Feathered Friends: Discovering Native Birds Through Art

Designed for ages 8 – 12 years of age, join us for a workshop by artist Róisín Doherty exploring our native Irish birds, their habitat and why they are so important to us. The workshop will explore our native Irish birds, their habitat and why they are so important to us. It will focus on learning new drawing skills, no equipment is needed!

About the artist

Róisín Doherty is a visual artist based in Galway, originally from Cruit Island in Northwest Donegal. She holds an honours degree in Contemporary Art from ATU Galway, which she graduated from in 2019. She has widely exhibited both nationally and internationally, being the only Irish Artist selected during COP26 to showcase her work in Transmission Gallery Glasgow. She is a recipient of the Youth Arts Explorer grant from the National Youth council of Ireland in 2023, working with young people to combine local environmental knowledge with art and therapy.

Róisín has a multidisciplinary approach to her practice combining drawing, painting, sound and photography along with found objects in her installations. Beach combing, sound recording and walking are essential to her work. She seeks to bring traditional drawing methods out of the norm by incorporating 3D found objects with the pieces. She is interested in the connection and disconnection between people and nature. Particularly in current times in contrast with Island and rural life before the 1970’s. Several factors contributed to this vast change, such as lack of government investment, emigration, end of traditional farming and fishing methods. Through her work she is delving into the loss of natural life that coincides with the end of traditional Island living. She immerses herself into the machair habitat on the Island, home to many species that are merely hanging on by thread. One significant species is the Curlew (Crotach), which is on the red list that was once abundant throughout Ireland, their haunting call may one day fall silent. Róisín ’s intricate and detailed work reflects the deep connection our ancestors once had with the natural environment.