The Art Collections

The University of Limerick has an active and thriving cultural life. This is reflected by its policy to promote, develop and support the arts. The University is home to several art collections which include the University's own collection of painting and sculpture by Irish and international visual artists. The University is the home to the National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland, the Watercolour Society of Ireland's Permanent Collection (WCSI), the Irish American Cultural Institute's O'Malley Art Collection, the Wood Collection of Irish 19th Century Landscape piantings, as well as several long-tern loan collections, which include Walter Osbourne's Feeding Chickens. The collections are located throughout the campus.  

The University's Bourn Vincent Gallery has a revolving temporary exhibition schedule and is located in the Foundation Building, where the WCSI's Permanent Collection is on view, as are many of the self-portraits. The collections are also on view in Plassey House and the Main Building. The University has a growing outdoor sculpture collection, most recently added to by Sean Scully's Crann Saoilse and Together&Apart by Anthony Gormley.  These collections are freely available and accessible to the public at all times. The painting collections are normally on view during office hours.

The National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland
The National Self-Portrait Collection of Ireland is located in Plassey House, the Foundation Building and the Main Building.  It numbers more then 375 works of mixed media and is added to annually at the New Additions exhibition in June.  The collection includes works by Sean Keating, Sarah Purser, Derek Hill, Alice Maher, Andrew Kearney.  

Watercolour Society of Ireland's Permanent Collection
The permanent collection of watercolours is added to annually by the Society and is excess of 150 works.  It hangs on the 1st floor gallery of the Foundation Buiding and is free to the public during office hours and concert performances.  Watercolours by Arthur Gibney, Pheobe Donovan, Muiris McGonagle, Jo Kinney.

Irish American Cultural Institute's O'Malley Collection
This collection is on long term, permanent display in Plassey House.  It comprises 57 works by distinguished Irish artists working in the early 20th century and includes paintings by Mainie Jellett, Evie Hone, Paul Henry and Jack B Yeats.

The Wood Collection of Irish 19th Century Landscape painting
The Wood Collection comprises oil paintings, watercolours and drawings that illustrate 19th century Ireland through depictions of lanscape and touristic views of the country.  Thomas Sautell Roberts, James Arthur O'Connor, William Ashford, Mildred Ann Butler and Hugh Douglas Hamilton are all represented.  The collection hangs in Plassey House.

William and Elizabeth Bourn Vincent Gallery
The Gallery in the Foundation building was created through the generosity of William and Elisabeth Bourn Vincent.  It displays works by contemporary Irish artists on a revolving basis holding 3 exhibitions per year, as well as hosting the EV+A international art exhibition and the New Additions exhibition of self-portraits annually.

The University houses several other collections on loan for varying periods.  These include works by Edwin Armitage, Walter Osbourne, Jack B Yeats and Louis Le Brocquy.