Kathleen’s experience in sourcing, and curating, unique national crafts has given her an invaluable insight into the materials, skills and passion behind some of Ireland’s best known designs. Kathleen has an ongoing interest in the diversity of Irish talent and art and enjoys exploring new ways to share it with national, and international, audiences alike.

In 2012, and working closely with local food producers, she opened the award winning Anocht restaurant showcasing natural Irish ingredients in a unique, historic environment. The restaurant featured in Lucinda Sullivan’s ‘Best Places to Eat’ and in the Michelin Guide.

In 2016 Kathleen was awarded the Kilkenny Chamber of Commerce President’s award followed by Employer of the Year in 2018. She has been a board member of, and collaborator with, Kilkenny Arts Festival and the Kilkenny County Enterprise Board.

Ian has been involved with St Canice’s Kilkenny Credit Union since 1995 and was President from 2005 to 2008. He is a non-stipendiary minister with the Church of Ireland, and is a director of Ossory Youth and the Good Shepherd Centre, Kilkenny.

Ian has a strong commitment to the arts and to making the arts available – and relevant – to all sectors of the community, particularly to marginalised groups. He sees the arts as having the capacity to stimulate creativity, thereby creating an inclusive society.

Aideen is a practicing visual artist based between Ireland, Lithuania and the United States. In 2020 she was elected to the Royal Hibernian Academy as an ARHA member. She is also a member of Aosdána. Aideen teaches in several universities and schools of visual art in Ireland, America and Europe. She was Lecturer at Limerick School of Art & Design from 2010 to 2020 on the undergrad and post grad programmes. She received the Myron Marty Award from Drake University in Iowa in 2019 and in 2020 she will be a speaker as part of the Anderson Lecture Series at Penn State University. She has also been commissioned by Kaunas 2022, The European Capital of Culture, to make a site specific major moving image work. Aideen also has a number of international touring shows current in the United States at the Katzen Centre at the American University Museum, NYU, The American Film Maker's Co-Op in New York City, Oaxaca Film Festival Mexico. Later his year she will have works at Artissma in Italy and in early 2021 in ArtBA in Buenos Aires. She is also working on a special commission for the Bunting Archive for the Irish Traditional Music Organisation and Music Network in Ireland which will form a part of a series of solo shows and other international presentations in 2021 and 2022.

Selected projects include exhibitions at: Elephant West & Frieze Art Fair UK, Mothers Tankstation, The Drawing Room London, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Oaxaca, Mexico, Louise T. Blouin, London, Moderne Mussett Sweden, The Loop Biennale, ESP, Matucana 100, Chile, Artissma, CHACO & ARCO Art Fairs, The Wexner Centre Ohio, The Royal Hibernian Academy, the Museum des Beux Arts, The Crawford Municipal Gallery, The Butler Gallery, The Banff Centre Canada, the Headlands Centre for the Arts San Francisco, Liste Art Fair Basel Switzerland, BAC Geneva, Art Basel BA and Catherine Clark Gallery, US. Barry has received numerous awards for her practice including recent awards: Culture Ireland Awards 2018 & 2019, 2016, 2011, 2012, Commissions from the Irish Government under the Department of Education & Skills, Shortlist for the 2020 Aceys Industry Film Awards, The Vermont Studio Centre Fellowship Award 2017, Project New Work Awards from the Arts Council of Ireland, Arts Council of Ireland Bursary Awards, Modern Ireland in 100 Art Works 2015 award from the Royal Irish Academy, the Silent Light Film Award, Travel and Training Awards from the Arts Council of Ireland, in 2010 was shortlisted for the prestigious AIB Prize.

www.aideenbarry.com

Before this he directed the Sponsorship and Friends Strategy for Wexford Festival Opera and Wexford Opera House and managed key relationships for the company with leading Irish and international philanthropists. He has represented the cultural sector on the Minister’s Working Group on Arts Funding & Philanthropy. Formerly, Eamonn was Assistant Chief Executive and Head of Fundraising with the leading Irish research charity Fighting Blindness and Vice-President of the Students’ Union at NUI Maynooth. Eamonn previously served on the board of Blackwater Valley Opera Festival from 2017 to 2019.

Emily-Ann has acted as an external architecture critic to Waterford Institute of Technology and continues to mentor architecture students in the University of Westminster, London.

A member of the Architects Registration Board in the UK since 2014 and a member of the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland since 2017. She is a graduate of the University of Westminster, London and holds a MA in Architecture from the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Her focus shifted to building conservation and adaptive re-use in recent years and in 2010 she was appointed as Architectural Conservation Officer for 3 years. He then went on to project manage two landmark civic projects in Kilkenny City; the conversion of Evans’ Home to the new home for the Butler Gallery & the transformation of St.Mary’s Church to the 'Medieval Mile Museum'.

At the other end of the building spectrum her work also involved reactivating vacant homes and leading a Rural & Community Pilot project for the residential regeneration of Upper Bridge Street in Callan, Co.Kilkenny.

Evelyn has a keen interest in the visual arts and is delighted to continue her close involvement with the Butler Gallery in her new role as board member.

As a member of Retail Excellence Ireland his stores have been awarded recognition not only as a florist / designer but also in best retail practices. Lamber works with Irish and International event planners as preferred florist of choice for high end weddings and events. Lamber has a strong commitment to the arts and is a longstanding supporter and supply partner of Kilkenny Arts Festival.

His passion lies with the Visual art and in particular meeting with and learning about living contemporary artists.