Sample-Studios and our Digital Arts Partner, Matheson LLP, are delighted to announce a new Digital Artist Bursary Award, developed to support a mid-career or established artist working at the intersection of Art and Technology.
Selected artist will receive:
- Associate Membership of Sample-Studios for 1 year, including access to Project Room and other shared facilities, in 2027.
- Solo Exhibition at Beta Festival Dublin in November 2027 or culminatory events as befits the applicants’ practice.
- Solo Exhibition in Sample-Studios’ Gallery, The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion, Cork City in early 2028 or culminatory events as befits the applicants’ practice.
- Bursary: €5,000
The award is aimed at mid-career and established artists with a sustained focus in art and technology having identified a need for more supports in an Irish context for artists at these career stages. This bursary aims to give resources and platforms to artists to develop their practice.
Context
Sample-Studios established a partnership with UCC Department of Digital Humanities in 2021 in order to support artform advancement in the area of digital arts by delivering a suite of resources for digital artists and scholars.
The first National Digital Art in Ireland Symposium was held in UCC in June 2022. This included an exhibition presenting the work of Joanne Walsh, EL Putnam, and Garrett Lynch IRL, curated by Dr. Conor McGarrigle, in Sample-Studios’ Gallery, The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion.
In 2023, the ‘Data Art’ exhibition presented the work of Cliona Harmey, Filip Berte, Míchael O’Catháin, and Andrew McSweeney, curated by Dr. James O’Sullivan. The same year saw the publication of Digital Art in Ireland: Reflections and Visuals, co-edited by Dr. James O’Sullivan and Aoibhie McCarthy, which launched at BetaFestival Dublin.
The 2nd Digital Art in Ireland Symposium took place in UCC in June 2024. As part of the Symposium, Sample-Studios presented The Object Itself exhibition, curated by Dr. Robin Parmar, with artists Aoife Claffey, Cailean Finn, and Manuel McCarthy Valderrama.
In 2026, Matheson LLP became Sample-Studios’ Digital Art Partner, generously supporting our digital arts programming and bolstering it to offer meaningful platforms for artform advancement. Matheson LLP supported the production of the 3rd Symposium on Digital Art in Ireland in April 2026 as well as House of Memory, a solo exhibition by artist Basil Al-Rawi.
This partnership has now resulted in the creation of this new Digital Artist Bursary Award to support a mid-career or established artist or collective to develop a new body of work. The recipient is invited to present their work at Beta Festival 2027 and in Sample-Studios’ Gallery, The Lord Mayor’s Pavilion in Spring 2028.
Eligibility:
- Applicants must be resident within the Republic of Ireland.
- This open call welcomes both individual artists and collectives.
- Individual applicants must identify as either mid-career or established. This particular opportunity is not suited for emerging or early career stage artists.
- All submitted work must be original. If AI-generated or AI-assisted processes are used, artists must clearly disclose how these tools were incorporated into the creation of the work. Submissions must not infringe on any third-party rights, including copyright.
- All submissions will be reviewed by a Selection Panel composed of representatives from Sample-Studios, Beta Festival, artists and industry professionals.
How to Submit your Proposal:
- Artist Statement (Max 400 words)
- CV or Bio (Max 3 pages)
- Link to artist website/portfolio and/or relevant platforms
- Up to 5 links to works online and/or audio/visual representations of work (up to 20 mins in duration) as befits your practice.
- A statement outlining why this specific opportunity and context interests you and will benefit your practice, at this specific juncture in your career or particular area of focus (Max 500 words)
- Proposal outlining your intention for an exhibition or culminatory events (Max 500 words)
Deadline: 1pm, 2nd December 2026.
Shortlisted applicants may be invited to interview in December. All applicants will be informed of the outcome of their application by 10th January 2027.