About The Abbey Art group
Abbey Art Group, established in 1982, is a local art group based in Celbridge with members coming from Celbridge and the surrounding areas of Leixlip and Maynooth to share and develop their skills in visual arts.
They meet on a weekly basis during term time in a local Primary school to sketch, draw and paint together in various media. They also meet for some plein eir painting sessions mainly in the neighbouring Castletown House and Parklands and in members’ gardens during Easter and summer holidays.
Members have benefitted over the years from workshops, demonstrations, and talks, sometimes facilitated by invited celebrated artists and also by group members with particular expertise e.g., in watercolours, inks, pastels. One member, who moved to Sligo in recent years, has facilitated some weekend painting sessions around Ben Bulbin. Group members have also gone on painting trips in Europe.
Many of the group’s artworks are inspired by local flora and fauna and by places and scenes of natural beauty and historical interest in our locality, in particular Castletown House and Parklands. They also depict scenes from places they have visited around Ireland and abroad.
Activities & Events
Abbey Art Group holds an annual Summertime Exhibition. Their last 5 exhibitions have been held in Castletown House, Celbridge. Previous exhibitions were held in Celbridge Library, the Celbridge Manor Hotel, the Glen Royal Hotel, Maynooth and in Christ Church, Celbridge.
Abbey Art Group also participates in Culture Night events, the most notable of which was in conjunction with an event to promote the creativity of the local Writers Group. A selection of their paintings was on display as members of the Writers Group read their short stories and poetry. In addition, members of the audience were invited to participate in an interactive group painting session which was very popular with all involved.
2022 was the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Abbey Art Group and to celebrate this momentous occasion group members collaborated on the publication of a book of their paintings. “Celbridge – The Artist’s Vision” was officially launched on the 11th of November 2022 in Castletown House, Celbridge by guest speaker, poet, playwright and broadcaster, Vincent Woods. The book was very well received, and grants received from Kildare County Council’s Arts Act Grant Scheme and from Intel’s Pride of Place Award contributed significantly to publication costs. As a result, the Abbey Art Group was able to make donations to two local charities, St. Raphael’s Parents and Friends Association, Celbridge and the Little Way Cancer Support Centre, Clane from some of the proceeds of sales at their 2023 Summertime Exhibition, “Visions.”
Publication of the book promoted an interest in art in the community and created greater awareness in the locality and surrounding areas of the group’s activities which resulted in an increase in members in recent months.
As numbers grow, the Abbey Art Group too are keen to continue developing their skills and creating greater awareness in the community and beyond of the joy and benefits of involvement in art for all age groups. To this end they are planning to engage in a series of masterclasses for group members and they are exploring the possibility of organizing more plein eir painting days aimed at including interested members of the community.