The Things That Matter Most are the Things that can’t be Seen | Bridge Street Studios 30th Anniversary

Bridge Street Studios is thrilled to celebrate its 30th anniversary with a visual art exhibition, ‘The things that matter most are the things that can’t be seen’, which will embark on a journey to Droichead Arts Centre in Drogheda, where it will be on display from June 27th to August 22nd, 2026.

As one of the oldest and largest independent artistic collectives in Ireland, the Studios have been an integral part of the town’s creative fabric since their formation in 1996.

The ‘The things that matter most are the things that can’t be seen’ exhibition features the works of eight dynamic professional artists and craftspeople who are all based in Bridge Street Studios, including Orlaith Cullinane, Rachel Tinniswood, Mary Cowan, Suzanne Carroll, Caóilfíonn Murphy O’Hanlon, Orla Barry, Sarah McKenna, and Fiona Quigley. Their collective expertise spans a wide array of medium, including paintings, sculpture, prints, ceramics, textiles, and mixed media.

The artists have chosen the quote ‘The things that matter most are the things that can’t be seen’ by A.A. Milne to capture the spirit of the studio’s vibrant and lasting community on its momentous 30^th anniversary. The exhibition serves as a testament to the importance of shared creative environments. The artwork demonstrates the power and strength of a collective and the ways in which sharing space, time, and energy with a peer group can creatively sustain an individual’s artistic development. The artists have explored the theme with rich imagery, allusion, and symbolism, crafting responses and connections on personal, local, and universal levels. Each artist brings a unique perspective to the theme, creating a diverse and thought-provoking exhibition.

Mary Cowan has chosen to look at the idea of connections. While making the work she is considering how each piece is relating and connecting to the others. Her work is hand built using a combination of methods including pinching, coiling and slab-building. 

Rachel Tinniswood uses textiles to investigate the invisible labour of the underworld and the potential life and energy stored within tiny organic vessels.

Suzanne Carroll responds to the invisible crisis beneath our coastal waters.She works with earth pigments ground from local materials alongside traditional oils and acrylics. Her work for this exhibition explores the underwater gardens of Carlingford Lough, bringing the unseen world of kelp forests and marine habitats into visibility.

Sarah McKenna’s sculptures of pebble-shaped vessels and gathered branches are born from a fleeting, exterior world of forest walks and shoreline finds.

Orla Barry presents a series of hinged triptych paintings, revealing and concealing the mysteries of hidden thoughts, ideas and beauty.

Caóilfíonn Murphy O’ Hanlon has examined the importance of intangible heritage and traditions and revisited sacred ancient places. Using gathered and handspun wools and fibres dyed with the plants of the land she has connected her pieces directly to her environment in homage to a sense of place, belonging and deeply connected ancestral bonds and beliefs.

Image Gallery - Click to enlarge