Barnesmore artist Kevin Callaghan has been announced as the Donegal winner of the Platform 31 bursary scheme.
The award-winning sculptor, who has a studio in Donegal Town, has been awarded €8,000 to invest in his work.
Kevin completed an MA at the Royal College of Art in 2013, he has a BA from The Crawford College of Art and a Master-craftsman from the Design and Crafts Council of Ireland. Kevin moved back to Donegal from Glasgow in 2021 where he has a new studio outside Donegal Town and recently open a pottery shop and studio in The Craft Village in Donegal Town. His past studio were The Glasgow Sculpture Studios, The London Sculpture Workshops and The National Sculpture Factory.
He exhibits nationally and internationally, showing at Dublin Castle, The London Art Fair and the Saatchi Gallery with Cynthia Corbett and the Young Masters Art Prize.
He collaborated with Dublin architect Peter Carroll from A2 architects at The European Culture Centre in Venice May-Nov 2019, participated in the series “Landmark” on Sky Arts TV and was commissioned by Sky Arts to produce a piece of sculpture in 14 days.
Following the success of the inaugural Platform 31 programme in 2021, this innovative scheme has returned for 2022, showing the commitment of Local Authority Arts Offices, together with the Arts Council, to supporting the continued development of artists throughout Ireland.
PLATFORM 31 is designed to support 31 artists – one from each Local Authority area in Ireland – to reflect on and develop their practice or make work in a new way, while being connected with and supported by peer practitioners, advisors and mentors.
Developed by the Association of Local Authority Arts Offices (ALAAO with the Arts Council, PLATFORM 31 offers two elements of support – financial and developmental – for mid-career artists across all disciplines.
PLATFORM 31 is managed by Wicklow County Council on behalf of The Association of Local Authority Arts Officers, in collaboration with the Arts Council.