Cow House Studios

My favourite type of story is one of transformation. We have heard many stories over the years of how transformative the experience has been for students who have participated in our summer program. We often hear these stories months or sometimes years later from the student themselves or on the grapevine from a family member or another student. We learn how their time here changed their life and helped carve a path forward.

It means the world to hear such reflections. As an artist, I understand how challenging and nourishing it can be to make art. Being a teen can be hard; we want to give a voice to their thoughts and concerns. Art is a way to give form and virtue to their experiences of the world.

And so it means a lot to hear about the positive and lasting effect that a few weeks with us can have.

Recently, I was speaking with a student from California who is interested in attending our summer program. She learned about our program from her sister’s friend, Josh. Josh attended our summer program 8 years ago and he is now due to graduate from art college. I asked what she had learned from Josh about our program. Josh told her that his time in Ireland changed his life; it changed how he saw art and how he makes art.

It’s wonderful to recognise the value of a certain moment in time; to see how pivotal a specific experience can be. As an educator, it’s really such a privilege to hear these stories.

If I could travel back to speak with my 16-year-old self, I would encourage her to participate in Art on the Farm, our teen summer program.

We welcome all sorts of personalities for the summer, from the confident and outgoing to the introverted and shy. Our students come from different parts of the world, they have varied life experiences, outlooks, and interests. What draws these people together is a desire to make art with a small group of people in a unique rural setting. This gathering of personalities generates an environment of openness and acceptance, where our students take huge strides in making art while learning much about themselves and others along the way.

Art on the Farm provides a valuable way to meet other people who share a love of art. The most important quality in our students is not their experience level, but their desire to participate. This creates wonderful energy in the studio, centered on meaningful exchange and understanding. It's heartwarming to see students open up to each other through their art, and to witness the bonds they create through that shared experience; to see they have found their tribe. Young Rosie would have loved that!

Often, when people being a substantial project, they are following a passion; they have a love for something. Frank, my husband, and I love art; we value its importance in the world.

We also love teaching and creating a space where opportunities for exchange and new ways of thinking are presented to our students. We love seeing the kernel of an idea develop and mature into a realised work. We love seeing how art allows students to connect with themselves and the world around them.

This genuine passion for art and education is at the core of what we do, but in the pursuit of building a successful program, another equally important factor is the care we put into every detail of what we do at Cow House. It’s one thing to love what you do, but you are not going to love every aspect of what you have to do to make a company succeed. But care needs to go into everything; this care and attention is reflected at every level of the experience and creates something very special.