Last Culture Night for a while at the Crawford
Crawford Art Gallery will host its final Culture Night event for some time this month as the gallery gets ready to close for major redevelopment.
Culture Night returns to Crawford Art Gallery on 20 September, just two days before it closes its doors to the public until at least 2027.
The redevelopment project will see the gallery increase its space by 50%, while adding a new fifth storey public gallery with commanding views over Cork city.
Crawford Art Gallery has twice won Cork Business Association’s 'best Cork tourism arts event' for its Culture Night programming, most recently in 2023, and this year’s programme is once again brimming with exciting events.
Visitors can expect the return of last year’s popular ‘living statue’ actor Kyle English, who will be bringing the gallery's famous Canova casts to life and having some fun with guests both inside and outside the gallery.
Visitors can also get involved in some gallery shenanigans with a family-friendly workshop promising chaos and creativity inspired by the Crawford collection. This event runs from 5-9pm in the Upper Gallery. No booking is required.
A programme of stunning live music will see classical guitar, traditional Irish music and more bring the galleries to life into the evening. These will include guitarist John Ahern playing a mix of classical and Celtic guitar; trad duo MacDara Ó Faoláin and Victoria Adiiye; The Neil Murphy Jazz Trio; and violin duo Pizzazz featuring Katie Sheehan and Sidney Uzik playing classical, pop covers, and movie themes. The performances will take place at various locations around the gallery from 5-9.30pm.
For those interested in learning more about what it takes to move over 3,500 precious artworks into storage and embark on an ambitious redevelopment project to conserve and expand Crawford Art Gallery for a new century, a series of Meet the Team talks will lift the lid on the gallery’s upcoming transformation. The talks will run from 6-9pm and will work on a first come, first served basis.
For true art-lovers, a series of Speed-Dating the Collection mini tours will provide unmissable insight into the gallery’s best-loved artworks from 5-9.30pm. No booking is needed.The gallery will stay open until 10pm this Culture Night to give visitors a chance to stay late and pack in as many events as possible.
For more information and a full programme of events, visit crawfordartgallery.ie.