1976, London: Women Artist Slide Library [WASL] was initiated as an informal small group of artists to document their work and keep record of other women’s artist work. The WASL opened its collection to the public in 1982, on the occasion of the festival “Women Festivities” in London. The organisation also ran a magazine from 1983 to 2021, firstly as a newsletter - The Women's Artists Slide Library Newsletter - becoming the bimonthly The Women Artists Slide Library Journal, then the quarterly magazine The Women's Art Magazine, and finally MAKE, the magazine of women's art. 

Source: <https://aim25.com/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?inst_id=29&coll_id=14107>, last consulted on 22/03/22.

1978, Belfast: The artist-led organisation Art & Research Exchange (A.R.E) was initiated as the result of the Northern Ireland workshop of the Free International University, a project by internationally known artists Joseph Beuys and Henrich Böll. A.R.E - based in 22 Lombard Street - developed its activities as a cross-disciplinary centre with a screen-printing workshop, design studio, photographic darkroom, artists’ studios, and was used for seminars, conferences, and band rehearsals. 

Source: Artist-Led Archive Printed Index, NIVAL collection.

1978, Belfast: Belfast Anarchist Collective first opened Just Books in June 1978, in Winetavern Street.

Source: <https://diyconspiracy.net/the-warzone-collective/> last consulted 13/07/22

1979, Belfast: First year of the MA in Fine Arts, Belfast School of Arts (Ulster University). It was the first MA in Fine Arts in the whole island of Ireland and still “is one of the longest standing and most recognised studio-based Fine Art programmes in the UK and Ireland”.

Source: <https://www.ulster.ac.uk/courses/202223/fine-art-mfa-28160> last consulted 6/08/2022

1981, Belfast: Circa Magazine was founded, as well as the Artists Collective of Northern Ireland (A.C.N.I), both based in A.R.E.

Source: Artist-Led Archive Printed Summary, NIVAL collection.

1983, Leeds: Foundation of 'The Pavilion Women’s Photography Centre', a feminist photography project (1983-1993) that continues today under the name “Pavilion” as a contemporary arts organisation. 

1983, London: The London Irish Women Centre opened its door in Stoke Newington (remaining active till 2012).

Source: Gill Park, Feministing Photography: The Pavilion Photography Centre – Looking Back to Act Forwards, in Deepwell, Katy (ed.), Feminist Art Activisms and Artivisms, 2021; p.288.

1984, Belfast: The punk-anarchist Warzone Collective began to form. By 1986 the Collective opened its first premises in Belfast City Centre (Donegal Lane) which provided a vegetarian/vegan café/drop-in, practice and office space for bands, venue, and screen-printing workshop. Women’s News - a feminist-led collective and magazine, also initiated in 1984, used to be printed in the anarchist bookshop Just Books. 

Source: <https://diyconspiracy.net/the-warzone-collective/> last consulted 13/07/22

1984, Derry: Derry Film and Video Workshop (DFVW), also known as Derry Film and Video Collective (DVFC), was established in Derry in 1983, incorporated in 1984, and lasted until 1990.  DVFW was a women-led film production company formed under the terms of the 1982 ‘Workshop Declaration’, which also gave birth to projects such as the Black Audio Film Collective and Sankofa Film and Video Collective. Largely omitted from the histories of these regional/minority/Black-British/diaspora workshops as well as from records of feminist counter-cinema, the DFVW elaborated and explored overlapping political tensions around gender, class, the Irish ‘national question’ and legacies of imperialism. Formed around ideas of radical self-representation and resistance, films produced by the collective offer a nuanced depiction of these complex forces at work in the specific context of Derry.

Collective members, at different points in time, included Anne Crilly, Margo Harkin, Trisha Ziff, Geraldine McGuiness, Jim Curran, Stephanie English, Tommy Collins, Therese Friel, Brendan McMenamin, and Jamie Dunbar, most of whom had no prior experience of filmmaking. They came together with a sense of urgency to address overlapping political tensions around gender, class, the Irish ‘national question’ and legacies of British imperialism.

Source: EVA International, <https://www.eva.ie/artist/derry-film-and-video-workshop/>

Source: “Open the book on a different page.” Project by Sara Greavu and Ciara Phillips <https://projectartscentre.ie/event/open-the-book-at-a-different-page/>

March 1984, Belfast: First edition of the Festival of Women in the Arts (Belfast), co-ordinated by NOW (Neighbourhood open workshop and the women’s festival planning group).

Source: Women’s News, issue 1, March 1984.

May 1985, Belfast: Event Women’s Festival 1985, including oral project ‘Old Wives Tales’. Includes an exhibition by Una Walker and a seminar titled ‘Women, Art, Politics’, Crescent Arts Centre.

Source: Printed materials, Anne Tallentire Archive

August 1985, Belfast: Representing Ourselves: Women in Northern Ireland, meeting with various professional categories including women in the arts, which took place at the Family Planning Association.

Source: ‘Circa’ magazine, no.24, 1985, p.43; PR material, Una Walker Archive. 

March 1986, London: Event Eye to Eye: Irish Women Artists Continuous slides, live work, videos, tape slides, speakers, discussions. Battersea Arts Centre, partners Women Artists Slide Library + Irish Women in Islington. Organised by Irish Women Artists Group. Source:  Eye to Eye Invitation Postcard, Anne Tallentire Archive.

May 1986, Annaghmakerrig, Tyrone: Meeting on the 24th in occasion of an open studios event- In correspondence with Anne Tallentire, Pauline mention that Cecily (Brennan), Geraldine (?) and Anne Carlise will be attending, do discuss action points after the Eye to eye event in London. Source: Anne Tallentire Archive, Breeda Mooney interview.

October-November 1986, London: Event/Exhibition/Publication Prism I and II, London Irish Women’s Centre, as part of Carraig Agus An Fharraige, a London-wide festival celebrating Irish women’s culture. (1986)

Artists: Rosemary McGodrick, Rose Ann McGreevy, Anne Tallentire (Drawing I, II, III), Phyllis Mahon, Jacinta Feeney, Oonagh Hyland, Jane Garland, Alanna O’Kelly. Source: NIVAL Archive; Anne Tallentire interview; Art Review by Fionna Barber on Spare Rib, issue 160, November 1985; Leaflet of event, Anne Tallentire Archive. 

January 1987, Belfast: Event/Exhibition - Women on Women: An exhibition of paintings, wall-drawings and installation. Fenderesky Art Gallery, Malone rd 9, as part of the Belfast Festival at Queens. Featuring works by Vivien Burnside, Anne Carlisle, Rita Duffy, Mary McGowan, Phyllis Mahon and Una Walker.

“Hurray and three cheers for a brilliant exhibition! The first thematic exhibition of women’s images in Northern Ireland”. Review by "Scotlyn and Shona", Source: Women’s News, issue 22, Dec/January 1987

Jan/February, 1987, Birmingham: Event - In Focus: Strategies for Women’s Art Practice, Conference organised by the National Artist’s Association, as part of the Birmingham Women’s Festival. “It provided the opportunity to examine the historical developments within the women’s art movement [in Britain] in the last fifteen-years”. 

Source: Barber, Fionna, In Focus: Strategies for Women’s Art Practice, in ‘Circa’, No.33, Mar-April 1987; pp. 11-12.

February 1987, London: Event - Irish Women: our lives, our identity, Report of the 1987 London Irish Women Conference, organised by the London Irish Women Centre. Anne Tallentire is one of the invited speakers, representing the Irish Women Artists Group. 

Source: Conference’s report, Anne Tallentire Archive.

February 1987, Belfast: Meeting - First informal meeting of Northern Irish Women Artists Group 

Source: ‘Women’s News’, issue 32, Dec 87/Jan88. 

11th February 1987, all-Ireland: Document - Invitations letters sent out from Jenny Haughton for ‘Out of pressure’ project, an all-Ireland exhibition with women artists

Source: Una Walker Archive. 

25 March-2 May 1987, Dublin:  Event/Exhibition/Publication - Direction Out exhibition curated by Brian McAvera for the Douglas Hyde Gallery in Dublin 

‘An investigation into a selection of artists whose work has been formed by the post-1969 situation in Northern Ireland’ - the twelve painters and sculptors selected were all male. McAvera wrote in the exhibition’s catalogue: “I was very conscious of the need for a woman artist… however, I refuse to bow to totemism just to satisfy some numerical notions of representation. The blunt fact is that women do not seem to be working in the area considered by this show”

Source: McAvera, Brian, Direction Out Catalogue, 1987.

4th April 1987, Clonmel: Meeting - Jenny Haughton (curator at the Sculptor Society of Ireland and Temple Bar Dublin) organised a meeting of women artists in Clonmel – co. Tipperary – with the aim to initiate conversations for a women artists’ exhibition in 1988. Artists from Belfast, Dublin, Galway, and Cork attended. “The meeting, titled ‘Out of Pressure’ [aimed] to raise questions and issues facing women artists working in Ireland”. Artists were asked to bring slides and discuss their work. As an action after the meeting, the participants agreed on the need of a women-artists network in Ireland, “both north and south – the Women Artists Action Group!”. The network was aiming at organising exhibitions, conferences and housing an archive of women artist work, on the model of the London based Women Artists Slide Library. The idea was eventually to organise an exhibition (curated by women, with women artists), but before that “not only women artists need to develop their work in an atmosphere of support from other women […] but as feminists we need to broaden the audience for women’s art” (Fionna Barber in ‘Women’s News’, issue 26, May 1987.)

Source: Una Walker Archive, Una Walker Interview, Fionna Barber in ‘Women’s News’, issue 26, May 1987; Pauline Cummins in ‘What is WAAG?’, text commissioned by EVA, 2020-2021. 

28th April 1987, Belfast: Meeting - Women Art Issue Now meeting held in ARE, 10 women attended. Decision of organise an archive of women’s work. Next meetings: Studio Visit with Louise Walsh (21st May) and group meeting 26th May.

Source: Letter dated 11th May 1987, from Fionna Barber to Una Walker, Una Walker Archive. 

15th-16th May 1987, Belfast: Meeting (May 15th) - Women and the Visual Image (some members of WAAG also attended). Event (May 16th) - WEA dayschool/workshop “Women and the Visual Image”, at ARE (Art and Research Exchange, Lombard Street 22, Belfast). With Fionna Barber, Vivienne Burnside and Annalisa Smith. 

Source: Fionna Barber in ‘Women’s News’, issue 26, May 1987, Archival report by WAAG (Women Artists Library, Goldsmith). 

26th May 1987, Belfast: Meeting - Women Art Issue Now at ARE. Discussion about exhibition in November in Belfast, and an all-Ireland exhibition to coincide with International Women’s Day in March 1988.

Source: Letter dated 2nd June 1987, from Fionna Barber to Una Walker, Una Walker Archive. 

6th June 1987: Second meeting of WAAG in Galway, Louise Walsh (from NIWAG) did attend. 

Source: Letter dated 2nd June 1987, from Fionna Barber to Una Walker, Una Walker Archive. 

6th June 1987, Galway: Meeting - First AGM of WAAG, attended by 16 women. “we drew up our constitution and the Steering Committee for 1987 was decided: Chair: Pauline Cummins; Sec/Treasurer: Breeda Mooney; Publicity: Jerry Haughton / Anne Hartigan. Leinster to be base for the period June 1987 – June 1988 with an option of continuing one more year. WAAG Steering Committee will then rotate from one province to the next on a ½ yearly basis”

Source: typewritten report by WAAG (Women Artists Library, Goldsmith). 

Possibily May/June 1987, Amsterdam: Meeting - WAAG Meeting with IAWA, Breeda Mooney and Pauline Cummins. 

“In 1987 Breeda Mooney and I [Pauline Cummins] went to Amsterdam to join the International Association of Women in the Arts (IAWA). It was a great conference, very inspiring. We met women artists from organizations in Austria, Holland, England, East and West Germany, and Switzerland.”

Source: Cummins, Pauline, Elveren, Merve, What is WAAG?, text commissioned by EVA International online programme ‘Little did they know’, 2021. < https://www.eva.ie/littledidtheyknow/what-is-waag/> last consulted 25/07/22. 

19th of June 1987, Belfast: Meeting - Women Art Issue at ARE. 

“A name of the group was agreed upon – Women’s Art Issues. It was proposed that the group should affiliate to W.A.A.G in the South […]. Fionna Barber has agreed to take on the job of co-ordinator for the group – acting as contact person, sending out information’s etc […]”

Source: 19th June 1987 meeting report, Una Walker Archive. 

July 1987, Dublin: Event - 3rd International Congress on Women in Dublin, Women’s World’s Festival & Slide Exhibition (slide show with lectures and discussions). 

Artists involved: Evelyn Conlon, Róisin Conroy (Attic Press), Joni Crone, Pauline Cummins, Breda Mooney, Mary Paul Keane, Kay Dennis, Maeve Ruane and others. About the event hosted by Project Arts Centre “The Project Gallery hosted the biggest women artist event ever held in Ireland. This mixed media show displayed the work of over seventy Irish women, now the basis for the most comprehensive slide collection of women’s work in Ireland” (mention of performance, and writers also involved). 

Source: “Slideshow of women artists’ work organised at the Project Arts Centre, Dublin, point of contact Pauline Cummins.” advert published on: ‘Women’s News’, issue 27, June 1987; Conroy, Róisín, Paul Keane, Mary, Women’s World’s Festival: An Artistic Celebration, in ‘Women’s Studies International Forum’, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 397-399, 1988. 

Summer 1987: Louise Walsh in the States (Alice Berger Hammerschlag Foundation scholarship)

“Louise Walsh (Women’s News) tours USA on behalf of Irish Women Artists Group – Anarchist Delegation to US includes Louise from Just Books”. 

Source: ‘Women’s News’, issue 32, Dec 87/Jan88, Louise Walsh Interview. 

July/August 1987: Event - Women’s Caucus of Arts, National Conference Exhibition, Boston.

“The first publication of WAAG (wrote, edited and published by Pauline Cummins) was born in response to an invitation of Irish Women Artists May Stevens, Alanna O’Kelly, Mary Duff and Pauline Cummins as speakers at the ‘Women Caucus for the Arts in Boston’ (1987)”

Source: Pauline Cummins in ‘What is WAAG?’, text commissioned by EVA. 

July-August 1987: Event/Exhibition/Publication - Irish Women Artists: from the Eighteen Century to the Present Day – at the National Gallery of Ireland, The Douglas Hyde and Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art (Dublin). The contemporary section included the work few WAAG/NIWAG artists such as Pauline Cummins, Rita Duffy, Alice Maher, Alanna O’Kelly, Louise Walshe, Una Walker, Cecily Brennan. Although “all organised and selected by men” (comment by Fionna Barber, Women’s News’, issue 26, May 1987) Source: Exhibition Catalogue; Women’s News’, issue 26, May 1987. 

Critic text by Waldemar Januszczak commented in his article, “Women framed in gentility”, Arts Guardian, 1987: “The chief-danger of women-only exhibition is that they spend so much time exploring personal and sexual politics that they become unbearably narcissistic and self-centred.”

Source: Exhibition Catalogue; Women’s News’, issue 26, May 1987. 

August 1987, London: Event/Exhibition/Publication - Off the map: group show of the Irish Women Artists’ Group. With Frances Hegarty, Carole Key, Rose Ann McGreevy, Rosemarie McGoldrick, Alanna O'Kelly, Anne Tallentire. Running from 5 August 1987 - 22 August 1987, at the Chiesenhale Gallery, London. Catalogue’s introduction text was written by Fionna Barber. 

Source: Off the map, Chiesenhale Digital Archive; and Off the Map, catalogue in NIVAL archive. 

3rd-29th September 1987, Dublin: Event/Exhibition/Publication - WAAG I, first show of WAAG, at the Guinness Hop Store in Dublin, with 91 artists participating with an open-to-all policy. Included a slideshow of the IRL/NI women artist slide library. As part of this, on the 18th of September a day-long seminar was organised (“with discussion and speakers from N.I., London and throughout the country. Performance by Anne Tallentire” - typewritten report by WAAG)

Source: What is WAAG, Pauline Cummins; typewritten report by WAAG (Women Artists Library, Goldsmith). 

18th September 1987, Dublin : Meeting - WAAG, Where to now?

Meeting after 6 months of WAAG establishment, discussion around future projects planning. In particular, what is the project WAAG should focus about (i.e. touring the slide exhibition, with talks by artists, and art historians; organise small ‘consciousness raising’ shows; organise an annual members show; publications of women’s work). Other discussions regarding fundings and what could be the curatorial focus of WAAG going forward (Artistic quality: how to assess it while still make the members opportunities accessible for all. Artistic careers: shall the organisation be focus on emerging or established artists. New and traditional media of representation: what artistic practice has been underrepresented in WAAG’s recent events and why)

Source: Agenda/Notes for meeting 18/09/1987, WAAG Archives, NIVAL, Dublin. 

1st October 1987 Dublin : Meeting - WAAG Research Group. 

“The group consist of Susan Mackay, Aileen MacKeogh, Patricia McKenna and Joan Fowler.

We established the following as the immediate goals of the project:

1. Education - What is the percentage of women who graduate form College? What are the numbers of women staff in colleges and are they practicing artists? How many women apply for teaching posts, how many women are appointed and how are the interviews panels balanced? How many part-time staff are women, and what is the length of their employment?

2. Societies – What are the numbers of women/men in the AAI, Sculpture Society, Contemporary Arts Society, Independents, Irish Visual Arts Foundation? 

3. Exhibitions – How many women submit work to EVA, RHA, Living Art etc? What percentage of women [is] chosen to represent Ireland [abroad]? What are the figures on one-woman show, group shows and residencies?

4. Gallery Directors – How many women are in control of galleries’ policies?

5. Arts Centres / Studios – What are the figures for women using studio spaces? 

A number of other research proposals were made but the above are the tasks for the present. […] At our next meeting we will discuss the possibilities of raising funds for research purposes.”

Source: Typewritten report of meeting 1/10/1097, WAAG archive, NIVAL, Dublin. 

14th November 1987, Cork: Meeting - WAAG, at Crawford Art Gallery. 

November 1987, Belfast: Event/Exhibition/Publication - Identities, first event organised by the Northern Irish Women Artists Group, in ARE, Lombard Street 22, Belfast. 

Exhibiting artists: Anne Carlisle, Catherine McWilliams, Nicola Russell, Rosemary McManus, Jenny Kennedy, Elaine Thomas, Louise Walsh, Moira McIver. The public programme included an opening performance by Anne Tallentire – Altered Tracks - and Anne Seagrave; an artist talk by Rita Duffy; two poetry and prose reading nights; a lecture by Eileen Black titled the History of Irish Women Artists with slide presentation; a talk by Pauline Cummins on the activities and future programme of WAAG and “Women’s Art Issues” a WEA day-school with Fionna Barber, Alice Maher and Mhairi Sutherland. 

Source: Identities Catalogue, Una Walker Archive + Fionna Barber Archive; ‘Women’s News’, issue 31, November 1987; ‘Women’s News’, issue 32, Dec 87/Jan88. 

1988, date unknown: WAAG officially becomes a member of IAWA.

“WAAG is a member of IAWA International Association since 1988”

Source: WAAG Newsletter, April 1989, WAAG Collection, NIVAL, Dublin. 

9th January 1988, Belfast: Meeting NIWAG: Is there life after ‘Identities? – at Fionna & Louise’s house. Workshopping about future of NIWAG – Outcome of the meeting: concentrating on support women’s work through studio provision and exhibitions’ opportunities. 

Source: Meeting minutes, Una Walker Archive. 

31st March 1988: Meeting NIWAG meeting at Alice Maher’s house. Report back from meeting happened on March 24th in Dublin, attended by Fionna Barber and Alice Maher – discussion about Derry Seminar and WAAG’s regional representatives in the North. 

Fionna and Alice proposed a branch structure system: 

“[…] a branch structure would mean that each branch would have its own representatives, elected to the WAAG Executive by its members, all of whom have voting rights. At present WAAG’s regional system is based on the four provinces of Ireland resulting in a great deal of responsibility being placed on the role of individual representative in each region. A branch system would be much more flexible; basically, a branch would form in any area where there was particular interest and / or activity in women’s art. It would thus be easier to carry our activities on a local level in addition to being part of an all-Ireland network.”

Source: Meeting minutes, Una Walker Archive. 

4th June 1988, Derry: Event - Symposium in Derry at Foyle Arts Centre, in partnership with Orchard Gallery organised by WAAG with historian and curator Fionna Barber, Derry Video and Film Workshop Collective. Initiated by WAAG in partnership with Declan McGonagle at Orchard Gallery. Moira Roth (American historian and activist) was invited by WAAG member May Stevens. Declan invited Helen Chadwick. Speakers: May Stevens (artist), Fionna Barber, Moira Roth (art historian, critic), Anne Crilly (filmmaker, DVFW), Pauline Cummins, Helen Chadwick, Aileen McKeogh (artist). 

Source: PR materials in NIVAL Archive, and Goldsmith’s Archive. 

Summer,1988, Switzerland: WAAG delegates meet with other members of IAWA. 

15th October 1988: Meeting - AGM of WAAG

“NIWAG is now a regional branch of WAAG. This means that members of the Northern Group have the right to elect a regional representative to the WAAG executive which meets in Dublin. Members also have the rights to attend and vote at the AGM, and will also receive and can contribute to the WAAG newsletter (quarterly)”.

Source: NIWAG Newsletter, report from WAAG AGM, Una Walker Archive. 

November 1988, San Francisco: Symposium on Irish Art and Literature at San Francisco State University. With “painter Alice Maher, sculptor Louise Walsh, poet Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill, journalist Nell McCafferty and scholar Ailbhe Smyth”. Organised by Professor Chinosole (Women’s Studies at SF State University)

“One of the interests of our program is the relationship between the feminist movement and anti-colonialist movements […]is an opportunity to make contact with women who are living that (colonial) experience every day” (Debby Rosenfelt, co-ordinator of the Women Studies Program at SF State).

Source: Zaff, Cary, Irish women bring their visions to SF State: Week-long symposium of Irish women’s art and literature, Golden Gate, San Francisco, 17th November 1988, Alice Maher Archive. 

August 1989, Dublin: Event/Exhibition WAAG II, Art Beyond Barriers, second group show of WAAG at Royal Hospital in Kilmainham (now IMMA), 45 artists participating. 

Source: Leaflet of Women Artist and the Environment Conference, WAAG, Women Artist Library Archive, Goldsmith, London.

1989, Frauen Museum Bonn, West Germany: Event/Exhibition/Publication - Art Beyond Barriers, exhibition organised by IAWA [International Association of Women Artists], 5 artists from WAAG took part (Pauline Cummins, Patricia McKenna, Mary Duffy, Alice Maher, Group Submission of NCAD students – Jane Daly, Mary Fitzsimons, Neasa Hardiman, Margaret Lonergan, Olwen Weekes) along with other European-based artists collectives (DARS Udine, Das Verborgene Museum Berlin, DUNA Rome, Eva & Co. Graz, Frauenmuseum Bonn, GSMBK/SSFPSD Basel, INTAKT Wien, SVBK Amsterdam, WASL London)

Source: Catalogue Art Beyond Barriers, published by Frauen Museum Bonn, Women Artist Library Archive, Goldsmith, London.

October, 1989, Frauen Museum Bonn, West Germany: Event IAWA International Conference. With IAWA Groups and Representatives, including: Eva & Co (Austria), Frauen Museum (Germany), GSMBK/SSFPSD (Switzerland), INTAKT (Austria), DARS (Italy), DUNA (Italy), SVBK (Netherlands), Das Verborgene Museum (Berlin, Germany), WAAG (Ireland) and WASL (UK, who compiled the report, with representative Katy Deepweel).

December 1989, Dublin: Small Works Exhibition fundraising event to get funding for commissioning international artists’ new public art works during the upcoming event: Women Artist and the Environment. 50 WAAG Artists involved.

Source: Leaflet of Women Artist and the Environment Conference, WAAG, Women Artist Library Archive, Goldsmith, London.

1990, Dublin: Sexuality and Gender, solo show Pauline Cummins, Douglas Hyde Gallery.

September 1990, Glasgow: Women Setting Agendas for Change in the Arts, conference organised by ‘Women in Profile and Women 2000’ – this included, among an array of events, and conferences, Irish Women Artist Link-up “An opportunity for women in Ireland and Irish women in Britain to meet, discuss their work, ideas, agendas for change, to provide a space for Irish women artists (groups) and Scottish women artists (groups) to concrete link and discuss future collaborations, including plans for the IAWA Annual Symposium in Dublin 1991, hosted by Women Artists Action Group”.   Discussion around the International Association of Women Artists Symposium, which would be hosted by Women in Profile and the Women Artists Slide Library (London) in Glasgow.

Source: PR poster, Women Artists Library, Goldsmith, London.

November 1990, Belfast: Document - Call-out by Irish Women Artists’ Link (probably to further expand the network of artists that met at the Glasgow Conference) “Irish Women Artists’ Link are interested in receiving applications from Irish women artists or women currently producing art in Ireland, for a forthcoming exhibition to take place in Dublin in June 1991 [WAAG’s Women Artist and the Environment] and Belfast in July 1991 [unknown]”.

Source: attachment of letter dated 25/11/90, signed by Mary McIntyre, Women Artists Library, Goldsmith, London.

June 1991, Dublin: Event - Women Artist and the Environment Conference at IMMA. Mary Robinson – president of Ireland – opened the event. 

The title ‘environment’ was given after the invited artists decided what to make for the occasion. Artists were members of IAWA, coming from Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Austria etc. whom developed site-specific installation. Participating artists were: Nora Bachel / ITAKT / Austria, Friederke Bachmann / Frauenkultur Initiative / Germany, Roswitha Baumeister / Künstlerinnen Archive / Germany, Atty Bax / SVBK / Holland, Sabine Bitter / Eva & Co / Austria, Mary Duffy / WAAG / Ireland, Maria Dundakova / GSBMK / Switzerland, Anna S. Von Holleben / Frauenmuseum Bonn / Germany, Felice Alice Emma Nüsselein / DARS / Italy, Roxanne Permar / WASL / London, Gisela Weimann / Das Verborgene Museum / Germany.

Guerrilla Girls (USA) were invited as keynote speakers, and they delivered a speech titled “Conscience of the Art World”. Other speaker involved in the conference: Breeda Mooney (introduction - artist and Chairwomen of WAAG), Ms Mary Harney TD (The Minister for Environmental protection), Ms Riet van der Linden (Editor of Ruimte Art Magazine, Holland), Ms Meadh Ruane (Writer/Critic, Executive Director of Dublin Women in History Exhibition, Ireland), Ms Carmel Foley (open discussion – Chief Executive of the Council for the Status of Women), Atty Bax (evening performance – Dutch Performance Artist). 

May-September 1991, Dublin: Event/Exhibition/Publication - In a State: an exhibition in Kilmainham Gaol on national identity, Project Arts Centre, curated by Jobst Graeve. In the introduction of the catalogue, Graeve declares “In general, some of the most outspoken artists are women and the exhibition will hopefully reflect this” (Source: Jobst Graeve, Catalogue; p.9). The exhibition includes work of WAAG/NIWAG members: Pauline Cummins, Rita Duffy, Alice Maher, Geraldine O’Reilly, Louise Walsh. [Note: the only brief mentions of WAAG on Cummins and Walsh’s CV in the appendix]

1992, Dublin: Event/Exhibition Two-person show Sounding the Depths, Pauline Cummins and Louise Walsh Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA).

Source: Pauline Cummins’ website <http://www.paulinecummins.com/cv/> last consulted 07/07/22.

1993, Belfast: Permanent Sculpure by Louise Walsh “Monument to the Unknown Women Workers” is installed on the entrence of the Europa Bus Station. 

1993, Belfast: Event/Exhibition/Publication Relocating History: An Exhibition of Work by 7 Irish Women Artists, Fenderensky Gallery. With a critical essay by Fionna Barber.

1995, London: Publication, Essay by Hilary Robinson “Irish/Woman/Artwork: Selecting Readings”, in The Irish Issue: The British Question, ‘Feminist Review’, Number 50, Summer 1995; p.89-110.

[Note: there is no mention of women artists led groups such as WAAG, NIWAG, IWAG]

1997, Nottingham: Event/Exhibition/Publication Irish Geographies: Six Contemporary Artists. Group Show in Djanogly Art Gallery, Nottingham and Maclaurin Gallery, Ayr, curated by Catherine Nash. The project includes a catalogue, with an essay by Nash. Artists featured: Pauline Cummins, Frances Hegarty, Kathy Prendergast, Tim Robinson, Chris Wilson, Daphne Wright. 

[Note: there is no mention of women artists-led groups such as WAAG, NIWAG, IWAG]

Source: Exhibition Catalogue.

October-December 1997, Boston, U.S.: Event/Exhibition/Publication Re/Dressing Cathleen: Contemporary Works from Irish Women Artists, Charles S. and Isabella V. McMullen Museum of Art, Boston College. Curated by Alston Conley and Mary Armstrong. Artists featured: Pauline Cummins, Rita Duffy, Mary Fitzgerald, Finola Jones, Eithne Jordan, Mary Lohan, Alice Maher, Deirdre O’Connell, Eilís O’Connell, Gwen O’Dowd, Geraldine O’Reilly, Kathy Prendergast, Louise Walsh. 

[Note: in the publication there is no mention of WAAG or NIWAG, despite the fact that many of artists included in the project were active members of these groups]

Source: Exhibition Catalogue.