Investigative works will commence at Crawford Art Gallery on 21 March to inform final design decisions and in advance of a planning submission which will be made to Cork City Council in late 2022.
Cork-based construction company PJ Hegarty and Sons will work with Crawford Art Gallery and its design team lead by Grafton Architects and the Office of Public Works to carry out a series of detailed investigations onsite. For public safety this necessitates the closure of the Gallery to the public for a four week period from March 21st to April 21st 2022
‘By undertaking this work now, it will ensure a greater degree of certainty as we move forward into this hugely important time for Crawford. We are sorry for the inconvenience to our audiences and visitors during the temporary four-week closure , but are confident that by doing this now, the project will face less interruption and uncertainty once it goes into the major construction phase in mid-2023. We encourage visitors to visit us virtually for these four weeks, using our innovative virtual tours of current exhibitions and our extensive and regularly-updated online resources. We look forward to reopening and continuing with our vibrant on site programmes,’ says Mary McCarthy, Director of Crawford Art Gallery.
Last year Taoiseach, Micheál Martin T.D. and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin T.D. announced that the design contract for the redevelopment at the historic Crawford Art Gallery was awarded to Grafton Architects. The overall plan provides for considerable investment through Project Ireland 2040 for the redevelopment of the gallery buildings over the next four years.
An Taoiseach commented ‘Grafton Architects are an internationally renowned architecture firm with projects spanning from Milford to Milan, and from Lima to London, and I have no doubt that they will bring their experience and skills to bear in interpreting and developing the unique characteristics of the Crawford Art Gallery.’
When the Gallery reopens in April, members of the public will be invited back into a busy Gallery, where they can visit new exhibitions, such as the Zurich Portrait Prize 2021 and Zurich Young Portrait Prize 2021.
Before the temporary closure Crawford plans an extensive St Patrick’s Festival programme with tours, workshops and music, taking place throughout the weekend, all free of charge to the public.
St Patrick’s Festival
https://crawfordartgallery.ie/saint-patricks-weekend-2022/
Children and their grown-ups can enjoy a workshop led by artist Siobhan Catinot in the Long Room on 18 and 19 March from 2-4pm to mark St. Patrick's Festival this year. Drawing from the work on display, the workshop will focus on the connection we have with nature.
Enjoy tailor-made tours with our expert, friendly guides, find out about your national collection, about Cork’s history and the history of the building.
Hear live traditional music echo through the Galleries as you visit some of our exhibitions.
Don’t miss Saturation: the everyday transformed, The Port of Cork Collection and Botanica: The Art of Plants.
More about Crawford Art Gallery
Crawford Art Gallery is an Irish national cultural institution, dedicated to contemporary and historic visual art, located in a significant heritage building in the heart of Cork City. Offering a vibrant and dynamic programme of temporary exhibitions, it also houses a collection of national importance which tells a compelling story of Cork and Ireland over the last three centuries.
Originally built in 1724 as the city’s Customs House, the Gallery is home to the famous Canova Casts, gifted to Cork two centuries ago. Featured in the gallery’s collection of over 3,000 objects are contemporary artists Aideen Barry, Gerard Byrne, Maud Cotter, Dorothy Cross, Tacita Dean, and Sean Scully as well as much-loved works by Irish artists James Barry, Harry Clarke, Mainie Jellett, Seán Keating, Daniel Maclise, Norah McGuinness, Edith Somerville, and Jack B. Yeats.
An oasis of calm and tranquillity, Crawford Art Gallery is open seven days a week, free to enter, and a must-see for locals and tourists alike. Welcoming over 265,000 visitors annually, the Gallery boasts an award-winning Café in stunning surroundings, serving fresh local produce for which Cork is famous.
Website
Opening Hours
Monday–Saturday 10.00am–5.00pm
Late opening Thursdays until 8.00pm
Sundays and Bank Holidays
Gallery: 11am - 4pm
Entry Free
Upcoming Exhibitions
17 March – 18 September
22 April – 15 May
Zurich Portrait Prize 2021 & Zurich Young Portrait Prize 2021
23 April – 17 July 2022
TOURS
Free Tours Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays 2pm
