Outset Gallery

• 1 WEEK TO APPLY • ⚡Open Call: Graduate Showcase 2026 ⚡ Outset Gallery is excited to announce our 3rd annual Open Call supporting recent graduates (2023–2025) based in / from Ireland. Deadline : Dec 7 - Click link in bio to access full application form. Successful artists will be featured in a group exhibition launching February 2026 in Galway City, the cultural capital of the West. The show will be curated by an invited emerging curator and accompanied by a series of educational and networking events running through Feb-March 2026. Selected artists will receive an artist fee, curatorial and production support, and free access to professional development sessions including talks, and networking events. This is a great opportunity to introduce your work to a wider audience and several past Graduate Showcase artists have gone on to feature in major solo and group exhibitions as part of Outset Gallery’s programme. Who can apply: Artists who graduated (BA/BFA/MFA) in Fine Art or related disciplines (Photography, Digital Media, Performance, 2D/3D Media) from 2023–2025, either in Ireland or Irish artists based abroad / have graduated abroad - click link in bio to access full application. How to apply: Submit up to 5 pre-existing works or a single PDF portfolio (with text, links, or other media) via our Google Form. Work must be exhibition-ready and available for Feb 2026. Deadline: Midnight, December 7th, 2025 / Notifications Jan 2026. Free to apply. For more info please email [email protected] - the social media account is not mointored by all staff so questions on commments will not be address. Photo: Next Wave - Graduate Exhibition 2025 #opencall #opencallopporutnies #outsetopencall #outsetgallery #fromtheoutset #irishart #irishartists

• Open All Weekend • "Kaleidoscope" installation looks beautiful in the evening with shadows and reflections cast all over the gallery. Kaleidoscope is open all weekend and with our updated opening hours - we are now open 6 days a week untill the show closes on Aug 25. Tuesday 11.00-5.00 / Wed - Sat 10.00-5.30 / Sunday 12.00-5.30 If you can't make the show or would like a PDF catalog please send your email via DM. For more info please email [email protected] Kaleidoscope by @peterbradleyartist was produced for @galwayintarts in collaboration with @odd.build - curated by @tommclean_art #outsetgallery #fromtheoutset #kaleidoscope #peterbradley #oilpainting #contemporarypainting #contemporaryart

• HERmetics: How Painters Think • Opening Friday 22nd May - 6-9pm Outset Gallery is pleased to present the opening of How Painters Think, our next exhibition of 2026. This group show features artworks from the very talented women of @hermetics_in_the_studio HERmetics began with a mutual interest in translating what happens when painters paint in the studio. Painters Louise Wallace, Majella Clancy, Mary Theresa Keown, Patricia Doherty, and Sinéad Aldridge come together in monthly Zoom meetings to discuss, among other things, the changes, transformations, rejections, or stalemate in their practice. Each painter journeys across a range of media, moving through material decisions before finally arriving at the painting surface. This exhibition will map the various routes through how a painter thinks. It is a process of deep reflection across drawing, collage, printmaking, 3D, and found objects. • Artist Spotlight sineadaldridge1 3/5 • Aldridge is an Irish artist based between Berlin and Co. Sligo, Ireland. Born in Belfast in 1963, graduating with a fine art degree from Camberwell College of Art London and a Masters in Visual Arts Practices from IADT Dublin. She is the recipient of a one-year DAAD scholarship at the Karlsruhe State Academy of Fine Arts Germany. Showing her work in solo and group exhibitions in Ireland, Germany, Denmark, France, Japan, and the UK. Her work is in private and public collections, i.e., the Arts Council NI, Galway University, and the Irish Embassy Mexico. “Events are played out in the paintings using a gamut of gestures, often repeated, underscored, or overwritten. Mark marking is a signal for the trials and joys of daily life.” Join us on Friday the 22nd May, 6-9pm, to celebrate the opening with complimentary refreshments and music from an emerging DJ. Exhibition runs: 22nd May - 21st June 2026. #fromtheoutset #outsetgallery #galleryopening #HERmetics #contemporaryart

• HERmetics: How Painters Think • Opening Friday 22nd May - 6-9pm Outset Gallery is pleased to present the opening of How Painters Think, our next exhibition of 2026. This group show features artworks from the very talented women of @hermetics_in_the_studio HERmetics began with a mutual interest in translating what happens when painters paint in the studio. Painters Louise Wallace, Majella Clancy, Mary Theresa Keown, Patricia Doherty, and Sinéad Aldridge come together in monthly Zoom meetings to discuss, among other things, the changes, transformations, rejections, or stalemate in their practice. Each painter journeys across a range of media, moving through material decisions before finally arriving at the painting surface. This exhibition will map the various routes through how a painter thinks. It is a process of deep reflection across drawing, collage, printmaking, 3D, and found objects. • Artist Spotlight @patriciadoherty.visualartist 2/5 • Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Doherty graduated with BA (Hons) Degree in Fine Art from Camberwell College of Art and MA in Painting from the Royal Academy Schools, London. Her work has been in numerous group and solo exhibitions including RHA Dublin, Kuenstlerhaus Schwandorf, Germany and Model Gallery, Sligo. The work is held in private and public collections including: OPW (Dublin), Staatliche’s Bauamt (Regensburg) and BBC Art Collection (London). Her work is represented by the Fenderesky Gallery in Belfast. “The paintings are multi-layered, not only in terms of their making but also from a philosophical perspective – evolving through momentary acts of improvisation, they seek to find meaning and resolution elsewhere.” Join us on Friday the 22nd May, 6-9pm, to celebrate the opening with complimentary refreshments and music from an emerging DJ. Exhibition runs: 22nd May - 21st June 2026. #fromtheoutset #outsetgallery #galleryopening #HERmetics #contemporaryart

• HERmetics: How Painters Think • Opening Friday 22nd May - 6-9pm Outset Gallery is pleased to present the opening of How Painters Think, our next exhibition of 2026. This group show features artworks from the very talented women of @hermetics_in_the_studio HERmetics began with a mutual interest in translating what happens when painters paint in the studio. Painters Louise Wallace, Majella Clancy, Mary Theresa Keown, Patricia Doherty, and Sinéad Aldridge come together in monthly Zoom meetings to discuss, among other things, the changes, transformations, rejections, or stalemate in their practice. Each painter journeys across a range of media, moving through material decisions before finally arriving at the painting surface. This exhibition will map the various routes through how a painter thinks. It is a process of deep reflection across drawing, collage, printmaking, 3D, and found objects. • Artist Spotlight @marytkeown 1/5 • Born in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland in 1974, Keown now lives and works in Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim. She graduated with first class honours B.A. in Fine Art 1997. Keown completed a PhD at the University of Ulster in 2022 with a thesis entitled Hyphenation as a Critical Tool for Contemporary Irish Painting. She has exhibited her work throughout Ireland, and internationally. Her international shows include Tokyo, Japan; Bilbao, Spain. “I try to resolve my paintings through shape-fussing and drawing, I am interested in how they demonstrate a type of struggle.” Join us on Friday the 22nd May, 6-9pm, to celebrate the opening with complimentary refreshments and music from an emerging DJ. Exhibition runs: 22nd May - 21st June 2026. Reserve your free ticket through the link in our bio 🔗 #fromtheoutset #outsetgallery #galleryopening #HERmetics #contemporaryart

We are delighted to have Kinnegar Brewing back in the gallery for the opening night of How Painters Think by HERmetics_in_the_studio. A bit about our sponsor: Independent, Irish and proudly brewed in Donegal, Kinnegar Brewing is known for its craft beers that combine creativity, character, and quality, making them the perfect partner for an evening celebrating contemporary painting, experimentation, and artistic process. Join us on Friday 22nd May from 18:00 for the opening reception, with complimentary refreshments, music and immersive new works from HERmetics. 🎟️ Entry is free but registration is recommended. Click the link in our bio to get your ticket! #fromtheoutset #Kinnegar #Irishcraftbeer #ContemporaryArt #IrishArt

• HERmetics presents: How Painters Think • HERmetics_in_the_studio at Outset Gallery Join us for the opening of How Painters Think on Friday 22 May from 18:00. This group exhibition explores the concept of “aesthetic nomadism” in contemporary painting; where ideas move fluidly through drawing, collage, printmaking, sculpture, found objects, and mixed media before arriving on canvas. Through layered processes of repetition, disruption, memory and experimentation, the artists reveal painting as an active form of thinking. Working primarily with oil painting and mixed media, the exhibition examines abstraction, materiality, texture, and mark-making, balancing structure with spontaneity. Each work evolves through layering, erasure, excavation, and reconstruction, challenging traditional approaches to contemporary painting practice. The installation extends this thinking into the gallery space, drawing directly from the studio environment. Through varied hanging strategies, material references, and the inclusion of sculptural elements, the exhibition invites multiple viewpoints and reflects the shifting perspective of the painter at work. ✨ Opening night includes music and complimentary refreshments from our sponsors. 🎟️ Register for free via the link in bio. Poster design : @luke.deezine Artists: @louisewallaceartist @majellaclancy @marytkeown @patriciadoherty.visualartist sineadaldridge1 #fromtheoutset #artexhibition #contemporaryart #galway #irishartist

HERmetics - How Painters Think Outset Gallery is pleased to present How Painters Think, a group exhibition by HERmetics_in_the_studio collective opening Friday 22 May at 18.00. @hermetics_in_the_studio This exhibition explores the idea of “aesthetic nomadism” within painting, tracing the movement of thought across materials, processes, and surfaces. Each artist works through drawing, collage, printmaking, 3D elements, and found objects before arriving at the painted image, revealing the layered and evolving nature of painterly thinking. At its core, How Painters Think examines the mechanics of artistic thought through abstraction, materiality, and the tension between structure and spontaneity. The works are process-driven, unfolding through repetition, disruption, memory, and discovery, where intention and accident coexist. Working primarily in oil and mixed media, the artists employ techniques of layering and excavation, reflecting how ideas are built, erased, and reformed over time. The exhibition embraces experimentation and the use of non-traditional tools, challenging conventional approaches to painting and opening up new possibilities for mark-making and composition. The installation extends this thinking into the gallery space, drawing directly from the studio environment. Through varied hanging strategies, material references, and the inclusion of sculptural elements, the exhibition invites multiple viewpoints and reflects the shifting perspective of the painter at work. By disrupting the conventional gallery format, How Painters Think offers an immersive insight into painting as a dynamic and ongoing process - a form of thinking in action that is both intuitive and analytical. Free entry – register via the link in bio, opening night with music and complimentary refreshments from our sponsors. Poster design : @luke.deezine Artists : @louisewallaceartist @majellaclancy @marytkeown @patriciadoherty.visualartist sineadaldridge1 #painting #contemporarypainting #outsetgallery #group exhibition #irishartists

• In Conversation • Missed our panel discussions for our Artist Career a Professional Development Day? No problem - we have shared some short video highlights from the talks so you can gain more insight into learning more about careers in art from the professionals in their respective fields! The panel discussions and talks for the day were designed and presented by our fantastic host, artist and writer @meadhbhmcnutt Above we hear from Jamie and Ciara from @126gallery.studios speaking in depth about “Inside Artist-Run Spaces" Videos captured by the fantastic @juliemcloughlin This event was kindly supported by @artsofficegalwaycity Organisations also involved: @engageartstudios @praxis_union @126gallery.studios @artspacestudios #outsetgallery #studentnetworkingevent #galwaycity

• In Conversation • Missed our panel discussions for our Artist Career a Professional Development Day? No problem - we will be sharing some short video highlights over the next few days so you can gain more insight into learning more about careers in art from the professionals in their respective fields! The panel discussions and talks for the day were designed and presented by our fantastic host, artist and writer @meadhbhmcnutt Above we hear from @marymcgraw , @ciaranshoots and Elena from @justartitgalway speaking in depth about a “Inside Alternative Creative Careers” Videos captured by the fantastic @juliemcloughlin This event was kindly supported by @artsofficegalwaycity Organisations also involved: @engageartstudios @praxis_union @126gallery.studios @artspacestudios #outsetgallery #studentnetworkingevent #galwaycity #galway

• In Conversation • Missed our panel discussions for our Artist Career a Professional Development Day? No problem - we will be sharing some short video highlights over the next few days so you can gain more insight into learning more about careers in art from the professionals in their respective fields! The panel discussions and talks for the day were designed and presented by our fantastic host, artist and writer @meadhbhmcnutt Above we hear from @shane.odriscoll and @beggser , speaking in depth about a “Full-Time Artist’s Path” Videos captured by the fantastic @juliemcloughlin This event was kindly supported by @artsofficegalwaycity Organisations also involved: @engageartstudios @praxis_union @126gallery.studios @artspacestudios #outsetgallery #studentnetworkingevent #galwaycity #galway

• Thank You! • Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday the 4th April for our Artist Career and Professional Development Day taking place alongside the graduate exhibition Cornerstone. The day was a fantastic success; it was so exciting to see so many faces eager to learn more about careers in art from the professionals in their respective fields! Some highlights of the day captured by the fantastic @juliemcloughlin - keep an eye on the feed for video highlights of the panel discussions! We started the day with tea and coffee while meeting students, recent graduates, early-career artists, and representatives from organisations. The panel discussions and talks for the day were designed and presented by our fantastic host, artist and writer @meadhbhmcnutt We heard from @shane.odriscoll and @beggser , speaking in depth about a “Full-Time Artist’s Path”, h We learned what it’s like “Inside Alternative Creative Careers” - with @marymcgraw , @ciaranshoots and @justartitgalway And lastly, we learned what it’s like Inside Artist- Run Spaces with Jamie and Ciara from @126gallery.studios This event was kindly supported by @artsofficegalwaycity Organisations also involved: @engageartstudios @praxis_union @126gallery.studios @artspacestudios #outsetgallery #studentnetworkingevent #galwaycity galway