Cow House Studios

The warmth, care, and expertise of the staff and faculty are wonderful. Our daughter's experience was deeply meaningful, full of joy & fun, grew her artistic skill set (and portfolio!, which we had underestimated and it resulted in a significant scholarship to a design school), as well as her independence and cultural exposure. The team holds space for the students to find their own way & to get out of it what they put into it -- that's an invaluable lesson at this life stage.

The space and surroundings are comfortable, cozy, and safe -- it feels like staying with close family friends. The fresh baked bread, thoughtfully home cooked meals (prepared by the lovely & hilarious Dee who felt like a true Auntie), and morning exercise option (led with encouragement & care by Frank) all helped to keep our daughter's health in balance.
The program folds its participants into the community, from the grandparents that reside next door, to the local children that come in for occasional workshops & events), to dinner at Rosie & Frank's house just down the way.

The weekend trips all over Ireland are a huge plus, and every stop is thoughtfully curated, and even adjusted as needed in response to weather or other factors. Stops covered countless galleries & museums, as well as a lighthouse, cultural landmarks, local small businesses & community venues, and hostel stay experiences, all of which combine for a super well rounded semester.

All supplies are included, which is significant, and our daughter was thrilled at the range of materials & equipment on hand (especially the unlimited film!). The guidance & critique are gentle while fostering confidence and encouraging growth. There's nicely done accountability in terms of rotating weekly chores and attending studio, done in a way that requires self-direction & building adulting skills.

Her experience felt like being with extended family, which gave us major peace of mind and left her with life-long treasured memories. Each cohort has a unique experience, based on the alchemy of that year's group – so it's truly a one of a kind community each time, which is just one more special aspect of this immersive, robust, and beautiful program!

A gem in the countryside of Ireland for young creatives~
My daughter recently returned from a autumn Gap year program at Cow House, and I can not recommend it highly enough.

Frank and Rosie's program of art instruction, weekend field trips and studio free time was the perfect combination for my young artist. She learned a ton, an artistic freedom, and got to know Ireland! An extremely well-run program, and I felt like my young adult was in excellent hands for all parts of the experience.

Parents should feel lucky to have their young adults here.

My decision to take a gap year came later in my high school career, and while my time spent at Cow House Studios was one semester, it has encompassed everything I wanted and needed within that decision. The culmination of new material, incredibly expansive resources, and self guided practices truly nurtured my soul as an artist. I felt so safe and my practice was uplifted and encouraged by everyone there. Some of my most treasured memories come from simply talking about what it means to be an artist with friends and especially all of my mentors: Rosie, Frank, Roísín, Dee, Sinead, and even Michael (Rosie's dad) whenever he would pop into the studio! :) This community is so connected, and truly feels like family. The depth of history and transformation the space has gone through is so inspiring, and there is so much care within every inch. The library, my room with my roommate who is now like my sister, and the kitchen having long chats with Dee, all feel like a home that will never leave my heart. Every moment I spent in Teach Muc (the clay studio), the darkroom, my studio, and even writing and reading by the fire, nourished my creativity and absolutely taught me how to take care of myself as an artist, and have patience with my practice. Above all else, the connection with the land and environment I was able to foster changed my life. I learned how to explore and play again, and the long walks I took exploring the fields, creeks, forests, and mountains solitary and with others absolutely reawakened my inner child. Additionally, the visits to other spaces for artists such as the Red Barn Residency, Workhouse Union, and Blackbird Culture Lab enriched my perspective of correlations between regenerative agriculture, environmental activism, and the arts. The interactions with curators and a wide range of exhibitions were eye opening and have absolutely provided me with a network of artists, activists, and community organizers in which I am so grateful to Rosie and Frank for.

It was a very big deal and investment for my family to send me to Cow House Studios, and words cannot express the gratitude I feel for my time spent there. To say it was life changing would be an understatement; my connection with that space and all of the other communities I was introduced to feel lifelong. I am also incredibly grateful that Cow House offers several scholarships given that it is a fairly small family run business. (Which is another reason why you should support them!) I believe everyone should get the opportunity to experience the freedom, support, and eye opening experiences my time spent there provided me.

Cow House Studios was an incredible experience. I had never experienced anything like it. I got the fortunate experience of getting the scholarship to cow house, and once I got it I felt incredibly lucky and excited, as I had never done anything like that in my life. If you are considering applying for the scholarship, go for it! Its definitely worth it and you never know, you might just get accepted! The staff, the food, accommodation was absolutely wonderful as well as my art improving tremendously. I had great conversations with my mentor Roisín and the staff at cow house such as Rosie, Frank and Sal were all such interesting people with amazing artwork and incredible lives. I absolutely loved taking trips around Ireland to different galleries and places. As an Irish person I never actually visited so many of the exhibitions and it really opened my eyes to the amazing art and landscapes on offer in our country. I am now prepping my portfolio for art school with tons of cow house paintings and pieces included, it was so unbelievably helpful. Cow House Studios also encouraged me to actually pursue art as a career, as initially it wasn’t my plan. The nature there was absolutely stunning, and I loved how rural it was! I loved swimming in the pond every single day. I cherish all the amazing friends I met there. So many people encouraged me to be myself, as expressing the artist and cooler side in you is NOT common where I am from lol. Being exposed to so many people like me made me realise how important self expression is and I really became my true self surrounded by nothing but nature, people and art. Funnily enough, my ex of two years horrifically broke up with me while away from home. I’ll never forget how kind everyone was to me, the support I got was absolutely unreal. I just know if I wasn’t at cow house the break up would have been so much harder. The kindness and support they showed was so strong and it just pretty much sums up how cow house is lol. After returning home from cow house I honestly felt like a new person. I also celebrated my 18th birthday at cow house and everyone was seriously so kind about it and bought me presents, it was the sweetest. Thank you so much to everyone at cow house! sending good luck to anyone applying for the scholarship this year, and if anyone needs to reach out for me for advice on how I got in pls do! My instagram is fiadhxd <3

When I first walked into the studios and living spaces I immediately felt at home. Everyone was so friendly and open - people wanted to connect and make friends as much as they wanted to make art. One of my favorite things about this program was how the days were put together. Everyday had some scheduling but also lots of free time so students could become immersed in the space on their own terms. Whether it was wandering through the woods near Kelly's trees, reading or drawing by the pond, laughing until your sides hurt with your roommates and new friends, or spending hours in the studio working on painting or prints, it was so fun and an unforgettable experience.