Butler Gallery

📣Calling All Artisan Food Makers - Register now before submissions close on Friday!

We're inviting makers across Ireland to submit an application to participate in our annual fundraiser, The Butler Gallery Craft Fair this November.

Here we are specifically calling out to Food Vendors providing food sold for off-site consumption, take home goods. Butler Gallery has an on-site café so the provision of ready-to-eat food traders is not required at this time.

The deadline for submission is Friday 2nd October 2026 at 5pm.

Register on our website today & see full details on our What's On Page.

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Beatrice Kelly after a long illness bravely borne. Beatrice was a longstanding board member and former Chair of Butler Gallery whom we greatly valued for her sage advice and support, her kindness and her innate intelligence. Beatrice made such a positive contribution to the cultural life in Kilkenny and afar through her work with the gallery and her many years at the Heritage Council where she contributed greatly on a range of important initiatives. We extend our deepest sympathies to her husband Niall, her daughter Alice, her parents Margaret and Patrick Kelly, brothers Ed and James, the extended family and her many dear friends and past colleagues. She will be hugely missed by all of us. May she rest in peace.

Our café is currently closed as we prepare to welcome a new café operator to Butler Gallery.

We would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Olivia and all the staff at Wildflower Café for all her work and support during her time with us. We wish her every success for the future and know her next venture will be hugely successful.

Keep an eye on our socials and website for further announcements.

Butler Gallery is pleased to invite expressions of interest for one-month studio residencies in our Garden Studio to take place in 2027. The residency offers artists the chance to research and develop their work within the inspiring context of Butler Gallery.

The Garden Studio is designed to expand Butler Gallery's learning programme. It offers artists a dedicated space to research, experiment and create. Butler Gallery is committed to supporting newly emerging and established artists in their practice.

Residency participants are encouraged to engage with the public through at least one activity, such as an open studio, workshop, or artist talk. This engagement is designed to foster community interaction and encourage dialogue about contemporary practices.

A monthly studio residency will include a stipend of €2500. Studio access is available during gallery operating times.

Please note this is a non-accommodation residency.

**How to Apply**
This call is open to artists from all disciplines and we particularly encourage artists with a demonstrated track record of community engagement.

Please provide, in a single PDF, a proposal outlining your intended work and how this residency would benefit your practice, a CV and 3 images of work.

Applications to be sent via email to [email protected]

Deadline for submissions is Monday 26th October.

Still Life - A Seasonal Journaling Workshop
with Joanna Bourke Lawlor
Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October
11:00am - 12:00pm

Part of the Savour Kilkenny Festival.

Join Life Coach Joanna Bourke Lawlor at Butler Gallery for an interactive journaling workshop inspired by The Gallery Collection. On the eve of Samhain, we’ll connect to ourselves, the season we are in, and what will light us up and keep us warm, body and soul, as we transition into winter. Workshops will include journaling exercises with tea, coffee and cake.

About Joanna:
Joanna Bourke Lawlor teaches the Savour Method on retreats, workshops and coaching programs. After attending Ballymaloe Cookery School and working as a private chef, Joanna taught The Calm Kitchen at the Fumbally Stables - a cookery class blended with mindfulness in the kitchen.

While working in the tech industry, Joanna trained in Intuitive Eating, a self-care eating framework. These experiences are blended in the Savour Method - an approach to personal coaching rooted in the question - what are you really hungry for? Exploring what we are deeply craving, both on the plate and in life, is the root to greater satisfaction and contentment.

To book see What's On section of our website.

Savour Kilkenny Food Festival

Culinary Art Tour with Clare Anne O’Keefe
Sunday 25th October
3pm - 4pm
Part of Savour(ing) Art led by Food Designer Clare Anne O'Keefe.

Discover a new way to experience the Butler Gallery collection.

Join Food Designer Clare Anne O'Keefe and an expert gallery guide for a special tour that connects the art on the walls to the world of flavour. You will be guided through the collection, hearing the fascinating stories of how food is used in art and seeing how the colours and themes in a painting can inspire creative dishes.

The tour concludes with a unique opportunity to enjoy a small bite directly inspired by the art you’ve just explored. It’s a fun, engaging event for anyone curious about the delicious links between great art and great food.

To book see What's On section of our website.


Savour Kilkenny Food Festival Clare Anne O'Keefe

Imbibing Art: Cocktail Mixology & Tasting
with Clare Anne O’Keefe
Thursday 22nd October
6:30pm - 8pm

Cocktail Mixology Demonstration and Drinks Tasting for over 18's only.

Part of Savour(ing) Art led by Food Designer Clare Anne O'Keefe.

Join Food Designer Clare Anne O’Keefe for a special tasting class at Butler Gallery. In this session, Clare Anne will demonstrate how she creates unique cocktails and drinks inspired by artworks in the gallery's collection.

You will see how Clare Anne translates the colours, styles and stories of pieces by the celebrated artists Jane and Tony O'Malley, into creative beverages. The demonstration will be followed by a tasting, allowing you to experience this unique connection between art and flavour for yourself. This is a perfect opportunity for anyone interested in art and mixology to explore the Butler Gallery collection in a new and engaging way.

To book see What's On section of our website.

Savour Kilkenny Food Festival Clare Anne O'Keefe

Today we celebrate the birth date of Tony O’Malley (1913-2003) a highly respected and much-loved Irish artist who was also awarded a ‘Freeman of the City’ of Kilkenny and in 1993 was elected Saoi of Aosdána.

Self-taught, O'Malley's artistic career took off in 1960 when a disability pension enabled him to retire from work as a bank official; this was the start of a most prolific career. The Kilkenny-born artist holds a distinguished position in the history of twentieth-century Irish art. His works are represented in the most significant Irish public and private collections, and in important international collections of Irish art.

Butler Gallery is honoured to have been entrusted to caretake the artworks of Tony O’Malley, donated to us by his late wife Jane O’Malley (1944 - 2023) upon our move to Evans’ Home in 2020. In addition to her own life as an artist, Jane O’Malley worked tirelessly to preserve the legacy of the work of her late husband.

We are delighted to present a building-wide exhibition honouring Tony and Jane, in association with Kilkenny Arts Festival, on show until 26th October. This expansive exhibition marks the receipt of the bequest of both artists’ estates by Jane O’Malley to Butler Gallery where the artists had a long association.

Visit our gallery, open Tuesday - Sunday with late night opening on Thursdays to explore the works on display. We also have selected prints available for purchase in our online shop.

Major support provided by Brian Baum in loving memory of Úna Wilson and added support from Taylor Galleries.

Photography by Ros Kavanagh.

Mount Juliet Estate in partnership with Butler Gallery, are offering you the chance to win a luxurious mid-week break for two in the beautifully restored Manor House. Set amidst 500 acres of magnificent parkland, mature woodlands and landscaped gardens, experience one of Ireland's finest country retreats, where historic grandeur and contemporary luxury are seamlessly intertwined. Rich in heritage and renowned for its warm hospitality, Mount Juliet Estate offers an experience of incomparable luxury in an exceptional setting. From leisurely walks through the estate grounds to moments of relaxation within the elegant Manor, every detail is designed to create a truly memorable escape in the heart of Kilkenny's countryside.

This exclusive prize includes a one-night midweek stay in a luxurious Manor Suite, a full Irish breakfast, and a traditional Afternoon Tea served in the refined surroundings of the newly refurbished Manor House.

Entries Close 12pm Wednesday 14th October
Draw takes place on our Facebook Live on Wednesday 14th October
Raffle tickets: €10

Visit our website to enter - visit our 'What's On' page to see more!

Enter the draw to be in with a chance to win this fantastic prize whilst raising essential funds to help Butler Gallery support living artists and all audiences through our Exhibition and Learning and Public Engagement Programme.

Mount Juliet Estate