HONOURING TRADITIONS IN IRISH GLASSMAKING: Bursary to Fund Study & Exhibition on Heritage of Glass Cutting and Engraving in Ireland
14th January 2010
The world-renowned skills of Irish master cutters and engravers is to be documented in a unique research study on the heritage of glassmaking in Ireland and will become the subject of a major exhibition in 2011, following the announcement of the Crafts Council of Ireland’s Irish Craft Bursary. Róisín de Buitléar is the recipient of a €15,000 Irish Craft Bursary which enables her to initiate the creation of an historical record of the techniques of former Waterford Crystal master engravers and cutters.
De Buitléar, an eminent glass artist, will investigate the craft of Irish brilliant cutting and engraving - whose origins trace to Bohemia - and collaborate with master glass craftspeople in the Waterford area in order to document Irish glass history and develop contemporary pieces for exhibition.
Through documentation, oral interviews, research and studio visits, de Buitléar will record the first-hand experiences and stories of selected Waterford Crystal master craftsmen. Objects from the Waterford Glass factory will be photo-documented, including the work of craftsmen and a number of significant items from private collections. The completed research will be donated to the National Museum of Ireland where the information will be available to the general public. Documentation from the research will be used to inspire new work in glass production based on traditional Irish brilliant cuttings and engraving.
The Crafts Council of Ireland launched the Irish Craft Bursary in 2005 with the objective of providing an opportunity to assist craft makers to develop a body of work that they would otherwise not have had the time or resources to develop. It is open to professional Irish craft workers who are registered with the Crafts Council of Ireland and who live and work in Ireland. This year’s Irish Craft Bursary attracted over 25 entries which were carefully considered by an external panel comprising Irish and international members who have significant academic, commercial and professional experience in the field of contemporary craft.
“We are delighted to be able to provide the means to carry out this research which is of huge national significance”, said Úna Parsons, chief executive, Crafts Council of Ireland. “In light of the closure of Waterford Crystal factory at Kilbarry, it is imperative that we document our glass history and Róisín’s unique research will become a vital historical record – of glass production at Waterford Crystal and of Irish brilliant cutting and engraving which is acknowledged and admired around the world”.
“In the last year, three of the world’s greatest glass factories have closed permanently. It is important to collaborate with our master glass craftspeople to mark our glass history and create a turning point for a new expression in brilliant cutting in Ireland”, commented Róisín de Buitléar.
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About Róisín de Buitléar:
Born in Dublin, Róisín de Buitléar has been working in the medium of glass as a primary material since 1983. Alongside making her artworks, her career as an educator spans two decades and she has published many articles on contemporary Irish glass. She has completed many site-specific installations of blown and cast work, drawing her inspiration from her cultural heritage. These can be seen in public and private buildings throughout Ireland, including the Blasket Island Centre in Dunchaoin, Co. Kerry and the National Botanical Gardens in Dublin.
Róisín is an alumna of the National College of Art and Design and studied under the guidance of John Murphy (IRL) Wayne Filan (USA), Elizabeth Mc Clure (UK). After her studies she travelled to Copenhagen, Denmark working with Darryle Hinz and Anja Kjaer at Glasverkstedt and later with Charlie Meaker in Britain. After a working tour and exhibition in Japan in 1986, she joined the faculty of the National College of Art and Design and taught in the glass department for two decades until her resignation in 2006. She has taught in the UK, Japan, Canada, USA and France.
The Museum of Glass, Tacoma Washington has invited her to be Artist in residence for June 2010. Her artworks are represented in public and private collections in Ireland, Britain, Japan, and USA. Róisín is the current chairperson of the Golden Fleece advisory committee and co-founder of the Glass Society of Ireland Contemporary Makers.
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