Photo Museum Ireland is delighted to announce the shortlist for our 2023-24 Early Career Artist Awards.

The Photo Museum Ireland Early Career Artist Awards is a mentorship residency programme providing essential curatorial guidance and resources for the most promising photography graduates as they embark on their artistic careers. Over the course of this year-long programme the recipients will have an opportunity to create new work with ongoing support from our expert curatorial team and selected guest mentors.

To make up the shortlist for the Early Career Artist Awards we invite tutors from photography degree courses from across the island of Ireland to each nominate two graduating students. We are looking for artists with a real passion for photography, who have been consistently engaged throughout their college career and who have already attained a very high standard in their practice. 

Early Career Artist Awards Shortlist 2023

We are offering all of the nominated artists comprehensive mentorship, during which they will be guided through developing a new project proposal. We feel strongly that everyone involved should benefit from the programme. Each of the nominees submits a project proposal and based on this a maximum of three artists will be selected for the programme by the Museum’s curatorial team in collaboration with guest mentors. 

Over the course of the programme the three selected artists will receive: 

  • Regular critical feedback sessions with Photo Museum Ireland curators and guest mentors to help develop a new body of work

  • Specialist workshops to support professional development 

  • Networking opportunities within the wider photography and cultural sectors

  • Access to production facilities at Photo Museum Ireland, including our state-of-the-art digital suite and fully serviced darkroom

  • Promotion on the Museum’s social media

  • An exhibition of their work in the Artists’ Project Space

Photo Museum Ireland is delighted to support and encourage the growth of new creative talent in Irish photography. We want the Early Career Artist Awards programme to empower the recipients in developing sustainable individual practices, making a significant contribution to the exciting future of photography in Ireland.

With thanks to Ann Curran (TU Dublin), Martin Healy & Adrian Reilly (IADT), Donovan Wylie (University of Ulster), Sinead Murphy (Griffith College), Albert Walsh (Crawford College of Art and Design), Sarah Durcan (NCAD Media), and Lorraine Neeson (LSAD) for their assistance with nominations.

Banner image: Ethan McGarry