Tag: Celtic art

Exhibitions

Winter Member Show

Sheila

Marblehead Arts Association is pleased to announce its Winter Member Exhibit to be held from 11/8 to 12/21/25 at their lovely Hooper Mansion, 8 Hooper Street, Marblehead, MA. Work in many mediums, styles, and subjects will be on display. Hours are Wednesdays to Sundays, 12 noon to 5pm.

My painting in the show is titled Mother Earth. It is done in acrylic paint on a gallery-wrapped canvas, 24″x30″, $400. This painting represents the interconnectedness of everything and everyone in the world and is inspired by Celtic art. The spirals of the ocean echo a Celtic theme and represent the blending of all things on Earth. The trees which were considered sacred show the passing of time, and the metallic background and bright colors use the colors usually used by the Celts.

The Irish Gaelic title is: Máthair Gach Duine which loosely translates to Mother of All. To be able to give my painting an Irish title is special to me because when my father Michael Joseph Farren lived in Northern Ireland as a boy, it was illegal for him, or anyone to speak their native tongue. In fact, he witnessed his classroom being smashed and his teacher being dragged off to jail for daring to present their own language to his class. I was humbly grateful when this painting won Outstanding Work in the International Exhibit of 2024 Marblehead Festival of Arts.

When you come by to view the exhibit, do not forget to stop in to our lovely Artisan Shop on the first floor of the building. It is chock full of exquisite, one-of-a-kind, hand crafted goodies for everyone on your Holiday Shopping List. And don’t forget to treat yourself!

Uncategorized

PEM Inspirational Show

Sheila

Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools – 19th Annual PEM Inspirational Exhibition 

Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools

Inspired by PEM – Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools:  Our 19th Annual PEM Inspirational Exhibition invited artists to take inspiration from the PEM exhibition “ Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools, on view at the Peabody Essex Museum through May 4, 2025. 

I am thrilled that my new Celtic style drawing, Saint Brigid’s Cross (ink & pencil on vellum, 20″ x 25″ matted & framed) has been juried into the show. Saint Brigid is the female patron saint of Ireland; all the animals, flowers, and symbols on the drawing are connected to St. Brigid. I sat for many days painstakingly fashioning the knots and Celtic-style animals into an interwoven design in ink, and then I colored them in the jewel tones used by Celtic monks in their stone towers back in ancient times.

From PEM: “Flemish painters from the 15th to 17th centuries created extraordinary works of art amid a period of political turmoil and unprecedented prosperity,” said Karina H. Corrigan, PEM’s Associate Director–Collections and the H. A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art, who serves as the coordinating curator of the exhibition at PEM. “Saints, Sinners, Lovers, and Fools will transport visitors to this remarkable time in history and consider the many ways Flemish art and culture has shaped the world we live in today.”

This exhibition is generously sponsored by the Peabody Essex Museum.

Important Dates:

  • Reception: Friday, April 4, 2025, 6:00-8:00 PM
  • Exhibition Dates: April 5 – May 17, 2025
  • Open Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Salem Arts Association Galleries, 159 Derby Street, Salem MA 01970

Contact gallery@salemarts.org with questions.

We are honored to announce our esteemed Guest Juror for this exhibition:

Karina Corrigan: Associate Director–Collections and The H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art at the Peabody Essex Museum

Guest Juror: Karina CorriganKarina Corrigan’s interests center on the material culture of global connections. She serves as PEM’s Associate Director–Collections and The H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art. In her curatorial practice she oversees the largest, most comprehensive public collection of art made in China, Japan and South Asia for export to other cultures. In her role as Associate Director–Collections, Corrigan explores new ways to celebrate the museum’s rich and storied collection by spearheading new research; enhancing access through increased documentation, digitization and display; and providing guidance for acquisitions.Corrigan lectures and publishes on many aspects of Asian Export art and has organized numerous exhibitions at PEM, including Power and Perspective: Early Photography in China; Japanomania! Japanese Art Goes Global; Asia in Amsterdam: The Culture of Luxury in the Golden Age, co-organized with the Rijksmuseum; Golden: Dutch and Flemish Masterworks from the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection; and Taj Mahal, the Building of a Legend. She served as the coordinating curator at PEM for Saints, Sinners, Lovers and Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks in 2024.
Exhibitions

Becoming Exhibit

Sheila

From the opening reception August 4 until September 9, the Salem Arts Association will feature an exhibit that features artwork inspired by artists’ transformative journeys and acts of becoming.

My drawing juried into the show is titled Celtic Peacocks, pen and colored pencil, 14″ x 18″ matted and framed. It is done in the style of the Book of Kells, and consists of intricate, meticulous knots and bright colors reminiscent of the work done by ancient Irish monks in their stone towers.

The exhibit is open to artists from the community as well as members of the Salem Arts Association. The reception will be held on Friday, August 4 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Salem Arts Association Gallery right beside historic Pickering Wharf on 159 Derby Street, Salem, MA. #SalemArts The reception will include live music by Brian Cogger performing his original compositions, refreshments, and is free and open to the public.

Regular gallery hours are noon until 6:00 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday. And when you are visiting our gallery exhibits, do not forget to check out the Gallery Shop on the first floor. It is full of original work by members: jewelry, paintings, clothing, fiber art, ceramics, glass, prints, and more — perfect for gifts, or treat yourself!