I wanted to let you all know I am the current resident at the Burren College of Art in Ireland. I am here through April with plans to attend another resident afterwards in France or Berlin. The Burren is a magical place from what what I have seen so far. The landscape is wild, ruff and strikingly beautiful even in its current wet season.

“The Burren derives its name from the Gaelic “bhoireann” which means “a stony place”. The stone in question is mainly carboniferous “karst” limestone. Hundreds of thousands of years old, it defines the unique landscape surrounding the College – in strange, yet beautiful, bare and fissured terraces than many compare to a moon landscape, which hide a myriad of caves beneath.

Though bare at first glance, the stony outward face of the Burren is far from barren. Within the many crevices and cracks, which punctuate its craggy pavement hills, grow some of the world’s rarest flowers. This remarkable terrain is also home to a rich variety of fauna. Its equally lively bird and marine life is interesting too for the sheer diversity and quantity of species.” – Excerpt fromThe Burren college website

The studio spaces are an open construction that you share with other artists, students and graduates. The community of artist are open and engaging. The collage is situated next to the little town of Ballyvauhan, a fishing village on the coast. The villagers have embraced the school and visiting artists with open arms.

I would be more then happy to share more of my experiences on my return to the states in June. If anyone is interested, more information on the residency can be found on there website.

http://www.burrencollege.ie/programmes/residency

Cheers!

Katie