Mayo artist to feature in new exhibition
Emma Bourke from Westport is one of the artists who will feature in the new exhibition. Picture: Fran Veale/Julien Behal Photography
A Westport-based artist will feature in a new exhibition in Dublin.
Emma Bourke, who works with glass, will feature in the 2026 RDS Craft Awards Exhibition in Collins Barracks. Held in partnership with the National Museum of Ireland, the exhibition will give contemporary Irish craft a national stage within one of the country’s leading cultural institutions.
The exhibition marks a new partnership between the Royal Dublin Society and the National Museum of Ireland, bringing together the €60,000 RDS Craft Awards, the largest fund of its kind for craft in Europe, with public exposure at a level rarely seen in the craft sector.
Curated by Dee Morgan-Smyth of the RDS, the exhibition presents work by the 12 shortlisted makers from the 2026 RDS Craft Awards, offering visitors an opportunity to experience some of the most exciting contemporary craft being produced in Ireland.
The shortlist features six emerging makers: Jack Ó Meara (Kenmare Needlepoint Lace), Camilla Hanney (Ceramics), Muck Murphy (Woodturning and Vernacular Furniture), Luke E. Holden (Glass), Sam Gleeson (Metalsmith and Knife Making) and Kate O'Neill (Sculpture, Ceramics and Textiles).
They are joined by six established makers: Emma Bourke (Glass), Pierce Healy (Jewellery and Objects), Zsiri Melinda Dempsey (Ceramics), Andrea Spencer (Glass), Frances Crowe (Tapestry Weaving) and Róisín Pierce (Textile Design and Craft).
Selected following a competitive call for applications from Ireland and internationally, the shortlist spans disciplines including ceramics, textiles, wood, glass, metal, jewellery, weaving and lace, reflecting the breadth of contemporary craft practice today.
By placing contemporary makers alongside Ireland’s material heritage, the show highlights craft as a living, evolving practice, rooted in tradition and engaging with modern life. It also reconnects two institutions with shared roots, with the National Museum of Ireland originating from collections transferred from the RDS in 1877.
The exhibition is open to the public until April 2027. Admission is free.
