Crawford Art Gallery
Review of Cork's No 1 Art Museum: Exhibits, Group/Solo Shows, Artists Represented, Opening Hours.

Irish Art Exhibitions

Men of the South (Detail) (1921), by
Sean Keating.

TOP PRICED FINE ART
Although most of the best painting
and sculpture resides in national
museums and galleries, major
auction houses, like Sotheby's
and Christie's do obtain great
works from private collectors
for public sale. For a list of
top prices achieved, see:
Most Expensive Irish Paintings.

Crawford Art Gallery

Located close to the Opera House in the centre of Cork, the Crawford Art Gallery - whose chequered history is interwoven with the city and indeed the history of Irish art in general - is the longest established museum in Cork and is a critical part of Cork’s cultural appeal with over 200,000 visitors a year. In addition to its permanent collection of Irish painting and Irish sculpture, the Gallery hosts temporary exhibitions for international as well as Cork artists, and produces a range of publications and education programs to foster the practice and appreciation of Cork art. These programs facilitate the promotion of traditional and contemporary artists from Ireland and overseas.

Permanent Collection

The Crawford Art Gallery’s permanent collection consists of more than 2000 artworks, ranging from eighteenth century Irish and European painting and sculpture, through to modern artworks such as video installations. Among the highlights of the collection is a series of casts of Roman and Greek sculpture which were brought from the Vatican Museum in Rome, in 1818. Irish highlights include a strong collection of paintings from nineteenth and twentieth century Irish art.

Guided Tours

The Crawford Art Gallery directs its attention at a wide variety of audiences, including the local Cork communities, schools in the Cork County and Munster region and tourists from Ireland and abroad. It offers guided tours of the art museum to groups and schools (lead by professional Irish artists) and organises lectures, art workshops (eg. its Children’s Art Summer Workshop) and museum visits.

Lastly, the Crawford Art Gallery supports and facilitates several other cultural bodies, including the Cork Historical and Archaeological Society, the Cork Literary and Scientific Society, and others.

Friends of the Crawford

Although funded through the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism, it is assisted in its fundraising by the Friends of the Crawford - an independent support organisation established in May 1989 under Mrs. R. O'Brien, comprising over four hundred art-lovers - whose financial support is invaluable. These generous art patrons are dedicated to assisting the Gallery and to building public awareness of the superb collection, which contributes so much to the visual arts of Ireland.

Gallery Opening Hours

Monday - Saturday 10am-5pm
Closed Sundays

For more information about the paintings, sculpture, exhibitions and other services offered by the Gallery, please contact:

Crawford Art Gallery
Emmet Place
Cork
Ireland
Phone: 021 490 7855
Website: www.crawfordartgallery.com

Art Galleries Around the World

For the top venues, see: Best Art Museums.

The Top Irish Art Galleries

For reviews of the best museums of arts in Ireland, see:
- National Gallery of Ireland
- National Museum of Ireland
- Irish Museum of Modern Art
- Hugh Lane Gallery Dublin
- Chester Beatty Library
- Trinity College Dublin Library
- National Self-Portrait Collection
- The Hunt Museum (Limerick)
- Ulster Museum.

• For details of other Munster fine art exhibitions and collections, see: Irish Art Galleries and Museums.
• For details of the world's best museums, see: Homepage.
• For more about venues in Ireland, like the Crawford, see: Irish Art Guide.