You can prepare for a visit to the gallery with this "Know Before You Go Guide" written in Plain English. It offers information about the gallery and what to expect when you visit.
Click here to download the guide (PDF 1.7mb).
If you have a question about access, please email:
emmaklemencic@crawfordartgallery.ie
or call + 353 (0) 21 4907862
Bain triail as ár Gníomhaíochtaí as Gaeilge!
Is cuma más cainteoir líofa thú, nó b’fhéidir go bhfuil deis uait do chuid scileanna a chleachtadh agus a fheabhsú. Tá go leor gníomhaíochtaí as Gaeilge ar fáil go forleathan ar na suíomhanna gréasáin ‘Learn & Explore’.
Try out our activities ‘as Gaeilge’!
Whether you are a fluent Irish speaker or want to practice your skills, there are activities ‘as Gaeilge’ available on the Learn & Explore section of our website!
Íoslódáil bileog dathúcháin agus téigh sa tóir ar do phinn luaidhe, criáin agus greamáin!
Click here to download the Colour our Collection descriptions in Irish.
You can prepare for a visit to the gallery with this social story. It offers information on what to expect when you visit.
Click here to download Crawford Art Gallery Social Story.
If you have a question about access,
please email emmaklemencic@crawfordartgallery.ie
During Space Week we found the 9th planet in the Solar System with artist Seiko Hayase.
Check out the virtual Space Gallery here to see all of the planets we found:
Talking Pictures is an online resource for children and their adults based on artwork from the Crawford Art Gallery Collection. We share creative prompts for happy talking, playing, making and moving every Wednesday!
Unfortunately, at the moment all of our classes are subscribed to maximum capacity. If any places in the classes become available, they will be advertised on our mailing list and allocated on a first come first serve basis.
Fully Booked
We run Saturday art classes for children aged 8 - 12 years.
Classes aim to build confidence, exploring techniques and materials through drawing, colour and making.
The fee is €100 for 10 classes, which includes all art materials.
The time slots are:
10am - 11.30am
11.15am - 12.45pm
Fully Booked
We run Thursday evening Classes for senior cycle students.
6pm – 7:30pm
Draw inspiration from art in the gallery - study art works up close - create your own responses - develop your ideas using drawing, print and paint.
Fee is €75 for 10 workshops, all art materials supplied.
We have been following our noses into art with young people and Cork Migrant Centre.
We meet on Zoom on Saturdays to chat, draw, make things, talk about our week and have silly fun. Crawford Art Gallery sends an art pack to each child, and Artist Julie Forrester comes to each zoom session with a suggested creative idea or technique. Then, we follow our nose!
Our video diary is made from zoom screenshots from our time together, it features young creators Evrald ,James, Kego, Ephraim, Elliel, Israel, Ariel, Noemi, Abigail, Erza, Lalia, Adham, Natasha, Yvonne, Zainab, Martin, Griffin, Ula, Uka, Olisa, Rex, Wayne, Alejandra, Jemima, Lea, John and Michael supported by Artist Julie Forrester, Youth worker Fionnuala O’Connell at Cork Migrant Centre and Crawford Art Gallery.
You can find out more about Cork Migrant Centre here:
https://corkmigrantcentre.ie
Watch a movie-reel of start-stop animations created by…
Claire Emer Amy Theo Amelia Alice Ella
Jake Norah Anna Albi Fiachra Rory
with Artist-facilitator Julie Forrester, assisted by Emma Price.
PHANTOMS & PHANTASIES: Harry Clarke Watercolours
10 December 2021 – 14 February 2022
Crawford Art Gallery’s annual exhibition of Harry Clarke’s watercolours and ink drawings has returned!
Harry Clarke was an artist who put a lot of details and patterns into his Art. You can see this in the PHANTOMS & PHANTASIES exhibition on the top floor of the gallery.
Why not visit this exhibition and get some inspiration from Clarke’s colours and designs that you can recreate at home?
Try it out yourself here
For the Irish version click here
We would love to hear your stories and artworks inspired by PHANTOMS & PHANTASIES! Share them with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using the #crawfordartgalleryhomelife.
You can discover all sorts of animals in art with our brand-new exhibition called Menagerie: Animals by Artists. The word menagerie means a collection of wild animals that have been captured so that people can see them in an exhibition.
To celebrate this exhibition, together with artist Annie Forrester and 5th class Blarney Street Boys National School, we have co-created an animal art poster, a super colouring page, and some wild animal gifs.
You can go wild with our colouring sheet. Click on the image below to download it.
Discover drawings of animals by 5th class Blarney Street CBS in the slideshow below.
Gifs are tiny animations, click on the play button below to see drawings in motion!
Follow your Nose features step-by-step drawing guides + videos made
with young people. You can explore how to draw an anime boy and cute food kawaii donuts. Just follow your nose with our step-by-step videos!
Draw some cute food with our step-by-step video
See our step-by-step video and picture guide here.
We have been following our noses with Yvonne, David, Peter, Uka, Olisa, Zainab, Eliah, Kevin, Israel and Eliah. Getting to know each other, learning how to draw and express our interests. You can see us in action in this video.
Follow your Nose [into drawing] was made collaboratively with young co-creators in direct provision, Fionnuala O’Connell Youth Worker in Cork Migrant Centre, artists Julie Forrester and Annie Mar.
Homelife: Sundays with the Crawford Art Gallery
Creative activities with downloadable step-by-step guides and video
The Crawford Art Gallery Learn & Explore team are very happy to present our first Activity Book!
You can purchase it directly here.
You can download an Irish language pdf version of the book here.
Grab a pencil and some paper and discover fun facts, consider different perspectives and explore your creativity with this Crawford Art Gallery Activity Book.
This Activity Book was created by a range of artists and educators to bring Crawford Art Gallery to you. Whether you or your family have visited us before or are just discovering art and art history for the first time, we invite you to dive into these fun and absorbing activities based on our collection.
Contributors: Gillian Cussen, Annie Forrester, Julie Forrester, Mary Galvin, Hazel Hurley, Julie Kelleher, Lynda Loughnane, Avril O’Brien, Hazel Scully, Inge Van Doorslaer.
The Activity Book will be for sale soon in the Gallery Bookshop on the Ground Floor (€5.00) or online (€5.00 plus postage and packing). Keep an eye on our social media channels, website and monthly email newsletter for updates on when you can get your hands on a copy!
If you work with or are part of a group, community or organisation that you feel would benefit from some free copies of the Activity Book, please get in touch with us at Crawford Art Gallery Learn & Explore to discuss your requirements:
You can purchase the book from here.
Anne Boddaert anneboddaert@crawfordartgallery.ie
Emma Klemencic emmaklemencic@crawfordartgallery.ie
The game currently works on desktop only.
Time yourself and challenge your friends and family with these virtual jigsaws from Crawford Art Gallery collection. The jigsaws below are only 12 pieces.
Click here to download the Colour our Collection descriptions in Irish.
Jump to your favourite image and download the PDF file to colour:
Mary Swanzy’s painting of a Samoan Scene is bursting with life and colour and we’re challenging you to make this scene your own! Did you know: in 1924, Swanzy sailed 2,600 miles from Hawaii to the island of Samoa, where she painted many scenes of the people she encountered there? What an extraordinary adventure! What are the people in this scene doing? Can you find out anything more about Samoa and the people who live there today? As you colour, perhaps you can imagine that you are travelling to an island in the middle of vast ocean: what would you take with you?
You can view the original artwork here
Hold onto your hats! In this artwork, it looks like a big gust of wind has come and jumbled everything! It was made by the nineteenth-century Cork artist Stephen O’Driscoll who worked in Pembroke Street in Cork City. This is an example of a silhouette: an image of something or someone represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, and placed against a lighter background. Can you think up some names and a story to go along with this scene once you’ve finished colouring it in?
You can view the original artwork here
In this painting we can see some friendly cows who have come to say hello to a couple who are taking a shady break from the summer sun. What else can you see in this image? What colours will you use to bring your fields to life? You could give the characters here names and think about what the cows and people could be saying to each other!
You can view the original artwork here
Walter Osborne was an Irish artist who painted many scenes of children, animals, and everyday life. His father, William Osborne, was a painter of animals, too! This painting features two young girls inspecting a bowl of goldfish! How many fish can you spot? Can you give these fish a name? As we know, goldfish are typically bright orange, but why not experiment and make up your own one-of-a-kind fish with spots or stripes or zig-zags? What kind of food does the fish in your picture eat?
You can view the original artwork here
This painting is a portrait of a man named John Rowland Smith. What do you think of his outfit? Can you count how many buttons he has? In the original painting, his military uniform is coloured in red and white with gold details, but you can dream up your own colour scheme! Which colours will you choose? And where do you think Smyth is in this portrait? Can you add some friends, flowers, or animals to keep him company?
You can view the original artwork here
Frank Bramley was an English artist who lived in Venice, Cornwall and the Lake District. This painting depicts an indoor scene of board-game-playing between two young women. Although it was painted more than 130 years ago, many of us still like to play these kinds of games with our friends and families, especially on rainy days! Board games can be lots of fun but they can also lead to tensions sometimes…who do you think will win this game?
You can view the original artwork here
Can you find the former Customs House on Emmet Place in this ‘View of Cork’ from 1750? Today, this building is where the Crawford Art Gallery calls home! You might be surprised to see tall masted ships outside, but that’s because many of the city’s streets were once filled with water and boats were used to get from A to B. Why not take a line on a walk through the city streets as you colour in this image? Can you recognise any other buildings or places? You could draw some colourful birds, balloons or rainbows in the sky above the city, too!
You can view the original artwork here
This painting by the Irish artist Mainie Jellett is an example of a style of painting called Cubism. This style involves giving lots of different perspectives of an object in one painting and often using flat, geometric shapes like rectangles, semi-circles and triangles. How many shapes can you see in Mainie Jellett’s painting? How many colours can you use?
You can view the original artwork here
© the artist’s estate
This painting is a celebration of Ireland’s rural landscape, from the mountains, to the flowers, to the fields, and most especially the rivers and the sea! Can you see the patchwork quilt effect in Norah McGuinness’s original painting? You could use some different colours to make this scene your own! Who do you think lives in the cottage in the distance? Could it be the man in the cap?
You can view the original artwork here
Alfred Elmore was born in the West Cork town of Clonakilty. In his career as an artist he painted mainly historical scenes, but this one is inspired by a story-poem by Lord Byron, an English poet. Where do you think the people in this painting are? Does the boat or the canal give you a clue? What do you think these people are thinking or saying to each other? Once you’ve coloured them in, maybe you could add some speech bubbles!
You can view the original artwork here
About the artwork
This artwork tells a story. Poseidon is a powerful sea god and he sends serpents to attack Laocoon and his two sons! Laocoon faced the wrath of the Greek gods because he tried to foil a plan to invade the city of Troy. Greek soldiers had made a huge wooden horse, which they pretended was a present, but really it was filled with an army ready to attack the city of Troy.
Download the pdf here
You can view the original artwork here
About the artwork
Harry loved stories, he was inspired by all kinds of storytelling, fairy tales, poems, spooky ghost stories and romantic legends. Harry made this drawing when he was working out ideas for the design of a stained glass window. In this picture, two characters are running away from a castle on a very cold and wintery night. As they flee they pass a woven cloth called an arras, it is a tapestry that is sewn with horses and woven like their very own dreams.
Download the pdf here
You can view the original artwork here
About the artwork
George was born in Cobh over 200 years ago, he sailed the seas working as a ship’s carpenter. George taught himself to paint. He painted Cobh harbour in storm, calm and in sunshine. His paintings show boats of the time with curious names like brigs, schooners, steamers and cutters! In this painting, George imagines a ship battling a storm on the rocky Cork coastline.
Download the pdf here
You can view the original artwork here
About the artwork
This young girl has made friends with the farmyard goose and does not want to see him being served for dinner! The artist Edith Somerville was born in Corfu in 1858, but she spent much of her life living in Castletownsend, West Cork.
Throughout her life, she painted and sketched daily, while successfully publishing short stories and novels with her cousin Violet Martin.
Download pdf here
You can view the original artwork here
Cork-born artist James Barry gave this work a snappy title Portraits of Barry and Burke in the Characters of Ulysses and his Companion Fleeing from the Cave of Polyphemus! James Barry was born in Water Lane, Cork City in 1741. In this picture, he imagines that his friend and teacher, the philosopher Edmund Burke, is a legendary Greek hero called Ulysses. They are trying to escape from a monster called Polyphemus who is a cyclops, shown hunched in the background. A cyclops is a giant monster from legend with just one eye!
Download the PDF here
You can view the original artwork here
About the artwork:
This is a very romantic painting of a woman holding a lovely red rose. The woman’s name is Hazel Lavery. It is one of over 400 portraits that John Lavery, her husband, made of her. One of his portraits of Hazel even appeared on Irish banknotes in 1928. Can you imagine your own face printed on money? The Red Rose started off as another person’s portrait, but John decided it would be better to paint his wife again! John painted over this canvas several times. So why not experiment? Raid the house for recycling materials to reimagine this picture with collage.
Download PDF here
View the original artwork here
About the artwork:
The artist Gerard Dillon loved the people of Connemara, he wanted to show life in the West of Ireland. This painting shows the inside of a cottage before cookers, washing machines, central heating, widescreen televisions or even hoovers! The woman who lives here keeps her home spick and span, her washing is drying and her teapots are warming in front of the fire. Look, there is a place waiting for you by the cosy fire! Imagine what stories this woman could tell.
Download pdf here
View the original artwork here
About the artwork:
What is this fellow holding in his hand? Does his face look angry, sneaky, surprised or sad? This character is a jester from a painting by Daniel Maclise.
Daniel was an artist from Cork and he loved history, theatre and storytelling. His painting tells the story of a woman called Diane who comes to the King of France to beg for her father’s release from prison. Her father is released, but Diane must stay with the King.
Can you imagine what happens next?
Download the PDF here
View the original artwork here
About the artwork:
This painting is over 300 years old! It was painted in the 17th century, photography had not been invented and only the richest people could afford to have a portrait painted. We do not know the name of the gentleman in this portrait, it is a mystery. Feeling playful? Give this gentleman a cunning disguise to add to the mystery!
Download PDF here
View the original artwork here
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Resource PDF
Click on the link below to download a selection of online resources for primary schools.
Click here to download the Primary Schools Online Resource sheet (3.6mb)
Further information:
Anne or Emma
+353 (0)21 490 7857 / 490 7862
anneboddaert@crawfordartgallery.ie
Rosie from BROKENCROW theatre company has really missed telling her stories to you in person and is now delighted to be able to share a new story with you through the Crawford Art Gallery online Sunday series.
Little Bird is an Early Years story-poem made especially for Springtime that borrows from an old song that is known and loved by many.
Rosie hopes you like the story and that your Mummies and Daddies will sing along with you and Little Bird too!
Crawford Art Gallery Workshop
March 2022
Printed tree template (or if you’re feeling creative you could draw your own!)
Different coloured crepe paper
Pritt-Stick
Cotton wool balls
Markers and colouring pencils
Scissors (Ask an adult for help with these 🙂
Optional: Glitter, googly stick-on eyes
2. In a similar way fill in your tree trunk and the grassy part of your landscape.
3. Now you can do your tree’s leaves! Stick on different shades of crepe paper, you could even try scrunching it up a bit to give your leaves some volume. Add a sun if you’d like a sunny scene.
4. Using the same method as for the leaves above add some flowers, you could even try adding some fruit to the tree if you wanted!
5. Using some cotton wall balls add some fluffy clouds to the sky.
6. If you want, you could now add a bit of wildlife to your work of art. You could do some sheep like in this example. But if you have some coloured cotton wool why not try making some little yellow chicks or any other animals you like!
7. This is just an example and there are lots of ways you could fill the scene! You could add a rainbow, put yourself and your friends in the scene, create a night time scene with some glitter for the stars… etc.! The possibilities are endless, so most of all have fun!