Visit us on Facebook
Visit us on Twitter
Visit us on Flickr
Download the PDF
I had my first meeting with the gang from The Dock yesterday, to become part of the fabric of the place I was allowed up every creaking staircase and have a look into the last nook and cranny of the building. My three favourite hidden places: the sound box in the performance space (what a view from there!), the dressing room for the artists (wish I had that at home!), and third a hidden jewel of artist’s studios somewhere under the roof…
Latter is the one I’ll be telling you about today, as I never knew until yesterday that this “Artists in Residence” set-up is on; what a smashing idea to intertwine emerging art with the building, to have it happening right on the terrain! Currently the studios are rented by three artists, two painters and one composer as that, and hidden from the public’s eye they work away quietly just at the other side of the door. What a nice thought, while we inspect the newest exhibition or watch the Blunnie Sisters in action, they are there too, in the same house, tinkering away at their projects… or a sleepless composer turns the night into day and works on his newest piece and shares the Dock with the rising sun.
The actual room radiates calm and creativity, its floor is covered with blobs and splashes of paint, and IF there is sunlight in Carrick then it is in this room; a generous arched windowpane lights the colourful palette of work beautifully, and I found my mind wander to the smaller and more important things in life and just wanted to hang on there…
I haven’t laid eyes on the actual artists yet, but if you are as charmed by the whole idea as I am please let me know, then I will pursue the subject and work on a follow-up of this, and maybe I get to interview the guys if they are up to telling me about their work and themselves!
Your Dock Blogger
8 Comments - “Artists in Residence”
« Back to TheDock Blog
Hi, Paul here. It looks good!
Thank You Paul! Gettin there… Your D B
very interesting, I love it!!!
Same here, its a good clip to spread and share around, haven’t seen anybody without a smile on their face after watching it…
Call by next time you re in the area, I’ll keep you posted in the meantime.
Your D B
Good stuff, Dock Blogger.
And great to have you to guide us through what great stuff is coming up at the great space that is The Dock.
I’ve a question for you about the fantastic and brilliant Winter Market that was held inside the Dock last December (or was it very late November?). It was such a wonderful idea and so successful, too – from the talented crafters themselves, the music, the food, the mulled wine, the children all dancing and having a wonderful time, and just the overall magical vibe and energy that overflowed in abundance all the while it was going on. I’m really, really hoping that the winter market will be a regular annual event. It’s a crying shame that the Teapot Market wasn’t allowed to continue after the first two months in April and May. It was absolutely brilliant – run by two brilliant and cool people – Mella and Natalia – who also organised the winter market. Please let us know if there will be another winter market in a few months’ time.
Thanks for reading through all this..I realise I’ve a tendency to ramble on a bit, LOL.
yeah, i remember that market very well, the people who made it through the icy roads all loved it! i remember that Natalia was hoping somebody else would take over the organizing bit for the following year, as it was quite a bit of work and time that had to be spared… you wouldn’t be up for it, would you? i for one would love that market on the agenda as well, so by wednesday the poor Dock crew will be bombarded with all my questions regarding your questions, oh dear! June, keep rambling, that’s what we’ve asked for!
Your D B
It was well worth the icy driving conditions, believe me. It was a shame that the weather prevented the opening night from going ahead, but Mella and Natalia did the right thing by half-cancelling it for that one night, just to be on the safe side – literally – for all the people who wanted to attend (both the crafters/vendors and the shoppers as well). That’s why I’m really, really hoping that it’ll go ahead this year…and the year after that…ad infinitum.
I’m quite chuffed that you’ve asked me if I’d be into organising it, but to be honest with you,although I’ve all the enthusiasm in the world to see it go ahead, I have absolutely no experience with that side of craft fairs, and I can see how much work (and time and a bit of stress thrown in for good measure, unfortunately) is involved in organising something as wonderful as both the winter market and the Teapot Markets were. Mella and Natalia have done brilliantly at both.
Surely there’s someone else out there – much closer to The Dock itself (I’m about an hour’s drive away, when it’s not snowing and/or icy) from Carrick, so that’s another problem right there, organising-wise) who could either help Mella and Natalia out, or take over from them, if they can’t. How about the staff at LDH? Or would that be asking too much or maybe it’d be a conflict of interests for them, as they’re a shop (but a shop that also sells hand-made crafts)?
I wish I could say ‘yes’ and again, it’s lovely of you to even consider me for such a huge job/big responsibility, but I don’t think i’d be able to do the job(s) justice and make it as brilliant and go as smoothly (even if there were no icy roads to contend with this year – one lives in hope it will be a dry, snow-free, ice-free winter this year) as Mella and Natalia did. I’m still hoping that the Teapot Market can find another venue – it was such a fantastic market, and picking up momentum (and more shoppers) – I still don’t understand why the county council had a ‘problem’ with its being held. I’d have thought that Leitrim Co.Co. would enthusiastically welcome more people in, especially tourists and shoppers – a crafts market is perfect for that to happen. An absolute shame that the Teapot Market was grounded. Hopefully, only temporarily so.
Take care, and again, sorry for all my rambling on and on. I just think it’s brilliant that there is a blog for The Dock and all the events happening in and around both the Dock itself and Carrick. Keep up the fab work, Dock Blogger!
Youre so cool! I dont suppose Ive learn something like this before. So nice to seek out any individual with some authentic thoughts on this subject. realy thank you for beginning this up. this website is one thing that’s needed on the internet, somebody with slightly originality. helpful job for bringing one thing new to the internet!