Members are provided with the opportunity to apply for all our exhibition opportunities.
These include:
- Studio 12 exhibition and residency programme
- The Long Space exhibition programme (1st Floor, Backwater Artists Group)
- Annual members group exhibitions (offsite and in house)
Our ethos as an arts organisation is grounded in providing supports for artists. Through our programmes, we are committed to providing opportunities which, encourage and support artists at all stages of their careers, and enable them to further their ambitions and produce innovative, ambitious and high-quality work.
All artists participating in our programme have access to essential exhibition making supports, including technical, PR and curatorial supports, as well as associated artist and production fees. All artists’ work is documented professionally, providing them with a portfolio of images for future use. We also engage a professional writer to critique the exhibitions and provide artists with a text for future use.
Studio 12
Our Studio 12 Exhibition/Project Space (Studio 12) is one of a small number of exhibition spaces in Cork City. It was developed out of a need to create a space for exhibitions, for projects, for sharing, discussion and for peer support. It is a unique space for artists, operating as a site of experimentation and exhibition: a public testing ground for new artworks and ideas. The space is programmed with the aim of supporting artists, engaging diverse audiences and facilitating a thoughtful and flexible approach to exhibition making.
Our Studio 12 Exhibition & Engagement programme is funded by the Arts Council.
Off Site Exhibitions
We also facilitate a number of off-site exhibitions and collaborative projects with organisations such as Cork Harbour Festival, MART Gallery & MTU Crawford College of Art & Design.
In 2024, we facilitated the following off-site exhibitions:
- Field Trip | Deirdre Frost, Angela Gilmour, Sean Hanrahan, Joseph Heffernan, Diane Magee, Susan Montgomery, Róisín O’Sullivan, Ben Reilly, Padraig Spillane, Isabella Szczutkowska. Curated by Kevin Kavanagh and Alannah Murray, Kevin Kavanagh Gallery, Dublin.
- Feedback | Andrew Carroll, Ben Riley, The Glitter Heap (Susan Montgomery and Natasha Pike), Nic Flanagan, Sarah Long, Stephen Doyle, Tom Doig and Róisín O’Sullivan. Curated by Róisín Foley, a two- venue exhibition in Cork County Council Library Headquarters and Backwater Artists Studio 12.
- Deep Time | Andrew Carroll, Tina Whelan, Ciara Rodgers & Anna Barden, Spike Island Exhibition as part of Cork Harbour Festival 2024
Up and Coming Open Calls
- Open Call for The Long Space Exhibition Programme 2025 & 2026 will be advertised in early 2025.
- Open Calls for our Studio 12 2027 programme will be advertised to members in August 2025.
- Open Call for Backwater’s annual Bi-annual exhibition at Lavit Gallery in 2026 will be advertised in early 2026.
