Pallas Projects/Studios Announce New Chairperson

Pallas Project/Studios are pleased to announce that Caroline Cowley has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Pallas Projects board. Caroline takes over from Helen Carey, who is to remain on the board of the organisation. The board of Pallas Projects expressed its huge thanks to Helen, who has been instrumental in guiding the organisation over the past number of years, during a period that has seen PP/S develop its governance while keeping an artist-led ethos at the core of its activities.

Helen’s time at the helm presided over a nomadic period of exhibition and studio venues, culminating in a move to a new long-term premises, incorporating improved studios and project space in Dublin 8. Despite coinciding with decreasing funding to the arts, Pallas Projects, with Helen's steady and invaluable guidance, curated and played host to an uninterrupted series of critically engaged artist-led exhibitions and collaborative projects. These include developing and supporting new projects by Irish artists (including Ciarán Walsh, Kennedy Browne, Cliona Harmey, Dennis McNulty, and Niall de Buitléar); presenting international artists for the first time in Ireland (including John Smith, Alex Martinis Roe, Gardar Eide Einarsson, and ESP TV); working with curators such as Matt Packer, Michele Horrigan, Eamonn Maxwell, Paul Murnaghan, and Padraic E. Moore; and collaborations with Common Ground, Irish Architecture Foundation, Lismore Castle Arts, Ormston House, The LAB, Fire Station Artists’ Studios, and Gertrude Contemporary, Melbourne.

The board of Pallas Project/Studios and its director-curators Mark Cullen and Gavin Murphy look forward to working with Caroline, who takes the reigns in the run up to the 20-year anniversary of PP/S in 2016. The period will see PP/S continue its role as a leader in the field of artist-run practice, through a number of national and international cooperative projects, and an ambitious publishing and research project focusing on artist-run practice in Europe over the last 20 years.

Caroline Cowley is a curator and Public Art Co-ordinator with Fingal County Council. Since her appointment to Fingal County Council she has commissioned and produced a series of high-profile projects with artists Mark Garry, Brian Duggan, Christine Mackey, Martina Coyle, Garrett Phelan, Aileen Lambert, Dan Dubowitz, Fearghus O’ Chonchuir  and Dennis McNulty, along with associated publications and talks such as Commissions + International Public Art Symposium, 2012. Her remit within Fingal County Council’s Arts office also extends to public events such as graduate professional development, policy, exhibitions, talks, festival programming and the Council’s art collection. Curated exhibitions and projects include Amharc Fhine Gall, It’s All in the Detail, Draiocht, 2008; Not in Alphabetical Order, Farmleigh, Dublin, 2008; Bright Beginnings, Draiocht, 2009; and the more recent Resort Residency – Case Study 1, Portane. Caroline holds a BA in History of Art from Trinity College Dublin, an MA in Arts Management and Cultural Policy from University College Dublin, and a Masters in curatorial practice IADT (MAVIS).