2023 Artistic Programme Launch

Words from studio artists Robert Armstrong and Isabel Nolan; a welcome from TBG+S Chair Ann Mathews; and some light refreshments.

A limited edition poster based on the painting "He could see behind himself" St Columba, 2022 by Isabel Nolan is specially commissioned by TBG+S to celebrate the 40 years of artists working in the city (1983–2023). The poster will be available for sale on the evening.

Studio artist Michelle Malone’s Poor Auld Anna Livia is a scene-setting installation which tells the story of the artist’s lived experience with public sculpture in Dublin City, and will be open to visitors during the launch.

Clíodhna Shaffrey, Director, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios welcomes this year’s programme with:

For 40 years, Temple Bar Gallery + Studios (TBG+S) has been a bedrock for artists in Dublin city. Established in 1983 when Jenny Haughton, a visionary arts administrator with a group of artists, moved into a vacant building, earmarked as part of CIÉ plans for a major bus interchange in Temple Bar. The interchange never transpired due to astute political agency with the foresight to grasp what the presence of artists brought to the city. So, instead of levelled buildings, new roads and emissions, Temple Bar, with TBG+S as one of its anchors, was designated a Cultural Quarter – supported through European funding.

Combining a studio complex with a public gallery, TBG+S has been a workspace for hundreds of artists, and the gallery has been at the forefront of ambitious contemporary practice and exciting exhibition making. Over its forty years, the relatively simple format of a studio room of one’s own, amidst a community of artistic peers, with a public gallery programme, has proven to be a catalyst for so much artistic breakthrough.

RSVP: Email press@templebargallery.com

Please note entry to the launch will be through the Atrium doors on Lower Fownes Street or through Studio 1. We look forward to welcoming you,

TBG+S Team