Open Call: Kilkenny Sustainable Art Exhibition 2025 - Celebrating Biodiversity Week Ireland

An Chéad Tine Art Gallery is thrilled to announce that the Kilkenny Sustainable Art Exhibition will return in 2025. This year’s exhibition will run from the 10th - 25th May, once again coinciding with Biodiversity Week Ireland, in partnership with the Irish Environmental Network and Kilkenny County Council, offering a unique platform for creative voices to respond to the most pressing environmental themes of our time.

Kilkenny Sustainable Art Show 2025

Curated and selected by Mary Doyle Burke, the exhibition invites artists across all disciplines to submit work that embodies sustainability in both material and message. Whether you’re a sculptor using natural fibres, a printmaker experimenting with eco-friendly techniques, or a digital artist reflecting on the fragile state of our ecosystems - your voice matters.

We’re particularly interested in work that:

• Utilises organic or recycled materials, natural dyes, or sustainable processes

• Explores biodiversity, climate change, and humanity’s bond with nature

• Documents eco-conscious methods to share with others through books, zines, or educational tools

• Engages with social and environmental justice through your chosen artform - be it installation, digital film, performance, spoken word, or traditional media

How to Enter

Artists are welcome from all artforms and disciplines. To apply:

1. Visit this link and pay the €20 entry fee.

2. Email your application to an.chead.tine@gmail.com with Kilkenny Sustainable Art Exhibition 25 entry as the subject line.

3. Deadline for entries is April 26th.

Include the following:

• Artist Statement/Bio highlighting your sustainable art practices

• Up to 5 images, sketches or links (e.g. to videos) showing previous work or your proposal

Biodiversity Week Ireland

Like last year we will run a free event alongside this sustainable exhibition. A ReWILD KILKENNY Day Walk & Talk in the city and along the River Nore.

We encourage artists to reflect deeply and honestly about their environmental impact and creative potential. Join us in celebrating art that treads lightly but speaks loudly.