County Waterford: Arts

Lying along the south coast of Ireland, east of Cork in the province of Munster, County Waterford (Port Láirge) has a population of 101,546. Established in the ninth century by Viking invaders, Waterford City is now the fifth largest metropolis in the Republic of Ireland and is world famous for its Waterford Crystal glass.

Famous Artists

Celebrated artists born in County Waterford include: the Neo-classical sculptor John Hogan (1800-58); Niccolo D'Ardia Caracciolo, (Landscape Artist and Portrait Painter); Peter Curling, (Equestrian Artist); Arthur K Maderson, (Contemporary Figurative Artist); Thomas Roberts, (Landscapes); Colin Crotty, (Landscape and Figurative Painter); Douglas Manson Dennehy, (Landscapes); Michael Angelo Hayes, (Watercolour Artist and Animal Painter); William Howis, (Landscapes); Fergus Lyons, (Landscape and Rural Scenes); Michael Power O'Malley, (Genre Painter in the Traditionalist Style); Louisa Anne (Marchioness of) Waterford, (Religious and Genre Artist); Robert Lucius West, (Portrait and Subject Painter).

Aldaniti, Winner of the Grand National,
by Waterford artist Peter Curling.

Art Centres and Venues

Waterford has numerous art galleries and other venues showing a range of Irish painting and Irish sculpture. These include: the Municipal Art Gallery, Greyfriars, Waterford; Solo Arte Art Gallery (051-355758), Dyehouse Gallery (051-844-770), Garter Lane Arts Centre (051-855038), the Mary Street Gallery, the Pauline Bewick Collection at the Waterford Institute of Technology, as well as Joan Clancy Gallery, Dungarvan (058-46205); Jones Art Gallery, Dungarvan (058-45610); Lismore Castle Arts, Lismore (058-54061); The Old Market House Arts Centre, Dungarvan (058-48944).

Femme Fatale, by Waterford artist
Niccolo d'Ardia Caracciolo.

Permanent Art Collection

The city of Waterford has one of the best municipal collections in Ireland, featuring some of the best painters in the history of Irish art. Centred in the Waterford Municipal Art Gallery, it contains over 200 paintings and sculptures, including works by Jack B Yeats, the world-famous expressionist; Louis Le Brocquy, the greatest living Irish artist; Paul Henry, the internationally acclaimed Belfast-born landscape artist; and Carey Clarke, the renowned still life artist.

In addition, the city contains works by several local artists, including:

Thomas Sautelle Roberts (1760-1826)
A founder member of the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA), his landscape painting "West View of the City of Waterford" features a view of the first bridge to cross the river Suir.

Christopher (Con) Fay (b. 1920)
Attended the National College of Art in Dublin under Sean Keating. A renowned local landscape painter, his painting "Applemarket" (1989) features the long-established trading area in the city.

Robert Burke (b.1909)
A former head of the Waterford School of Art, he studied at Edinburgh School of Art. His plein-air watercolour painting "Unloading at Customs House" features the busy Waterford quays in the 1940s.

Michael O'Connell (b.1918)
Known for his oil painting of the landscape and scenes of Waterford, his picture "William Street Bridge" is a colourful portrayal of the bridge spanning St. John's River in Waterford City.

Swimming Lesson, Lismore River Pool,
by Waterford artist Arthur K. Maderson.

The Waterford Arts Festival

One of the highlights of County Waterford's arts calendar is the annual arts festival (Oct). Its events and activities encompass a wide range of art media, including painting, ceramics, video, fine art photography, installation art, land art and much more.

Per Cent For Art Scheme

Waterford is an active participant in the government's "Per Cent for Art" Scheme, designed to encourage Local Authorities across Ireland to commission artworks from Irish artists to coincide with new capital projects. Waterford County Council's arts program includes the following successful commissions.

"Golden Harvest" (2002) by Colm Brennan.
"Tobar Bride" (2003) by Cliodna Cussen
"Léimit an Bhradán" (2004) (Stained Glass) by Róisín Ní Chionnfhaolaidh

In addition, Waterford also commissioned the sculptor Eammon O'Doherty to create a 7-metre high sculpture, entitled "Damselfly". (2005)

• For more about Irish culture, see: Visual Arts in Ireland.
• For more about the cultural heritage of Ireland, see: Irish Art: Visual Arts in Cork.

• How to Update This Mini Review of Art in Waterford.