This past summer, first year student Zoe Cronin went to study sustainability at the Burren in Ireland. Here are some images of the landscape.
Read her reflection on her time there:
Spending four weeks at Burren College of Art in the tiny town of Ballyvaughan, Ireland,
affirmed for me how important it is for artists to be part of the environmental movement. We are
the ones who carry and share the message! It was also refreshing to spend time in a country
where the importance of safeguarding our environment isn’t a politized or debated issue; the
Irish population, as a whole, seems to embrace the shared responsibility to care for the
environment. The topics of art, environmentalism, farming, and community are tightly
interwoven, and, although secluded, the Burren is vibrant and sophisticated. I attended lectures
by local artists, farmers, and community members which gave me a greater appreciation and
understanding about the surrounding community. Discussing and learning about the karst
landscape and ecology of the Burren was an important part of my explorative studio experience.
My ecology class often ventured out into the landscape. I used studio time to reflect on my
experiences in our ecology class and create a varied body of work I am still developing back in
the U.S. My artistic practice has evolved into an exploration of how other communities, cultures,
and countries approach climate change.
Her work from this past summer:
Learn more about the program here.
