PorterShed Artist Of The Month
An initiative providing artists the opportunity to exhibit their work and engage with a new audience at PorterShed.
Support & Commitment
At PorterShed, we believe in supporting creativity in all its forms. Each month, we dedicate our walls to a local artist, giving them a free space to showcase their work. From painters and photographers to illustrators and digital artists, our Artist of the Month initiative brings fresh talent and visual inspiration to our coworking space.
This ongoing collaboration not only brightens our walls but also helps artists connect with new audiences, fellow creatives, and the wider community. It’s a small but meaningful way we celebrate Galway’s rich artistic spirit.
The Artist of the Month programme is run by Cadhla Forde,
Director of Artist of the Month.
Visit CadhlaFordeArt.com
About the Initiative
Since
This tradition has been part of PorterShed since 2016
Cost to Artists
In exchange for monthly exhibition space and a launch event, PorterShed asks each artist to donate a print, which will be displayed throughout our innovation hub for years to come. A QR code directing visitors to the Artist of the Month page will be placed beside each piece.
Who Can Apply
Open to local artists at any stage of their career.
Why We Do It
To support Galway’s vibrant arts scene and give emerging and established artists a platform to share their work.
Our Artists
Below is a list of artists who have displayed their work at PorterShed from 2024 – 2025
If you would like to exhibit at PorterShed, contact us today.
Siobhan McNutt
Siobhan’s art practice focuses on mark making using combined materials such as ink, watercolour, acrylic, graphite, pen and charcoal. Her work employs drawing, painting, collage and printmaking processes to infer and describe the movement of the three states of matter (solid, liquid and gas) as well as some of the formations they take on such as sea, land and rock.
Shirah Brennan - in collaboration with Outset OXO
Shirah Brennan is an independent conceptual photographer and art director. Working within portraiture for the past 8 years, ‘Shirberts’ has developed a dense portfolio of made-up, fantastical and ethereal worlds she places her subjects in. As an Art History Graduate, Shirah has applied her educational background into her own work; she has recently been concerned with topics revolving around climate change, more specifically how ecofeminism can bring a sense of hope for the future of our planet.
Naoise Sheridan
Naoise Sheridan is an award-winning Irish artist based between Galway and Wicklow. Her practice is primarily focused on human-kind’s forgotten place on the earth as creatures of nature, producing large-scale botanical paintings, installations, sculptures and murals featuring naturalistic creatures of the nude female figure. She is Co-Director of the 126 Gallery, Galway and has organised and curated multiple exhibitions over the past number of years while also mentoring ATU’s Contemporary Art students in Professional Practice. She is a member of the West End Art Collective and currently works out of MART studios Galway.
Sketchico
Founded in Galway in 2018 by Juan and Kerry, Sketchico casts a fresh eye on iconic Galway landmarks as well as finding the beauty in the simple moments that can often go overlooked.
They originally designed the pieces for themselves. Wishing to have a personal element in their home’s decoration, they drew much of the inspiration for the pieces from Kerry’s memories of being a teenager, spending her Summers at Blackrock with her friends, jumping off the top of the Diving Tower for hours on end.
During the creation of a SKETCHICO piece, each print starts out as a photograph and goes through a digital manipulation process, where they modify the colour palette, simplify the image and create a stylised version of the original. It then evolves into a digital painting.
Finbar
Step into a world where creativity unfolds as an exploration of what it means to be human. Through vibrant colours, immersive installations, and collaborations across cultures and landscapes, my work invites you to journey with me—pushing boundaries, seeking connection, and uncovering the essence of our shared experience.
From the early days of graffiti and international street art to large-scale installations and fine art exhibitions, each phase of my practice has been a blend of energy, physicality, and discovery. Whether creating in the landscapes of Ireland, Romania, or China, my work integrates art, energy, and community, expanding beyond traditional spaces to engage and inspire.
This journey is an invitation to experience the transformative power of creativity, using art as a vessel for connection, exploration, and self-discovery. Let the journey begin.
Ishmael Claxton
Ishmael Claxton is a European based photographer. Born and raised in New York City, he has lived in Florida, North Carolina, Texas, California, the Caribbean, Berlin, Paris, Ireland and has been photographing professionally for five years.
He has interned and worked with artist such as Michael Creagh, Litina Egungun, Perry Ogden, Kurt Thometz and worked at the Bushwhick community dark room for a year. With a background in maths, art history, history, set and costume design he’s able to weave all of these elements together to give form to his vision.
His works deals with color, spirituality, politics and the surreal.
Fiona Bradley
Ireland on Silk, a Galway-based visual art brand that captures original artwork on pure silk fabric created by Fiona Bradley.
Bradley is already an established visual artist, selling her work in Galway City, including with the Tiny Traders Market, in Anton’s Café, Fr Griffin Road, and in Blackrock Kitchen Pantry, Salthill, where her Ireland-on-Silk art is on also display.
In her work, Fiona uses silk as the medium for original images and limited-edition prints, capturing the best of Ireland throughout the seasons, from the mountains to the sea and everything in between.
Lucia Hrda
Lucia comes from an operatically-trained background, which formed her passion for music photography. She has photographed live performances of both breakthrough and long-established artists in music venues across London, as well as at festivals, in particular the eclectic and quirky Electric Picnic in Ireland. Her main objective is to capture each artist in a unique way, catching the exact moments of expression of communion with the audience.
Lucia’s current creative practice explores the subject of trauma and chronic pain. Her multi-media installation presents a series of still images in combination with her powerful vocals, aim to evoke empathy in the viewers. Her work prompts a deeper understanding of the pain of others.
Xiaojia Zhag
Xiaojian (Jennifer) Zheng is a PhD candidate at the University of Galway. Her research and her art focuses on placemaking, place identity, sustainability and digitalisation. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and a Master’s from the University of Galway.
Roisin Doherty
Roisin Doherty is interested in the connection and disconnection between people and nature. Particularly in current times in contrast with Island and rural life before the 1970’s.
Several factors contributed to this vast change, such as lack of government investment, emigration, the end of traditional farming and fishing methods.
Through her work she delves into the loss of natural life that coincides with the end of traditional Island living.
Doherty immersed herself in the machair habitat and coastal environment on the Island, which is home to many species that are merely hanging on by thread.
One significant species is the Curlew (Crotach), which is one of many birds on the red list that was once abundant throughout Ireland, their haunting call may one day fall silent.
Doherty’s intricate and detailed work reflects the fragile yet deep connection our ancestors once had with the natural environment.
Outset Design | Outset Gallery
We’d like to give a heartfelt shoutout to Outset, located in the Cornstore in Galway City, for their incredible work in supporting and growing the creative arts community in Galway. Outset is a true champion of the arts, providing vital support to artists and creating an inclusive space for creativity.
Whether you’re looking to frame your artwork, discover a beautiful piece of mid-century furniture, or find your next art treasure, Outset is the place to go.
More than just a shop, Outset showcases some of the most exciting contemporary art and offers a platform for both emerging and established artists to exhibit their work, locally and internationally.
