Bursary
Bursary
Backwater Artists Group has supported emerging artists since 1990 through a dedicated Bursary Programme developed in partnership with MTU Crawford College of Art & Design.
Each year we provide studio access, mentorship and exhibition opportunities to graduating artists. To date, over 130 artists have benefited from these awards.
Studios Graduate Residency Awards (aka ‘Paint Store Bursaries’) awarded by MTU Crawford College of Art & Design. We have been providing these awards since 1990 and over 130 artists have benefited.Bursary Awards 2025
Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary
Billie Adele O’Regan
Artist Bio
Moving Image Bursary
Danny Foley
Artist Bio
Both awards provide:
- Six months studio access
- Mentorship from an invited arts professional
- A solo exhibition in Studio 12
- Technical support
- Artist fee
- PR support
Graduate Residency Awards 2025
Graduate Residency Award
Caoimhe Fitzpatrick
Artist Bio
Graduate Residency Award
Robert Lawton
Artist Bio
Awarded in partnership with MTU Crawford College of Art & Design, this nine-month residency provides studio space at Backwater Artists Group and access to MTU CCAD library facilities in exchange for part-time support within the MTU Materials Shop.
Backwater Artists Network Awards 2025
This award provides one year of Backwater Artists Network membership, including access to the Members Programme, exhibition opportunities and professional development supports.
Bursary Testimonials
I was honoured to have been awarded the Moving Image Bursary from Backwater Studios. This included use of a studio space as well as my own solo exhibition. The opportunity has helped me grow as an artist and has given me the inspiration and confidence to continue to work hard on my art process.
The Ciaran Langford Memorial Bursary graduate award has been a fantastic opportunity for me as a recent graduate. It has enabled me to get on my feet as an artist by giving me a studio space and a vibrant artistic community within which to develop my practice.
Deirdre Frost, Ciarán Langford Memorial Bursary Recipient 2020-2021
List of previous/current CLM Bursary recipients:
2025: Billie Adele O’Regan
2024: Murrough O’Donovan
2023: Andrea Newman Photography/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – March’24
2022: Helen Cantwell Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’22 – March’23
2021: Bríanna Ní Léannacháin, Sculpture/Mixed Media, Jan’22 – Jun’22
2020: Deirdre Frost, Painting/Mixed Media, May’21 – Nov ’21
2019: Padraic Barrett, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’19 – Jun’20
2018: Sarah Long, Painting, Oct’18 – Mar’19
2017: Klaudia Olszynska, Sculpture, Sept’17 – Feb’18
2016: Linda Young, Painted/Mixed Media, Sept ’16 – Feb’17, Rachel Mankze, Sculpture, Sept ’16 – Feb’17, Lean Corbett, Sculpture, Sept ’16 – Feb’17
2015: Cillian Moynihan, Painting, Sept’15 – Feb’16, Lynn Marie Dennehy, Sculpture, Sept’15 – Mar’16
2014: Roisin Foley, Sculpture, Sept’14 – Feb’15, Deirdre Hurley, Painting, Sept’14 – Feb’15
2013: Susan O’Leary, Painting, Nov’13 – Feb’14, Cliodhna O’Riordan, Sculpture, Sept’13 – Feb’14, KateŘina HlavÁČovÁ, Painting, Sept’13 – Oct’13
2012: Cassandra Eustace, Painting, Sept’12 – Feb’13, Sophie Behal, Sculpture, Sept’12 – Feb’13
2011: Richard Forrest, Sculpture, Sept’11 – Jan’12, Helen Lynch, Painting, Sept’11 – Jan’12
2010: Feargal Cunningham, Sculpture, Sept’10 – Feb’11, Molly Anna King, Painting, Dec’10 – May’11
2009: William Lawlor, Sculpture, Sept’09 – Feb’10, Alannah Byrne, Painting, Sept’09 – Feb’10
2008: Tanya O’Keeffe, Sculpture, Sept’08 – Feb’09, Eveleen Murphy, Painting, Sept’08 – Feb’09
2007: Brían Crotty, Sculpture, Sept’07 – Feb’08, Niamh Davis, Painting, Sept’07 – Feb’08
2006: Aisling Smyth, Sculpture, Sept’06 – Feb’07, Tessa Power, Painting, Oct’06 – Mar’07
2005: Stephanie Hough, Sculpture, Sept’05 – Feb’06, Wendie Young, Painting, Sept’05 – Feb’06
2004: Vivienne Griffin, Sculpture, Sept’04 – Feb’05, Aidan Crotty, Painting, Sept’04 – Feb’05
2003: Síle O’Brien, Painting, Sept’03 – Feb’04
2002: Phillipa Kennedy, Painting, Sept’02 – Feb’03, Lorraine Neeson, Sculpture, Sept ’02 – Feb’03
2001: Brendan Butler, Painting, Sept ’01 – Feb’02, Niamh Hurley, Sculpture, Sept ’01 – Feb’02
2000: Tamzyn De Rohan-Truba, Sculpture, Aug’01, Cliff Dolliver, Painting, Mar’01 – Aug’01, Hazel Forrester, Sculpture, Mar’01 – July’01
1999: Rosemary Guiney, Painting, Sept ’99 – Feb’00: Sarah Kelleher, Sculpture, Sept ’99 – Feb’00
List of previous/current Moving Image Bursary recipients:
2025: Danny Foley
2024: Ailbhe Reilly Tuite
2023: Mary O’Leary, Moving Image, Oct’23- Mar’24
2022: Myfanwy Frost Jones, Moving Image, Oct’22- Mar’23
2021: Rachel Daly, Moving Image, Oct’21- Mar’22
List of previous/current Graduate Residency recipients:
2025:
2024: Lara Quinn, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24, Claire Brennan, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24
2023: Saoirse Radford, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24, Abbie O’Mahony, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’23 – June’24
2022: Ashling Walsh, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’22 – June’23, Róisín Moloney, Painting/Mixed Media, Oct’22 – June’23
2021: Siobhán O’Connor, Painting, Nov’21 – Apr’22, Nicola Sheehan, Print/Mixed Media, Nov’21 – Apr’22
2020: Lily O’Shea, Mixed Media, May’21 – Sept’21, Margaret Phelan, Painting, May’21 – Sept’21
2019: Luke Hickey, Painting, Oct’19 – Jun’20, Sinead Barrett, Painting, Oct’19 – Jun’20
2018: Katrina Tracuma, Painting, Mar’19 – Jun’19, Eamon Casey, Painting, Oct’18 – Jun’ 19, Anne May Tabb, Painting, Oct’18 – Feb’ 19
2017: Gerard O’Callaghan, Painting, Oct’16 – Jun’17, Elaine Quigley Ahern, Painting, Oct’16 – Jun’17
2016: Pauline Gibbons , Painting, Oct’15 – Jun’16, Killian Dwyer, Painting, Oct’15 – Jun’16
2015: Femke Vandenberg, Painting, Oct’14 – May’15, Billy Dante , Painting, Oct’14 – Jun’15
2014: Helen O’Donovan, Painting, Oct’13 – Jun’14, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Painting, Oct’13 – Jun’14
2013: Tracy Fitzgerald, Painting, Oct’12 – Jun’13, John Kent, Painting, Oct’12 – Jun’13
2012: Ray Llewellyn, Painting, Oct’11 – Jun’12, Lana Shucks, Painting, Oct’11 – Jun’12
2011: Brigid Delahunty, Painting, Oct’10 – Jun’11, Laura Healy , Painting, Oct’10 – Jun’1
2010: Elizabeth O’Callaghan, Painting, Oct’09 – Jun’10, Aoife O’Brien , Painting, Oct’09 – Jun’10
2009: Amanda Rice, Painting, Oct’08 – June’09, Elayne O’Connor, Painting, Oct’08 – June’09
2008: Donal Moloney, Painting, Oct’07 – June’08, Eva Maher, Painting, Oct’07 – June’08
2007: Mark Whelan, Painting, Oct’06 – June’07, Siobhán Grace, Painting, Oct’06 – June’07
2006: Sharon McCarthy, Painting, Oct’05 – June’06, Janet Ellis, Painting, Oct’05 – June’06
2005: Susan Holland, Painting, Oct’04 – June’05, Emma Sweeney, Painting, Oct’04 – June’05
2004: Helena Tobin, Painting, Oct’03 – June’04, Eamonn O’Callaghan, Painting, Oct’03 – June’04
2003: Kieran Moore, Painting, Oct’02 – June’03, Lynda Loughnane, Painting, Oct’02 – June’03
2002: Brian Harte, Painting, Oct’01 – June’02, Colm Rooney, Painting, Oct’01 – June’02