Curator in Residence Droichead Arts Centre
Delighted to be asked to undertake this challenging role, programming the galley from Sept for 2023 to end of 2024.
TRACE
Commissioned by TU Dublin in conjunction with the Walk 21 conference, this map encourages exploration of the urban public realm – tracing a walk along the ‘dry canal’ from Cross Guns Bridge in Phibsborough, encompassing the original city resevoir, past the the Midland Great Western Railway Terminus to the new university at Grangegorman.
Elected ARHA
The surprise call came on Tuesday 9 February 2021 and really brightened up a long lockdown February. I am delighted to be part of this historic and contemporary institution for artists run by artists.
‘…the lives we live..’ Grangegorman Public Art
Honoured to be included in this publication showcasing the huge range of public art projects commissioned by Grangegorman Development Agency (GGDA) over the last 5 years.
RHA Annual Exhibition 2020
Ely Place, Dublin 2. 13 October – 12 December
Delighted to be selected for the always interesting RHA annual exhibition
An Post Commemorative Stamp Edition
These four stamps were commissioned by An Post to honour the centenary of Philantropist Andrew Carnegie who between 1897 and 1910 funded the building 66 libraries in Ireland. The stamps were issued in Aug 2019 and feature the libraries in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow, Cabinteely, Co. Dublin, Athea, Co Limerick and Kilkenny city.
The drawing of the name plaque on the first day edition envelope can be found on the Library in Swords, Co Dublin.
Past/ures
Library Project, Dublin 2, 17 – 31 January 2019
Blackchurch Print Studio exhibition with Hayley Gault, Catríona Leahy, Dorothy Smith, Ronan Smyth and Katie Watchorn. Curated by Leah Corbett winner of the Blackchurch Emerging Curator Award exploring aspects of rural life in Ireland and highlighting questions around rural identity.
‘Pastures is a compact show of relatively few, though several outstanding exhibits.’ Aidan Dunne, the Irish Times, 21 January 2020
Utopia/Dystopia
Lexicon Open Exhibition 2019, Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin , 12 December 2019 – 26 January 2020.
Curated by Aoife Ruane, Director of Highlands Municipal Gallery, Drogheda, Co Louth
RHA Annual Exhibition 2019
Ely Place, Dublin 2. 21 May – 10 August
‘Dorothy Smith’s drawing High Rise, from an artist known for her thoughtful exploration of urban architectural spaces, is a tottering stack of wood pallets. All in all, you will find much of relevance to housing in all its aspects throughout the exhibition.’ Aidan Dunne, Irish Times 28 May 2019
PRINT WORKS
Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, 30 November 2018 – March 2019. Curated by Dorothy Smith.
I was delighted to be invited to curate this exhibition `Print Works’. I incorporated 2D, 3D work and explored the installation possibilities of print with work from 15 artists working in the north east region and invited artists Anthony Lyttle and Debora Ando. Artists: Aidan Flanagan, Orlaith Cullinane, John O’Connor, Garry Maguire, Adrian+Shane, Raphael Hynes, Jebun Nahar, Robert Kelly, Declan Kenny, John Moloney, Jackie Hudson Lalor, Els Borghart, Niamh O’Connor, Kieran McNulty.
RHA Annual Exhibition 2018
Ely Place, Dublin 2. 22 May – 11 August
‘..intelligent, nuanced use of black and white..’ Crístin Leach, The Sunday Times, 27 May 2018
IRISH ARTS REVIEW
Margaretta Cappock reviews her exhibition highlights of 2018
I am in the very good company of Elizabeth Magill, Basam Al-Sabah, Dorothy Cross and Dragona Jurisic in Margaretta’s highlights of 2018. ‘..the artist (Dorothy Smith) …prompts the viewer to question the functionality and challenges of urban architecture and design in an ever changing city. Urban structures, some abandoned with their concrete entrails exposed, are meticulously drawn with fine lines and yet there is nothing sterile or static about this precision’.
LAND MARKS
Solo exhibition, RHA Ashford Gallery, Dublin, 16 March – 22 April 2018
‘…Jockey Block is also like a rather beautiful, minimal sculpture. That’s a recurrent quality in Smith’s depictions of concrete structures. One never feels she is simply having a go at concrete brutalism, more trying to figure out how we live with it, and how best it might serve us.’
Aidan Dunne, review, Irish Times, 27 March 2018
ORIENTATION
Droichead Arts Centre, Drogheda, 30 November 2017 – 3 March 2018
Curated by Dorothy Smith
Orientation, an exhibition of the work of 10 artists living and working Drogheda and surrounding area, celebrates and brings to attention the range and wealth of work being produced while acknowledging the importance of locality and place. Artists – Els Borghart, Vivienne Byrne, Anthony Collins, Leo de Freyne, Nuala Early, Laura Gramzow, Brian Hegarty, Raphael Hynes, Kieran McNulty and John Moloney.
RHA Annual Exhibition 2017
Ely Place, Dublin 2. 22 May – 11 August
‘There are near hidden gems, by Dorothy Smith and others, amid the selection of mostly monochrome or greyscale works in the Ashford Gallery.’ Crístin Leach, The Sunday Times, 4 June 2017
MADE AND CONSIDERED
solo exhibition, darc space, Nth Gt Georges St, Dublin 1, 20 May – 17 June 2016
‘…rendered with superb technique. These are matter-of-fact images that knowingly dance between the dichotomies of local/global, memorable/forgettable, ordinary/extraordinary – images that thoroughly celebrate inherent urban ambiguities.’ Denis Byrne, Architect, catalogue foreword
RHA Annual Exhibition 2016
RHA Gallery, Ely Place, Dublin 2. 22 March – 11 June
‘..Dorothy Smith displays superb drawing..’, Aidan Dunne, Irish Times, 29 March 2016
Delighted that Drawn/Fold is being exhibited in the RHA Annual Exhibition.
IMPRESSIONS PRINT BIENNIAL 2015
Part of my ‘City Drawings’ series of etchings have been selected to by part of Galway Arts Festival Impressions exhibition.
EIGSE – Carlow Arts Festival 2015
Standing Room and Modern World have been selected to be exhibited in Visual as part of Carlow Arts Festival 2015.
RHA AXA DRAWING PRIZE 2015
RHA Gallery, Ely Place, Dublin 2. 26 May to 8 August
‘Come and Go’ was awarded the RHA AXA Drawing Prize at the 185th RHA Annual Exhibition.
THE LONDON ART FAIR
Business Design Centre, Islington, London N1 0QH
21 – 25 January 2015
Gormley Fine Art will be representing five artists; Dorothy Smith, Simon McWilliams, Rebecca Crowell, Stephen Johnston and Gordon Harris in the forthcoming London Art Fair 21 – 25 Jan 2015.
REVEALING ARTISTS
Lecture Series @ the RHA – 5.30 5th Nov 2014
I will be giving a talk on my work in the RHA Gallery in Ely Place, Dublin 2. The talk will focus on my drawing work over the last 5 years including life and portrait drawing, drawings of spaces and structures from my recent show ‘On the Tightrope’ in Gormley Fine Art, projects such as Walking/Drawing that took place in Draoicht in Blanchardstown in July and the publication of my book of drawings of fire fighters ‘C Watch – 22 Drawings’.
THE WAY WE LIVE NOW AND THEN
Dorothy Smith, Janine Davidson, Elaine Leader, Colin Martin, Louise Peat. Curated by Mary Conlon
The Library Project, Temple Bar, Dublin 25 – 27 September 2014
‘The way we live now and then is as a series of statements or observations on how we work, plan, socialise, order. The artists from the Black Church Print Studio were selected due to their shared interest in the built environment and how we interact with and physically map space, information and technology’. Mary Conlon, Curator
WALKING/DRAWING – Exploring an Urban Environment
Draoicht Arts Centre, Blanchardstown, 8 – 12 July 2014
Walking/Drawing is the current manifestation of Open to the Public. Open to the Public is a ongoing collaborative project initiated by artists Dorothy Smith and Kathy Herbert which brings drawing out of the studio setting and creates situations where artist and members of the public can engage directly with each other and the act of drawing.
Artists Kathy Herbert and Dorothy Smith
Collaborative Drawing, Workshop, Artists Talk
Artists Kathy Herbert and Dorothy Smith will be creating a 7 metre long collaborative drawing in the Gallery in Draoicht from the 8 – 12 July. The Gallery will be open during this period and members of the pubic are welcome. The drawing will be based on alternative explorations of the planned space that is Blanchardstown Town Centre.
Walking will be the primary research tool. The artists anticipate that they will find themselves off the predictable paths and in situations that are different from those intended by the design of the Centre. Source material in the form of drawings, written notes and photographs will be collected on these walks. This material will inform the collaborative drawing.
Blanchardstown Town Centre is designed primarily for ease of parking and shopping. This project aims to expand this experience – seeing other than carparks and shops, doing other than shopping and driving, adding to the intended experience of the place.
Workshops As part of Walking/Drawing, Draoicht and the artists will facilitate two free workshops for the general public. These workshops aim to encourage people to draw and give participants an alternative experience of a familiar environment.
Artists’ Talk The artists will talk about the Open to the Public project, share their experience of working collaboratively and discuss their interest in this particular environment – Saturday 12th July 3:00 pm.
ON THE TIGHTROPE
Gormleys Fine Art, 25 South Frederick Street, Dublin 2, 5 – 28 June 2014
Two person exhibition with Sahoko Blake.
To view catalogue click here
RHA Annual Exhibition 2014
184th Annual Exhibition, 27th May – 9th August, Ely Place, Dublin 2
18 Short Drawings has been selected for the RHA Annual Exhibition
‘ … one of those sudden, unexpected attention grabbing moments in the show … Dorothy Smith’s fast squiggly drawing of a child’s dress.‘ Cristin Leach Hughes Sunday Times 1st June 2014
EIGSE
Carlow Arts Festival, Visual, Carlow, June 2014
‘Concrete’ will be exhibited in Visual, Carlow 6 June to 31 August as part of Eigse, Carlow Arts Festival.