CURRICULUM VITAE
Dorothy Smith ARHA
Instragram dorothysmithartist
https://www.facebook.com/dorothy.smith.33449138
I am a visual artist, based in Dublin, Ireland, whose work is primarily concerned with the built environment of public space. My practice is rooted in studio based work with a keen interest in interacting with the world beyond the studio and gallery space. I work as an artist in a wide range of contexts including public art projects, curation, talks, publications, community based work and exhibitions. I am interested in the complex social space which art and the artist inhabit in greater society.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 Land Marks, RHA Ashford Gallery, Dublin
2016 Made and Considered, DARC Space Nth Gt Georges St, Dublin
2014 On the Tightrope, (with Sahoko Blake) Gormley Fine Art, Dublin (catalogue available)
2013 Open to the Public, (with Kathy Herbert), Satellite Studio Project Space, Dublin. Exhibition, open studio and artists talk. Text: The Allegory of Place, Sylvia Loeffler.
2009 Hidden Histories, The Courthouse Arts Centre, Tinahely, Co Wicklow (catalogue available)
2008 Viewing Recommended, Hallward Gallery, Dublin (catalogue available)
2003 Clear, Hallward Gallery, Dublin
2001 Presence, Hallward Gallery, Dublin
1999 Empty and Full, Origin Gallery, Dublin
1997 Blue and Other Colours, Origin Gallery, Dublin
PUBLICATIONS
2022 Creating Place – Borrowed Ground Residency. Research and publication recognising the importance of work spaces for artists. Commissioned by Droichead Arts Centre
2021 This is Our Place. A Survey of Dalymount Park – The Home of Irish Football, Map: limited edition 200 copies. Publication: all drawings from map and commissioned essays by Margarita Cappock, Prof. Gerry Kearns and Stephen Bourke.
2019 Drawing Dalymount – The Colouring Book, from Dalymount – Mapping a Unique Architectural Environment
2018 Land Marks, catalogue foreword by Emmett Scanlon, Architect
2016 Made and Considered, catalogue foreword by Denis Byrne, Denis Byrne Architects, essay by Tom McGuirk, Senior Lecturer Art Theory/Critical Theory, University of Chester, UK
2014 On the Tightrope, catalogue foreword by Mick O’Dea, President RHA, Aosdana
2012 C Watch – 22 Drawing, Artists book – signed edition of 100
2009 Hidden Histories, catalogue with foreword by Pauline Flynn, Artist
2007 Viewing Recommended, catalogue with foreword by Prof. Ciaran Benson, International Association of Art Critics, former chair The Arts Council/An Chomhairle Ealaíon
CURATION
2022 – 2024
Curator in Residence, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co. Louth
2022
Walking Peripheral Lines, curation and mentoring of First Solo Award winner Rodney Thornton. Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth.
2021
in a landscape, curation of solo show by multimedia artist John Moloney. Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co. Louth
2019
Print Works, curation of 16 person print exhibition exploring traditional approaches in addition to the installation and 3 dimensional possibilities of print. Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, Co Louth.
2018
Orientation, curation of 10 person exhibition for Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda exploring range and variety of contemporary work being made in the North East region; included curator talk/s and workshops
2016
Source, Exhibition of contemporary drawing practices co curated with Rowan Sexton. Phizzfest, Phibsborough, May 2016
PROJECTS
2021
This is Our Place: A Survey of Dalymount Park The Home of Irish Football
Original hand drawn Map in limited edition of 200. 48 page publication containing drawings from map and commissioned essays by Dr. Margarita Cappock, Prof. Gerry Kearns and Stephen Bourke. In association with Bohemian Football Club.
2019
Dalymount Park – Mapping a Unique Architectural Space
Exploration of architectural heritage, social-cultural history and attachment to place collaboration with researcher Jackie Burke. Funded by The Arts Council and resulting in publication, audio and photographic archive and video.
2017
Spatial Stories
Exploration and mapping of teenage experience of the urban public realm – workshops, exhibition, off site intervention with Urban Researcher Jackie Bourke. Funded by The Arts Council.
2014
Walking/Drawing
Draoicht, Dublin 15 July 2014. Collaborative investigation into built spaces of Blanchardstown Town Centre with artist Kathy Herbert. Text: On the Persistence of the Analogue Ethnographer, Ailbhe Murphy/Vagabond Reviews
Put Yourself in the Picture
Participative research project into built urban environment, exhibition, publication, public forum
Drawing the Everyday
Facilitating drawing in public spaces in association with Phizzfest. (Ongoing)
2013
weareallinthistogether 2, 3, &4
Composite portrait drawings and animations in association with Phizzfest.
TRACE – mapping a Walk Along the Dry Canal
Public art project involving mapping and animating urban space
2012
weareallinthistogether 1
Composite performative drawing and animation involving 30 sitters in association with Phizzfest.
C Watch – 22 Drawings
Drawings of 22 members of C Watch Dublin Fire Brigade, exhibition, publication of artists book, artist in residence.
Drawing the Everyday Phibsborough Shopping Centre, exploration of public space through drawing
2010/2011
Do You Need Your Head Examined and Community Portrait – community based drawing projects using creative practice as a means of promoting social engagement
TALKS/PUBLIC FORA
- Conversations on Joyce, drawing, photography and the city with Plattenbau studio, Dorothy Smith, Brian Fay, Luke Gibbons and Hugh Campbell in UCD School of Architecture, 19 Oct. On the occasion of the publication of James Joyce Remembered edition 2022, CP Curran, UCD Press
- Moderator, Irish Architectural Foundation/Open House and Grangegorman Development Agency, marking 10 years of GGDA Master Plan
- Invited speaker, Seeing Other Dublins, Seminar, Humanities Research Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dec 2019
- ‘In Conversation’, RHA with architect Emmett Scanlon
- ‘On Drawing’, Artists Talk, RHA, Feb 2017
- The Housing Incident Room, IMMA/IAF, A Fair Land, IMMA, Aug 2016
- Made and Considered presentation with Architect Ralph Bingham, MOLA Architecture, darc space, June 2016
- Walking/Drawing, Artists Talk and Discussion moderated my Ailbhe Murphy, Director of Create, Draoicht Arts Centre, June 2014
- Revealing Artists, Artists Talk, RHA talks series, Sept 2014
- Open to the Public, Artists Talk and Discussion moderated by Sylvia Loeffler, Hendron Building, Dublin 7, Oct 2013
EDUCATION
MA in Creative Art Practices (MAvis), IADT Dún Laoghaire 2011
Post Graduate Diploma in Arts Administration UCD 1987
Diploma in Fine Art Painting NCAD 1984
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
NEST, the Portrait Project, Draiocht Arts Centre, Dublin
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2023
Drawing Time – The Intrinsic Temporality of Drawing, RHA Gallery, Dublin
RHA Ballinglen Fellows, Ballinglen Museum of Contemporary Art, Co Mayo
It Took 100 Years – Women Artists and the RHA, National Gallery of Ireland
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
RHA West, Ballina Municipal Gallery, Co Mayo
2022
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2021
CITY, Highlanes Gallery, Drogheda. Curated by Aoife Ruane, featuring work from South Bank Centre, London and invited Irish Artists
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2020
Connections, Large Wall Drawing, Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda.
Past/ures, Blackchurch Print Studio, The Library Project, Dublin
Glimpses of Escape, Work from Kildare County Council Municipal Collection, Kildare County Buildings.
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2019
Utopia/Dystopia, Lexicon Gallery, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2018
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2017
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2016
RUA Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
Urbis Felicitas, Graphic Studio Gallery, Dublin
Little Prints Little Stories, 1916 touring print exhibition (Ireland)
16 x 16, 1916 touring print exhibition (Ireland & UK)
2015
RHA Annual Exhibition (awarded RHA AXA Drawing Prize)
EIGSE, Visual, Carlow
Impressions, Galway International Arts Festival, GMIT
2014
the way we live now and then, The Library Project/Blackchurch Print Studio
EIGSE, Visual, Carlow
RHA Annual exhibition, Dublin
2013
LIPS (Artists Book @ Limerick International Publishers Salon), Ormston House, Limerick
2012
Dublin Art Book Fair, Temple Bar Gallery, Dublin
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
12 x 4 Gormley Gallery, Dublin and Belfast
EIGSE, Visual, Carlow
20:20 Blackchurch Print Studio, print box set and traveling exhibition
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
2011
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
Public Gesture, The Lab, Dublin
The Life Room, Bourn Vincent Gallery, University College Limerick
2009
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
Mick O’Dea Selects Lavit Gallery, Cork
2008
RHA Annual Exhibition Invited Artist
Boyle Arts Festival, Co Roscommon Invited Artist
2007
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
Hallward Gallery, Dublin
2006
RHA Annual Exhibition, Dublin
EIGSE, Visual, Carlow
Hallward Gallery, Dublin
1984 – 2006
Regular exhibitor – RHA, Iontas, National Portrait Awards, Irish Exhibition of Living Art, Blackchurch Print Studio and others.
AWARDS
Arts Council Bursary 2021
Elected to RHA ( Royal Hibernian Academy) 2021
Dublin City Council Publication Award 2021
Arts Council Professional Development Award 2020
Arts Council Covid 19 Award 2020
Arts Council Engaging with Architecture Award 2016, 2017, 2018
Ballinglen Fellowship Award 2018
RHA AXA Drawing Prize 2015
Residency Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Annamakerrig, Co Monaghan 2013, 2014
Residency Inislacken Project, Co Galway 2010, 2017, 2019, 2020
Residencies in Cill Rialaig Artists Retreat, Co Kerry; 1997,1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2009
First prize in Taylor Bequest for Emerging Artists 1984
COMMISSIONS
2022 Trace – mapping commission for TU Dublin
2021 An Post commemorative stamps celebrating the work of Architect James Gandon (launch date Oct 2023)
2019 An Post commemorative stamp commission; drawings of four Carnegie Libraries honouring philantropist Andrew Carnegie
2017 Percent for Art Scheme – Gael Scoil Barra – drawing for new school building
BIBIOGRAPHY
‘..the lives we live..’ Grangegorman Public Art, GGDA, 2020
The Irish Times, Past/ures, review, Aidan Dunne, Jan 2020
Irish Arts Review, Highlights of 2018, Margaretta Cappock, Winter 2019/20
The Irish Times, Land Marks, review, Aidan Dunne, April 2018
VAN (Visual Artists Newsheet), Landmarks, review, Aidan Kelly Murphy, 2018
Vagabond Reviews, Walking/Drawing, Aibhle Murphy, 2014
VAN (Visual Artists Newsheet), Open to the Public, Sylvia Leoffler, 2013
Irish Times, Viewing Recommended, review, Aidan Dunne, 2007
COLLECTIONS
The Arts Council/ An Chomhairle Ealaíon
Glucksman Map Library, Trinity College Dublin
Áras an Uachtaráin
TU Dublin
DIAS (Dublin Institute of Advanced Studies), Dunsink Observatory
Irish Architectural Archive
Ballinglen Museum of Contemporary Art
Kidare County Council Municipal Collection
Gael Scoil Barra, Dublin
Irish Contemporary Arts Society
New York Public Library Print Collection
Private Collections
MEMBERSHIPS
Associate member of the Royal Hibernian Academy ARHA
VAI (Visual Artists Ireland)
Black Church Print Studio
Board Member Phizzfest (Phibsborough Arts and Community Festival)
Reimagining Phibsborough (founding member)
SELECTED TEACHING GROUP AND COMMUNITY WORK
2017 – date
Tutor in drawing in RHA Schools (accredited by TU Dublin)
2019
Drawing the Everyday with the Highlanes Gallery Drogheda
2016/17
Dublin Culture Connects National Neighbourhood Project
Exploration of urban public realm focusing on Coolock, Dublin 17 with adults for Dublin City Council city wide initiative – publication, off site exhibition
2016
Design Review of Phibsborough Shopping Centre and its Public Realm, Phizzfest with the RIAI
2015
Winter Drawing Course, National Gallery of Ireland
National Drawing Day, National Gallery of Ireland
Workshop Leader, IMMA
2014
Culture Night, National Gallery of Ireland
National Drawing Day, IMMA
Artist in Residence, Arbourhill Prison
Drawing the Everyday (ongoing)
Facilitating drawing in public spaces in association with Phizzfest
2013
National Drawing Day, Draoicht, Blanchardstown
Artist in Residence, Arbourhill Prison
Artist in Residence, Wheatfield Prison
2012
National Drawing Day, Fingal County Council
Artist in Residence, Cloverhill Prison
Art Teacher, Cloverhill Prison
2008-9
Arts and Disability Training Course
Visual Arts Tutor training participants to work creatively with people with disabilities. Course accredited by Sligo ITC and funded by South Dublin Co Co., Stewards Hospital. Participants work exhibited in RUA Red, Tallaght.
2007 – 8
Women as Leaders
Visual Arts tutor for Women as Leaders course run by Cairde and Lourdes Youth Community Services for immigrant women and women from the north inner city.