Visual Arts in Antrim
Cultural History, Famous Painters like Gladys MacCabe and Art Museums.

County Antrim, Ulster

CULTURAL PREHISTORY OF ANTRIM
Note: For an introduction to Celtic
culture and the ancient artifacts of
the Celts, see: Celtic Art. For facts
about the two earliest styles, which
influenced so many Irish artists
during the golden age of the early
Christian era in Ireland, see:
Hallstatt (c.800-450 BCE) and
La Tene (c.450-50 BCE).

County Antrim: Arts

Situated on the north-east coast of Northern Ireland in the province of Ulster, County Antrim (Aontroim) has a population of approximately 566,000 and is home to such natural wonders as the Glens of Antrim, Loch Neagh (the largest inland lake in Ireland or the UK), and the Giant's Causeway. The capital of County Antrim is Belfast, the major city and cultural centre in the province, with a population in excess of 600,000. Other notable towns include Antrim, Ballymena, Larne and Ballycastle.

Early Visual Art

The earliest Irish art in County Antrim consist of artifacts and archeological remains of early settlers from Scotland (c.6000 BCE). Antrim has also been influenced by Celtic, Viking and Anglo-Norman culture. The noted Derrykeighan Stone in County Antrim, carved about 200 BCE, is one of several surviving examples of Celtic pagan iron age sculpture, of which the most famous is County Galway's Turoe Stone. North of Antrim town is one of the finest examples of Irish Round Towers, in the history of Irish art and architecture, dating from the tenth century.

Red Poppies
by Antrim-born artist Tom Carr.

A Veiled Shape,
by Antrim-born artist TJ Miles.

Modern Art

Belfast remains the focal point of County Antrim's arts program, although a range of educational, cultural and outreach services benefit the wider community. In addition, Antrim's own patronage of Irish artists and Irish sculptors is augmented by funding from the Northern Ireland Arts Council. There are museums, or arts and craft centres in most large towns in County Antrim, as well as a number of art galleries including Castle Upton Gallery (Templepatrick), Coloured Rain (Templepatrick), Gracehill Gallery (Ballymena), and Throatlake (Dunadry).

Art Galleries

Most of County Antrim's galleries are located in Belfast. Other art spaces include; Castle Upton Gallery, Templepatrick (028-9443-3470); Coloured Rain, Templepatrick (028-9443-9494); Gracehill Gallery, Ballymena (028-2565-2544); Throatlake, Dunadry (028-9068-7687).

Flowers and Fruit,
by Antrim-born artist Gladys McCabe.

IRISH CULTURAL MONUMENTS
For a list of buildings/sites of
historical, architectural or
artistic significance, see:
Architectural Monuments Ireland and
Archeological Monuments Ireland.

Artists

Antrim's scenery of mountains, glens and boglands has long been an attraction and spur to Irish landscape painters. Not surprisingly, the county is the birthplace of a large number of talented painters and sculptors, of whom the most renowned are: Arthur Armstrong, (Landscapes and Still Lifes); Basil Blackshaw, (Portraits, Figure and Genre Paintings); Tom Carr, (Landscape and Figure Artist); William Coulter (Marine Artist), Gladys MacCabe, (Painter and Art Critic); Hector McDonnell, (Realist Painter, Watercolourist, Etcher, Draughtsman); TJ Miles, (Contemporary Landscapes and Surrealistic Figure Paintings); James Sinton Sleator, (Portraiture and Still Life); Deborah Brown, (Sculptress in Bronze and Fiberglass); Lawson Burch, (Figure and Landscape Canvases); Ivor Coburn, (Watercolourist); David Crone, (Genre Painter and Townscape Artist); Ian Darragh (Classical Figurative painting), Diarmuid Delargy, (Etcher and Contemporary Artist); Daniel Dowling, (Peopled Landscapes); Rita Duffy, (Modern Painter, Installation Artist and Muralist); Brendan Ellis, (Medical and Figurative Painter); David Evans, (Watercolours); Graham Forsythe, (Irish Canadian Artist); George Gillespie, (Landscapes); Graham Gingles, (Mixed-Media Artist, Sculptor and Draughtsman); Tom Halifax, (Portraitist); Wilfred Haughton, (Watercolourist); Desmond Kinney, (Large Scale Mosaic Murals and Landscapes); John Luke, (Noted Muralist); Charlie McAuley, (Landscape and Figure Paintings); Samuel McCloy, (Genre Scenes); Tom McGoldrick, (Interiors, Genre Scenes and Landscapes); James Alexander McKendry, (Sculptor, Muralist and Landscape Artist); Cherith McKinstry, (Contemporary Painter and Sculptor); Catherine McWilliams, (Landscape and Subject Paintings); Tom Nisbet, (Landscapes in Watercolours); Mark Pepper, (Still Life Artist in a Photo-Realistic Style); Noreen Rice, (Contemporary Artist working in Pastels and Oils); Tony Swain, (Acrylics and Mixed-Media); Anya Waterworth, (Contemporary Landscapes); Colin Watson, (Landscapes, Figurative and Romantic Interiors); Chris Wilson, (Contemporary Landscape Painter and Cartographic Artist); Ross Wilson, (Contemporary Artist).

Ulster Society of Women Artists (USWA)

County Antrim is the home of Gladys McCabe, the Irish painter and art critic, who in 1957 founded the Ulster Society of Women Artists (USWA). This organization continues to play an active role in the visual arts in Northern Ireland.

Heritage, Cultural Centres and Arts Museums in Antrim

Ballycastle Museum
The museum building, dating from the 18th century when Ballycastle was an industrial centre, contains numerous works associated with the 19th century Celtic Arts Revival movement, including one of the banners from the first Glens of Antrim feis 1904, along with sculptures, paintings, prints and craftwork from this time.

Irish Linen Centre
Part of the Lisburn Town Museum, the Irish Linen Centre chronicles the development of linen-making from the 17th century onwards, notably scutching and weaving, and aspects of textile art. The centre also possesses an outstanding collection of old costumes.

Larne Museums
This port town boasts two heritage locations, the Larne and District Historical Centre and Larne Borough Council Interpretative Centre. The former hosts a recreated traditional kitchen and blacksmith's forge, along with many old artefacts, family memorabilia and photographs, all recreating the sense of Larne in the past.

Linen Hall Library
Established in 1788, this is Belfast's oldest library. Renowned for its Irish and local studies collections, it holds some 200,000 books, ranging from its unrivalled holdings of early Belfast and Ulster printing to the definitive archive of the "Troubles" which began in 1969.

Ulster Museum
The premier arts venue in Northern Ireland, this has a huge array of exhibits. As well as collections of fine art, crafts and decorative art, it features archaeology and ethnography, botany, zoology and geology, as well as local history and technology. Recently, the Ulster Museum combined with the Ulster American Folk Park and the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to form the National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland.

• For more about Irish culture, see: Ireland Visual Arts.
• For more about the historical heritage of the province of Ulster, see: Art Encyclopedia.
• For a list of the top living painters in Ireland, see: Best Irish Artists/Painters.
• For details of art museums and venues in Ireland, see: Irish Art Galleries.

• To update this mini-review of the visual art, culture and artists of County Antrim, click here.