographies provide additional evidence of the fair's importance. For example, painter Simone Walsh's exhibition history records participation in the Art Ireland Winter Collection at the RDS every year from 2000 through 2005 and in the Summer Collection from 2003 through 2006.

Other artists continued exhibiting at Art Ireland during 2006 and 2007, demonstrating how the fair became part of the regular exhibition circuit for working Irish artists.

Galleries From Ireland and Britain

Art Ireland was not solely an exhibition of individual Irish artists.

Commercial galleries participated from Ireland and Britain, broadening both the geographical range and the type of art available.

The 2002 event included London's Catto Gallery, Scotland's Greenhouse Gallery, Dublin's Leinster Gallery and Magil Fine Art Gallery, Dingle's Greenlane Gallery and other dealers.

By November 2003, exhibitors included Bridge Street Studios of Dundalk, Killarney Art Gallery, the Waldock Gallery, Spiller Art, Greenlane Gallery, Gormley's Art Gallery of Omagh, Pivotal Art of Glasgow, Marine House at Beer in Devon and galleries from London and Manchester.

The mix meant that Art Ireland operated simultaneously as an Irish cultural event and a broader commercial art marketplace.

By 2004, contemporary coverage specifically noted an increase in overseas artists traveling to participate.

Jack B. Yeats and Important Works at the Fair

Although accessibility was emphasized, Art Ireland was not confined to inexpensive decorative artwork.

The 2002 exhibition provides a particularly revealing example.

Contemporary reporting highlighted the appearance of several works by Jack B. Yeats, one of Ireland's most important twentieth-century artists. Merrion Fine Arts was bringing four Yeats watercolours and an oil painting to the event.

The presence of historically important Irish art alongside contemporary independent artists illustrates the unusual breadth of the fair.

A visitor might encounter an affordable print suitable for a first-time purchaser and, elsewhere in the same exhibition, a museum-level name from Irish art history.

That spectrum helped Art Ireland appeal to both casual visitors and serious collectors.

The Buying Experience

IrishArtFair.com emphasized that visitors did not need to purchase anything to enjoy the exhibition.

This was an important element of the fair's positioning.

The event was designed as an enjoyable day out rather than simply a sales floor. A café occupied a central location within the exhibition, allowing visitors to stop for coffee or wine while remaining surrounded by artwork. A balcony restaurant provided another place to take a break before returning to the stands.

Visitors could therefore spend several hours exploring the exhibition at their own pace.

For buyers, practical services removed some of the friction associated with purchasing artwork. Credit-card facilities were available, and complimentary wrapping helped purchasers take their acquisitions home safely.

Tickets for the 2003 November exhibition cost €8 for adults and €5 for concessions. Tickets were valid for all three days, allowing visitors to return without paying another admission charge. A full-colour exhibition catalogue was available for €8.

These seemingly minor arrangements reinforced the fair's underlying philosophy: make buying art as uncomplicated as possible.

The Development of a Second Annual Fair

Demand eventually became sufficient for Art Ireland to expand beyond its traditional autumn event.

Following the success of the first three November exhibitions, organizers announced an Art Ireland Summer Exhibition at the RDS Industries Hall in May 2003.

The decision effectively transformed Art Ireland from one major annual weekend into a recurring marketplace.

The summer event also provided opportunities for new exhibitors. Galleries, studio groups and independent artists were invited to apply, and organizers emphasized the importance of bringing new participants into the fair to keep it fresh.

Applications were vetted rather than automatically accepted.

Exhibitors paid for stands that included white wooden display walls, lighting, fascia signage, catalogue listings and promotional material. An eight-square-metre exhibition space was advertised from €1,200 plus VAT for the early Summer Exhibition.

Organizers projected approximately 5,000 visitors for that new event.

By 2005, the Art Ireland Summer Collection was still operating at the RDS Industries Hall, with more than 80 artists and galleries displaying paintings, prints, photographs and sculpture.

Art Ireland as an Artist Marketplace

For artists, Art Ireland offered something that conventional gallery representation could not always provide: direct exposure to thousands of potential customers over a concentrated three-day period.

The fair also allowed independent artists to compete for attention in the same general environment as established galleries.

That could be especially valuable for artists attempting to establish reputations outside their home counties.

Regional newspaper coverage demonstrates this dimension of the fair particularly well. Wicklow newspapers, for example, regularly identified local artists traveling to the RDS for Art Ireland. The reports treated participation as noteworthy exposure for artists from towns including Bray, Greystones, Newcastle, Delgany, Aughrim and Enniskerry.

In 2003, artist Val Byrne described the fair's accessible nature as providing artists with an opportunity to show their work to an entirely new market.

That observation captures an important reason Art Ireland mattered. It was not simply gathering existing art collectors in one room. It was attempting to create new ones.

Art as Both Enjoyment and Investment

Art Ireland emerged during a period of significant economic and lifestyle change in Ireland.

New galleries were opening, disposable incomes had increased for many households, home ownership and interior decoration were receiving considerable attention, and original art was reaching consumers who might previously have considered it inaccessible.

Contemporary coverage consequently discussed artwork in two ways.

First, art was something to enjoy personally.

Second, certain works could potentially appreciate financially.

McMenamin consistently stressed that people should primarily buy works they genuinely loved, even while acknowledging the possibility of investment value.

That distinction helped keep the fair focused on personal engagement rather than turning it into a purely speculative marketplace.

The wide price spectrum reinforced the point. Someone spending a few hundred euros on a first print and someone considering a €40,000 painting could participate in the same event.

Press, Advertising and Media Coverage

Art Ireland benefited from substantial media exposure during its formative years.

The 2002 exhibition was sponsored by Lite FM and the Irish Independent's Night & Day publication. Contemporary publicity also identified coverage in Apollo, the international art and antiques magazine; Aer Lingus's Cara magazine; Image; Irish Arts Review; Irish Tatler; Social & Personal; House and Home; and international airline magazines.

Television exposure included RTÉ's "Open House."

The Irish Independent also published advance stories and features about the fair, its artists and the changing Irish art market.

Later events maintained significant sponsorship. The Art Ireland Summer Collection was promoted in association with Q102 and the Irish Independent.

This media strategy served two purposes. It promoted individual exhibitions, but it also supported Art Ireland's larger effort to move contemporary art into mainstream consumer culture.

Instead of marketing exclusively through specialist art publications, the organizers placed the event before newspaper readers, radio listeners, airline passengers, homeowners and general lifestyle audiences.

Popularity and Public Audience

Art Ireland's audience was intentionally broad.

Experienced collectors were welcome, but they were never presented as the only people who belonged there.

Potential audiences included first-time buyers, homeowners decorating new properties, businesses looking for office art, tourists, Christmas shoppers, families, people interested in Irish culture and visitors who simply wanted an enjoyable afternoon surrounded by artwork.

The admission price also made casual attendance possible.

A person did not have to be planning a major purchase to justify visiting.

The attendance trajectory—from approximately 4,500 visitors at the first fair to more than 8,000 within a few years and later reports of crowds exceeding 10,000—suggests that this broad-market strategy found a substantial audience.

The Website's Role

IrishArtFair.com served an unusually practical purpose for an early-2000s arts website.

Visitors could use it to decide when to attend, determine admission costs, identify participating artists and galleries, find transportation information and learn what services would be available.

Artists and galleries could use the site to learn about exhibition opportunities.

Journalists could find press contacts and information about previous media coverage.

Collectors could review the breadth of exhibitors before arriving.

In that sense, IrishArtFair.com mirrored the philosophy of the physical exhibition itself. Both attempted to make information about art readily accessible rather than mysterious.

The website also documented the transition from one annual Art Ireland exhibition to multiple seasonal events, making it part of the historical record of the fair's expansion.

Awards and Recognition

Available contemporary material emphasizes Art Ireland's scale, attendance, commercial performance, sponsorship and press exposure rather than documenting a major formal award program for the fair itself.

It is therefore more accurate to describe its recognition in terms of reputation and media standing.

Period newspapers repeatedly referred to Art Ireland as Ireland's biggest art fair, largest annual arts fair or largest visual-arts event. By 2004, the fifth annual event was being described as the country's biggest annual visual-arts showcase, with 147 artists and galleries and more than 5,000 works.

Those descriptions, combined with substantial attendance figures and national media sponsorship, provide stronger evidence of the fair's standing than an unsupported claim about awards.

Cultural and Social Significance

Art Ireland's lasting significance lies partly in its attempt to change the relationship between contemporary art and the general Irish public.

Traditional gallery culture can unintentionally create barriers. Potential buyers may worry that they do not understand art, cannot afford it or will feel uncomfortable entering an expensive gallery without knowing exactly what they want.

Art Ireland challenged that psychology.

Its large scale encouraged comparison. Its price range encouraged experimentation. Its restaurants and café encouraged people to linger. Direct interaction with artists humanized the creative process.

The event also blurred the boundary between exhibition and marketplace.

People could appreciate art without buying it, but they could also purchase something immediately if a work appealed to them.

For artists, this created direct feedback from a public audience. For galleries, it created access to prospective customers beyond their regular clientele. For visitors, it concentrated an enormous selection of contemporary art into a single weekend.

That combination made Art Ireland as much about participation in visual culture as about commercial transactions.

IrishArtFair.com's Place in Irish Art History

Viewed retrospectively, IrishArtFair.com documents a particularly energetic period in Ireland's art market.

Art Ireland began in 2000 with an experiment in bringing the European-style art-fair concept to a wider Irish audience. Within only a few years, attendance had grown substantially, millions of euros worth of artwork were reportedly being purchased during individual events, exhibitor numbers had passed 100, overseas participants were appearing and a second seasonal exhibition had been introduced.

The RDS gave the fair the physical scale necessary to bring thousands of works together.

Maria McMenamin and the organizers supplied the philosophy: remove unnecessary intimidation and encourage people to encounter original art directly.

Artists and galleries supplied remarkable variety.

And IrishArtFair.com supplied the digital gateway through which visitors could discover the event and plan their attendance.

The result was a fair that occupied an interesting middle ground between cultural exhibition, retail marketplace, social gathering and public introduction to contemporary art.

Its historical importance is therefore not simply that thousands of paintings and sculptures were offered for sale.

Art Ireland helped normalize the idea that someone did not need to be a wealthy collector or art expert to walk into an exhibition, speak with an artist and purchase an original work.

That was the central promise behind IrishArtFair.com: contemporary art could be accessible, social, enjoyable and personal.

For many visitors and artists during the first decade of the twenty-first century, Art Ireland appears to have delivered precisely that experience.

 

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IrishArtFair.com