What’s on in Northern Ireland
Discover what’s on in Northern Ireland for visual arts with our definitive events guide: from Belfast’s cutting-edge gallery exhibitions at the MAC and Catalyst Arts to immersive printmaking workshops in Derry’s historic Guildhall Quarter, plus open-studio weekends across County Antrim and pop-up sculpture trails on the Ards Peninsula. Explore artist-led masterclasses in the Causeway Coast’s dramatic landscapes, behind-the-scenes curator talks at Tannaghmore Gardens in Lisburn, and family-friendly mural festivals in Newry. Our Northern Ireland visual-arts roundup brings you weekly updates on gallery openings, limited-edition craft fairs, collaborative installation projects, and exclusive preview nights—perfect for collectors, creatives, and culture lovers alike. Stay in the loop with insider exhibition tips, early-bird tickets to specialist workshops, and curated exhibition tours that showcase both emerging talents and renowned artists. Elevate your Ulster art experience today with our all-in-one “What’s On” resource.
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The Print Effect | Craig Jefferson at Seacourt Print Workshop
Craig Jefferson is a Scottish born artist now living in Bangor, Northern Ireland with his wife and three children. He began his creative career at Leith School of Art, Edinburgh, in 2002 and continued his studies at Edinburgh College of Art where he graduated with an Honours degree in Drawing and Painting.
Craig is currently represented by the Stafford Gallery in London and the Contemporary Six Gallery in Manchester. As a member of the New English Art Club, he exhibits annually at the Mall Galleries and with associated galleries across the UK. He has taken part in several Academy group shows in the UK and Ireland and had work included in prestigious prize exhibitions such as the Columbia Threadneedle Prize and the Lynn-Painter Stainers Prize. His work features in private collections in Europe and the United States.
Craig was one of our first Studio Members at Seacourt, where he has a space overlooking Central Avenue on the second floor. Since being here he has immersed himself in printmaking focusing on screen printing, mono print and tetra pak collographs.
This exhibition will be the first time Craig has shown prints alongside his paintings. The cross pollination of these processes has brought a freshness to the artist’s approach and application as he comments,
“Engagement in printmaking has had a huge effect on how I paint. It’s a whole new way of thinking. A new realm of ideas and possibilities has been opened to me.”
Come and see Craig’s work in person on the opening night of this show – Thursday 31st July 6-9pm. Exhibition continues until the 19th September.

Singing Threads: Songs and Stories of Ulster’s Mill Life | Eimear Magee at R-Space Gallery
Opening – Saturday 30 August 2025
With a music performance by the artist at 2.45pm
Open – Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-5pm
‘Singing Threads: Songs and Stories of Ulster’s Mill Life’ features textile artist and musician Eimear Magee. It presents a new iteration of her graduate collection, an innovative body of work that combines contemporary textile art, traditional music and storytelling to honour the resilience of mill workers, transforming their lived experiences into rich, emotive art. Through this work, the artist creates a “living archive” that not only revisits and revives tradition, but invites reflection on community strength and cultural continuity.
About the artist
Eimear Magee is an emerging textile artist and traditional musician whose practice is a fusion of tradition and innovation, drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of Irish traditional music, storytelling, and community engagement. A recent graduate of Ulster University’s Textile Art, Design, and Fashion programme, her work draws on the stories, songs, and rhythms of Ulster’s linen industry.
Exhibition supported by
‘Singing Threads’ is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (principal funder). The exhibition is part of the Linen Biennale, a festival celebrating linen, past, present and future, with initiatives across Northern Ireland by R-Space and other partner organisations. The Esmé Mitchell Trust supported R-Space’s work for this festival. https://www.linenbiennalenorthernireland.com

Staring at the Sun | Frits de Ridder at Belfast Exposed
23 Donegall Street, Belfast, Antrim, BT1 2FF
For the first time in over thirty years, the powerful and deeply personal work of Dutch photographer Frits de Ridder (1954–1994) will be showcased in an exhibition, opening on August 7, 2025, at Belfast Exposed. Frits de Ridder: Staring at the Sun presents an unflinching portrait of life, illness, and resistance during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This landmark exhibition, realised with the full support of de Ridder’s family and unprecedented access to his archive, marks the first public presentation of his photographic estate since his passing. Curated by José Neves, the exhibition draws from the extensive collection of De Ridder’s work held by the International Institute of Social History (IISH/IISG) in Amsterdam.
De Ridder’s work provides a powerful visual documentation of his experience living with HIV/AIDS, while also reflecting the broader struggle for dignity, visibility, and justice that characterised the experiences of those affected by the virus in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His photographs depict a period marked by stigma and fear, but also by resilience and political awakening. By opening his previously unseen archive to the public, the exhibition seeks to encourage reflection, activism, and collective remembrance. Moreover, it places de Ridder’s legacy in a current context, as the aim of eliminating new HIV transmissions by 2030 remains achievable but increasingly at risk.

Grenfell | Steve McQueen at The MAC Belfast
In December 2017, artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen (b. 1969, London, UK) made an artwork in response to the fire that took place earlier that year on 14 June at Grenfell Tower, North Kensington, West London. 72 people died in the tragedy. Filming the tower before it was covered with hoarding, McQueen sought to make a record.
Following the fire, a Government Inquiry ran from September 2017 until September 2024. The resulting recommendations are yet to be implemented, meaning a similar tragedy could happen again. There is an ongoing criminal investigation, with potential charges including corporate manslaughter. No trials are expected until 2027 at the earliest, over a decade since the fire.
Grenfell was first presented in 2023 at Serpentine in London’s Kensington Gardens, following a period of private viewings, prioritising bereaved families and survivors. Following its presentation at Serpentine the work was placed in the care of Tate and the London Museum’s collections.
Please note screenings of Grenfell will take place at set times. Doors open fifteen minutes before the screening time and the screening will commence promptly. This work is intended to be seen from the start, so unfortunately latecomers cannot be admitted. The film is 24 minutes long.
The film contains close-up imagery of the tower six months after the fire. Please let a member of our team know if you need space to pause, rest and reflect afterwards.
Filming or photography is not permitted in the gallery space. Please ensure your phone is on silent.
This national tour is being coordinated by Tate in collaboration with the partner venues and is made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and from Art Fund.

Recent Drawings and Paintings | Kim, Peter and Mary McCausland at Larne Museum & Arts Centre
2 Victoria Road, Larne, Antrim, BT40 1RN
Kim, Peter and Mary McCausland present recent paintings and drawings inspired by nature around home. Based in Larne on the North East coast of Northern Ireland, the family are interested in documenting home from personal photographs and observation. Through drawing and painting they portray three different gazes of things in common, including, people, place, pets, inanimate objects, flora and fauna.
Kim and Peter are married visual artists and arts educators. Both are alumni of Ulster University, Belfast School of Art. Their work, respectively, belongs in national public, and private collections. They have exhibited throughout Ireland and the UK. Mary is their child. This is her second group exhibition.
The exhibition will be on display from Thursday 4th until Friday 26th September 2025 and includes Saturday opening on 13th September. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

(Un)Bound | Group Exhibition at the Craft NI Gallery
Exhibition continues from the 7th of August to the 27th of September 2025
(Un)Bound, this year’s August Craft Month exhibition, invited contemporary craft makers to address the context of binding and/or unbinding, showing us that the creative process is not linear and not the same for everyone. A yearly highlight of the much-anticipated month-long celebration of craft which takes place across the island of Ireland in August, the exhibition celebrates and profiles excellence in the NI craft sector. The works on display include jewellery, glass, textile art, ceramics, wood and mixed media.
Exhibiting makers: Adele Pound, Alison Lowry, Anna Donovan, Anne Earls Boylan, Cameron & Breen, Celine Traynor, Duncan Legate, Eagle Banyte, Emma Bourke, Joanna Komorowska, Karena Ryan, Patricia Kelly, Patricia Millar, Rachel Leary, Ruth Osborne, Scott Benefield, Stuart Cairns, Sue Cathcart, Ursula McGivern, Zoe Gibson.

The Human Condition | Leah Davis at the Georgian Gallery at Ards Arts Centre
Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 4NP
A solo exhibition by Leah Davis
In The Human Condition, visual artist Leah Davis explores the intricate relationship between the human figure and its surrounding space through a dynamic interplay of painting and drawing. This exhibition reflects Davis’s evolving investigation into the complexities of the human experience, with works that examine how the body interacts with negative space to express emotional depth and shared vulnerability.
Featuring a range of scales and mixed media, the exhibition embraces both intimacy and expansiveness, inviting viewers into an immersive dialogue. Davis’s innovative approach challenges traditional boundaries, offering a bold and resonant reflection on what it means to be human.
This exhibition is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
ARTIST TALK
Thurs 4 Sept, 6.30pm, Free (pre-booking required)
As part of the exhibition, Leah will facilitate an artist’s talk.

Linen Landscapes | Zoë Gibson at the Sunburst Gallery at Ards Arts Centre
Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 4NP
A solo exhibition by Zoë Gibson, as part of the Linen Biennale 2025.
In response to the 2025 Linen Biennale theme ‘Regroup and React’, emerging Bangor based artist, Zoë Gibson, presents linen landscape embroideries focusing on the ecologies which we often take for granted.
Through craft and creativity, the landscapes are reimagined on a linen canvas to encourage the viewer to visually connect with the intricacies of the individual flax fibers, and explore a landscape which they may have only ventured on foot.
Challenging familiarity, this personal journey explores how landscapes sit within their wider context, hoping to provoke viewers to reconnect with these places within Ards and North Down, Ireland and Great Britain.
This exhibition is part of the Linen Biennale 2025 programme of events.
Exhibition Open Reception: Thurs 4 Sept, 7-9pm, £Free
Join us for this open reception and enjoy a glass of wine or soft drink as you view the artwork on display. Meet the artist, and chat about their work.
To register your attendance, please visit: https://andculture.org.uk/whats-on/linen-landscapes

Connecting Creativity | Makers Market at Garden of Reflection Gallery
16 Bishop Street, Derry, BT486PW
Through the Connecting Communities Project funded by IFI, we are delighted to present a group exhibition and sale of unique handmade art and crafts by Donegal artists/creatives and young people from the cross-border Connecting Youth Group. Please drop-in to meet the Makers & enjoy this exciting group exhibition!

Emerging Artists 2025 | Group Exhibition at ArtisAnn Gallery
70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, County Antrim, BT5 5AE
Future Stars of the Arts World to Exhibit at ArtisAnn Gallery in Belfast
Emerging Artists 2025
A group exhibition featuring recent graduates:
Esther Barfoot
Georgia Esler
Niamh McGowan
Stiofán Ó Maoileóin
Wednesday 3rd to Saturday 27th September
Late Night Opening Wed 3rd September 6 to 8pm
ArtisAnn is proud to present this exceptional group show featuring exciting artists from this year’s art college graduates.
Chosen due to their undoubted talent and their ability to show the world through different eyes, we are delighted to help them take the first steps in what can be an uncertain career.
Often fraught with difficulty in the best of times, the career of an artist is even more volatile in the current climate. Art is often considered a luxury and is one of the first things cast aside when times are tough. We, however, believe that a world without art is one not worth living in and so we will continue to promote and encourage young talent – indeed, all talent – where and when we can.
We hope that you too will join us in giving a helping hand to these new fledgling artists and, who knows, in years to come, you may have a valuable masterpiece that will fetch a fortune at auction! But even if it has no future monetary value, think of the years of pleasure you will derive from a unique, original artwork.
Dr Ann McVeigh, co-owner of ArtisAnn, says:
‘The ArtisAnn Gallery believes in offering encouragement to young and emerging artists and is confident that these are stars of the future. The artwork produced by these newcomers is remarkable both for its technical ability and breadth of new ideas. This is a very varied show, with two common linkages: all are recent graduates and all are of the highest quality, with every indication that they will be ‘names’ of the future.’
All Welcome and No Booking Necessary
Admission is free.
All artworks are available to buy.
You can also buy art from this exhibition through the Own Art scheme which gives you an interest-free loan over 10 months (and you still get to take the art home immediately the exhibition ends).

Lucian Freud's Etchings: A Creative Collaboration | At Titanic Belfast
Titanic Belfast has announced that in collaboration with the V&A it is set to host a free exhibition of the work of one of the foremost British artists of the 20th-century, Lucian Freud, from 2 May – 30 September 2025.
Belfast will be the first port of call of the Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration exhibition as part of a global tour. The world-leading visitor attraction is the only location on the island of Ireland that the artwork is being displayed.
Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration will feature highlights from a unique collection of etchings, many of which have never been previously exhibited. The trial proofs tell the story of Freud’s long collaboration with master printer, Marc Balakjian including one of his most contemplative and psychologically rich achievements in Donegal Man (2007). The sitter for Donegal Man was Pat Doherty, Chairman of Titanic Belfast, giving this exhibition a very special connection to the venue.
The pieces are on loan from the V&A, a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity. Its mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere. This is the first time the exhibition has ever been seen outside of London.
Judith Owens MBE, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast said: “It’s an honour to announce that Titanic Belfast will be the first venue to host Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration as part of a global tour. We are thrilled to display never seen before pieces from one of the world’s most renowned artists and bring yet another reason for people to visit Belfast. The exhibition is particularly special for Titanic Belfast given its links to our Chairman Pat Doherty and will be free for people to view, and we are delighted to enhance our visitor experience over the busy summer period.”
Gill Saunders, Curator of the V&A’s Lucian Freud’s Etchings exhibition said: “Made over a period of 25 years, Lucian Freud’s extraordinary etchings demonstrate his developing mastery of this challenging medium. Shown together for the first time, this unique collection of trial proofs offers fascinating insights into Freud’s working process, and shows us how his achievements in print depended on his close collaboration with the master printer Marc Balakjian.”
This exhibition has been sponsored by Loftlines, Northern Ireland’s first build-to-rent development located in Titanic Quarter, following a £150m investment by Legal & General.
Adam Burney, Senior Fund Manager, Asset Management at L&G said: “Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration celebrates artistry, collaboration and culture — values that sit at the heart of Loftlines and L&G’s vision for a vibrant new community.
“We’re proud to support this world-class exhibition alongside our closest neighbour, Titanic Belfast, and to celebrate the city’s growing cultural momentum whilst marking the beginning of the Loftlines journey which will redefine city centre living here in Belfast.”
Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration will be open to the public daily from 2nd May – 30th September. The free exhibition is located within the Andrews Gallery on Level 2 of Titanic Belfast.
On-going

Lucian Freud's Etchings: A Creative Collaboration | At Titanic Belfast
Titanic Belfast has announced that in collaboration with the V&A it is set to host a free exhibition of the work of one of the foremost British artists of the 20th-century, Lucian Freud, from 2 May – 30 September 2025.
Belfast will be the first port of call of the Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration exhibition as part of a global tour. The world-leading visitor attraction is the only location on the island of Ireland that the artwork is being displayed.
Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration will feature highlights from a unique collection of etchings, many of which have never been previously exhibited. The trial proofs tell the story of Freud’s long collaboration with master printer, Marc Balakjian including one of his most contemplative and psychologically rich achievements in Donegal Man (2007). The sitter for Donegal Man was Pat Doherty, Chairman of Titanic Belfast, giving this exhibition a very special connection to the venue.
The pieces are on loan from the V&A, a family of museums dedicated to the power of creativity. Its mission is to champion design and creativity in all its forms, advance cultural knowledge, and inspire makers, creators and innovators everywhere. This is the first time the exhibition has ever been seen outside of London.
Judith Owens MBE, Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast said: “It’s an honour to announce that Titanic Belfast will be the first venue to host Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration as part of a global tour. We are thrilled to display never seen before pieces from one of the world’s most renowned artists and bring yet another reason for people to visit Belfast. The exhibition is particularly special for Titanic Belfast given its links to our Chairman Pat Doherty and will be free for people to view, and we are delighted to enhance our visitor experience over the busy summer period.”
Gill Saunders, Curator of the V&A’s Lucian Freud’s Etchings exhibition said: “Made over a period of 25 years, Lucian Freud’s extraordinary etchings demonstrate his developing mastery of this challenging medium. Shown together for the first time, this unique collection of trial proofs offers fascinating insights into Freud’s working process, and shows us how his achievements in print depended on his close collaboration with the master printer Marc Balakjian.”
This exhibition has been sponsored by Loftlines, Northern Ireland’s first build-to-rent development located in Titanic Quarter, following a £150m investment by Legal & General.
Adam Burney, Senior Fund Manager, Asset Management at L&G said: “Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration celebrates artistry, collaboration and culture — values that sit at the heart of Loftlines and L&G’s vision for a vibrant new community.
“We’re proud to support this world-class exhibition alongside our closest neighbour, Titanic Belfast, and to celebrate the city’s growing cultural momentum whilst marking the beginning of the Loftlines journey which will redefine city centre living here in Belfast.”
Lucian Freud’s Etchings: A Creative Collaboration will be open to the public daily from 2nd May – 30th September. The free exhibition is located within the Andrews Gallery on Level 2 of Titanic Belfast.

Grenfell | Steve McQueen at The MAC Belfast
In December 2017, artist and filmmaker Steve McQueen (b. 1969, London, UK) made an artwork in response to the fire that took place earlier that year on 14 June at Grenfell Tower, North Kensington, West London. 72 people died in the tragedy. Filming the tower before it was covered with hoarding, McQueen sought to make a record.
Following the fire, a Government Inquiry ran from September 2017 until September 2024. The resulting recommendations are yet to be implemented, meaning a similar tragedy could happen again. There is an ongoing criminal investigation, with potential charges including corporate manslaughter. No trials are expected until 2027 at the earliest, over a decade since the fire.
Grenfell was first presented in 2023 at Serpentine in London’s Kensington Gardens, following a period of private viewings, prioritising bereaved families and survivors. Following its presentation at Serpentine the work was placed in the care of Tate and the London Museum’s collections.
Please note screenings of Grenfell will take place at set times. Doors open fifteen minutes before the screening time and the screening will commence promptly. This work is intended to be seen from the start, so unfortunately latecomers cannot be admitted. The film is 24 minutes long.
The film contains close-up imagery of the tower six months after the fire. Please let a member of our team know if you need space to pause, rest and reflect afterwards.
Filming or photography is not permitted in the gallery space. Please ensure your phone is on silent.
This national tour is being coordinated by Tate in collaboration with the partner venues and is made possible thanks to public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England and from Art Fund.

The Print Effect | Craig Jefferson at Seacourt Print Workshop
Craig Jefferson is a Scottish born artist now living in Bangor, Northern Ireland with his wife and three children. He began his creative career at Leith School of Art, Edinburgh, in 2002 and continued his studies at Edinburgh College of Art where he graduated with an Honours degree in Drawing and Painting.
Craig is currently represented by the Stafford Gallery in London and the Contemporary Six Gallery in Manchester. As a member of the New English Art Club, he exhibits annually at the Mall Galleries and with associated galleries across the UK. He has taken part in several Academy group shows in the UK and Ireland and had work included in prestigious prize exhibitions such as the Columbia Threadneedle Prize and the Lynn-Painter Stainers Prize. His work features in private collections in Europe and the United States.
Craig was one of our first Studio Members at Seacourt, where he has a space overlooking Central Avenue on the second floor. Since being here he has immersed himself in printmaking focusing on screen printing, mono print and tetra pak collographs.
This exhibition will be the first time Craig has shown prints alongside his paintings. The cross pollination of these processes has brought a freshness to the artist’s approach and application as he comments,
“Engagement in printmaking has had a huge effect on how I paint. It’s a whole new way of thinking. A new realm of ideas and possibilities has been opened to me.”
Come and see Craig’s work in person on the opening night of this show – Thursday 31st July 6-9pm. Exhibition continues until the 19th September.

Staring at the Sun | Frits de Ridder at Belfast Exposed
23 Donegall Street, Belfast, Antrim, BT1 2FF
For the first time in over thirty years, the powerful and deeply personal work of Dutch photographer Frits de Ridder (1954–1994) will be showcased in an exhibition, opening on August 7, 2025, at Belfast Exposed. Frits de Ridder: Staring at the Sun presents an unflinching portrait of life, illness, and resistance during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
This landmark exhibition, realised with the full support of de Ridder’s family and unprecedented access to his archive, marks the first public presentation of his photographic estate since his passing. Curated by José Neves, the exhibition draws from the extensive collection of De Ridder’s work held by the International Institute of Social History (IISH/IISG) in Amsterdam.
De Ridder’s work provides a powerful visual documentation of his experience living with HIV/AIDS, while also reflecting the broader struggle for dignity, visibility, and justice that characterised the experiences of those affected by the virus in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His photographs depict a period marked by stigma and fear, but also by resilience and political awakening. By opening his previously unseen archive to the public, the exhibition seeks to encourage reflection, activism, and collective remembrance. Moreover, it places de Ridder’s legacy in a current context, as the aim of eliminating new HIV transmissions by 2030 remains achievable but increasingly at risk.

The Memories of Others | Akihiko Okamura at the Ulster Museum
Stranmillis Road, Botanic Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5AB
Exhibition continues from the 13th of June to the 4th of January 2026
An exhibition of rarely seen artworks by internationally important Japanese war photographer Akihiko Okamura, documenting his relationship with Ireland during the Troubles.
From the late 1960s to the early 1980s, Japanese war photographer Akihiko Okamura (1929-1985) created a powerful and largely unseen collection of photographs in Ireland, both north and south.
After covering the Vietnam War, Akihiko Okamura visited Ireland in 1968 drawn by the connection to John F. Kennedy’s family roots. A year later, he moved to Ireland with his own family and stayed until his sudden passing in 1985. During that time, he captured everyday life with his family and the conflict in Northern Ireland, known as the Troubles.
Okamura’s photographs have rarely been seen before, and show a unique artistic view of Ireland at this time. What makes his work stand out is that he chose to make Ireland his home. Among all the international photographers working at that time, Okamura stood out for his commitment to the history of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Since he became so closely connected to what he was photographing, Okamura created innovative images in both his own style and how the Troubles were shown through photography. His profound, personal relationship with Ireland allowed him to develop a new method of documenting conflict: poetic and ethereal moments of peace in a time of war.
Akihiko Okamura: The Memories of Others is now open in Art Gallery 4, Ulster Museum. No booking needed.
The Memories of Others is a Photo Museum Ireland touring exhibition. Curated by Pauline Vermare, Seán O’Hagan, Masako Toda, Brendan Maher and Trish Lambe, with the support of the Estate of Akihiko Okamura, it premiered at Photo Museum Ireland in 2024. It opened in Belfast during Belfast Photo Festival.
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Singing Threads: Songs and Stories of Ulster’s Mill Life | Eimear Magee at R-Space Gallery
Opening – Saturday 30 August 2025
With a music performance by the artist at 2.45pm
Open – Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-5pm
‘Singing Threads: Songs and Stories of Ulster’s Mill Life’ features textile artist and musician Eimear Magee. It presents a new iteration of her graduate collection, an innovative body of work that combines contemporary textile art, traditional music and storytelling to honour the resilience of mill workers, transforming their lived experiences into rich, emotive art. Through this work, the artist creates a “living archive” that not only revisits and revives tradition, but invites reflection on community strength and cultural continuity.
About the artist
Eimear Magee is an emerging textile artist and traditional musician whose practice is a fusion of tradition and innovation, drawing inspiration from the rich tapestry of Irish traditional music, storytelling, and community engagement. A recent graduate of Ulster University’s Textile Art, Design, and Fashion programme, her work draws on the stories, songs, and rhythms of Ulster’s linen industry.
Exhibition supported by
‘Singing Threads’ is supported by the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland (principal funder). The exhibition is part of the Linen Biennale, a festival celebrating linen, past, present and future, with initiatives across Northern Ireland by R-Space and other partner organisations. The Esmé Mitchell Trust supported R-Space’s work for this festival. https://www.linenbiennalenorthernireland.com

Emerging Artists 2025 | Group Exhibition at ArtisAnn Gallery
70 Bloomfield Avenue, Belfast, County Antrim, BT5 5AE
Future Stars of the Arts World to Exhibit at ArtisAnn Gallery in Belfast
Emerging Artists 2025
A group exhibition featuring recent graduates:
Esther Barfoot
Georgia Esler
Niamh McGowan
Stiofán Ó Maoileóin
Wednesday 3rd to Saturday 27th September
Late Night Opening Wed 3rd September 6 to 8pm
ArtisAnn is proud to present this exceptional group show featuring exciting artists from this year’s art college graduates.
Chosen due to their undoubted talent and their ability to show the world through different eyes, we are delighted to help them take the first steps in what can be an uncertain career.
Often fraught with difficulty in the best of times, the career of an artist is even more volatile in the current climate. Art is often considered a luxury and is one of the first things cast aside when times are tough. We, however, believe that a world without art is one not worth living in and so we will continue to promote and encourage young talent – indeed, all talent – where and when we can.
We hope that you too will join us in giving a helping hand to these new fledgling artists and, who knows, in years to come, you may have a valuable masterpiece that will fetch a fortune at auction! But even if it has no future monetary value, think of the years of pleasure you will derive from a unique, original artwork.
Dr Ann McVeigh, co-owner of ArtisAnn, says:
‘The ArtisAnn Gallery believes in offering encouragement to young and emerging artists and is confident that these are stars of the future. The artwork produced by these newcomers is remarkable both for its technical ability and breadth of new ideas. This is a very varied show, with two common linkages: all are recent graduates and all are of the highest quality, with every indication that they will be ‘names’ of the future.’
All Welcome and No Booking Necessary
Admission is free.
All artworks are available to buy.
You can also buy art from this exhibition through the Own Art scheme which gives you an interest-free loan over 10 months (and you still get to take the art home immediately the exhibition ends).

Linen Landscapes | Zoë Gibson at the Sunburst Gallery at Ards Arts Centre
Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 4NP
A solo exhibition by Zoë Gibson, as part of the Linen Biennale 2025.
In response to the 2025 Linen Biennale theme ‘Regroup and React’, emerging Bangor based artist, Zoë Gibson, presents linen landscape embroideries focusing on the ecologies which we often take for granted.
Through craft and creativity, the landscapes are reimagined on a linen canvas to encourage the viewer to visually connect with the intricacies of the individual flax fibers, and explore a landscape which they may have only ventured on foot.
Challenging familiarity, this personal journey explores how landscapes sit within their wider context, hoping to provoke viewers to reconnect with these places within Ards and North Down, Ireland and Great Britain.
This exhibition is part of the Linen Biennale 2025 programme of events.
Exhibition Open Reception: Thurs 4 Sept, 7-9pm, £Free
Join us for this open reception and enjoy a glass of wine or soft drink as you view the artwork on display. Meet the artist, and chat about their work.
To register your attendance, please visit: https://andculture.org.uk/whats-on/linen-landscapes

The Human Condition | Leah Davis at the Georgian Gallery at Ards Arts Centre
Ards Arts Centre, Newtownards, Co. Down, BT23 4NP
A solo exhibition by Leah Davis
In The Human Condition, visual artist Leah Davis explores the intricate relationship between the human figure and its surrounding space through a dynamic interplay of painting and drawing. This exhibition reflects Davis’s evolving investigation into the complexities of the human experience, with works that examine how the body interacts with negative space to express emotional depth and shared vulnerability.
Featuring a range of scales and mixed media, the exhibition embraces both intimacy and expansiveness, inviting viewers into an immersive dialogue. Davis’s innovative approach challenges traditional boundaries, offering a bold and resonant reflection on what it means to be human.
This exhibition is supported by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.
ARTIST TALK
Thurs 4 Sept, 6.30pm, Free (pre-booking required)
As part of the exhibition, Leah will facilitate an artist’s talk.

Recent Drawings and Paintings | Kim, Peter and Mary McCausland at Larne Museum & Arts Centre
2 Victoria Road, Larne, Antrim, BT40 1RN
Kim, Peter and Mary McCausland present recent paintings and drawings inspired by nature around home. Based in Larne on the North East coast of Northern Ireland, the family are interested in documenting home from personal photographs and observation. Through drawing and painting they portray three different gazes of things in common, including, people, place, pets, inanimate objects, flora and fauna.
Kim and Peter are married visual artists and arts educators. Both are alumni of Ulster University, Belfast School of Art. Their work, respectively, belongs in national public, and private collections. They have exhibited throughout Ireland and the UK. Mary is their child. This is her second group exhibition.
The exhibition will be on display from Thursday 4th until Friday 26th September 2025 and includes Saturday opening on 13th September. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10.00am – 4.00pm.

Glimpses | Jennifer Alexander at Threshold Gallery Belfast
Exhibition continues from the 4th of September to the 31st of October 2025
In her exhibition, open for Late Night Art Belfast this Thursday 4 September, Alexander interprets Aristotle’s imagining the cosmos as 56 celestial spheres by creating a series of acrylic sketches on linen. Each fragment invites a shift in perspective, exploring in-between spaces, identity beyond the body, and our place in the universe – a constellation of moments that ask who we are, and how we find meaning.
Jennifer Alexander is a visual artist and curator from Scotland, currently based in Northern Ireland. Her practice investigates the interplay between perception and stratification.

Radical Hope | Group Exhibition at the Golden Thread Gallery
Golden Thread Gallery is proud to present Radical Hope, a new exhibition developed in collaboration with Arsenal Gallery in Białystok, Poland. Curated from Collection II, one of Poland’s most significant collections of contemporary art, the exhibition offers a timely reflection on uncertainty, resilience, and the transformative potential of art.
Collection II, held by the Arsenal Gallery and shaped under the direction of Monika Szewczyk, traces the evolving landscape of contemporary art in Poland and Eastern Europe over the past three decades. Developed as an ‘open corpus,’ the collection is a living archive: dynamic, growing, and responsive to the shifting narratives of our time.
This exhibition is part of the UK/Poland Season 2025 organised by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, British Council and Polish Cultural Institute in London, and supported by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Poland.

TEND/ER | Lorna Watkins at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre
24 Main Street, Limavady, Londonderry, BT49 0FJ
Exhibition Launch: Saturday 13th September at 12 noon
Based in Sligo, Lorna Watkins is a multi-disciplinary visual artist. She studied Printed Textile Design in NCAD and is a recipient of a Ballinglen Fellowship. Her exhibition Tend/er features painting, printmaking and sculpture exploring ideas around the home, overlooked everyday objects, motherhood and ageing. She often references the body, as life drawing has been a constant in her practice over the past decade.
In 2024 Watkins was selected for the John Richardson French Residency Award and in 2020, JOYA AiR, Spain. She is a recipient of the Arts Council Agility Award; ADI Training Award and Thomas Damann Travel Bursary and her works are part of several public and private collections including the Ulster Hospital and Ballinglen Arts Foundation.

(Un)Bound | Group Exhibition at the Craft NI Gallery
Exhibition continues from the 7th of August to the 27th of September 2025
(Un)Bound, this year’s August Craft Month exhibition, invited contemporary craft makers to address the context of binding and/or unbinding, showing us that the creative process is not linear and not the same for everyone. A yearly highlight of the much-anticipated month-long celebration of craft which takes place across the island of Ireland in August, the exhibition celebrates and profiles excellence in the NI craft sector. The works on display include jewellery, glass, textile art, ceramics, wood and mixed media.
Exhibiting makers: Adele Pound, Alison Lowry, Anna Donovan, Anne Earls Boylan, Cameron & Breen, Celine Traynor, Duncan Legate, Eagle Banyte, Emma Bourke, Joanna Komorowska, Karena Ryan, Patricia Kelly, Patricia Millar, Rachel Leary, Ruth Osborne, Scott Benefield, Stuart Cairns, Sue Cathcart, Ursula McGivern, Zoe Gibson.

Connecting Creativity | Makers Market at Garden of Reflection Gallery
16 Bishop Street, Derry, BT486PW
Through the Connecting Communities Project funded by IFI, we are delighted to present a group exhibition and sale of unique handmade art and crafts by Donegal artists/creatives and young people from the cross-border Connecting Youth Group. Please drop-in to meet the Makers & enjoy this exciting group exhibition!