A unique strength of the Centre is its wide range of technical resources, supports and space existing within the same complex and available for artistic development and creative practice. Our facilities are based in three buildings: a 1,500 sq.mt industrial premises known as the ‘Factory’ on New Line, Manorhamilton; a 4-storey 680 sq.mt Georgian building called ‘Sheehan’s’ on Main Street and next door another Georgian house of 665 sq.mt, known as 'McKenna’s'.
All our facilities are available to everyone and prices start from €10 per day.
The Centre is organised around the following key facilities.
FACILITIES
Factory Building:
- Gallery
- 9 x Artist Studios
- Metalwork & Foundry Workshop
- Ceramics Studio
- Ceramics Glazing & Kiln Room
- Large Fabrication Area
- Stone Working & Grinding Unit
- Woodwork Studio
- Mouldmaking Studio
- Waxworking Studio
McKenna's Building:
- Cluainín Community Co-op Shop
- Residential Studio Apartments and Bedrooms
- Analogue Photographic Darkroom
Sheehan's Building:
- 8 x Artist Studios
- Traditional Printmaking Studio
- Printmakers Dark Room with Exposure Unit
- Printmakers Digital Studio
Private Studios
Leitrim Sculpture Centre has studios to let for professional artists. The studios vary in size up to 26 sq.mt. and form part of a complex of 19 studios.
Sheehan’s & McKenna’s Studios - Are located in two attractive Georgian premises, on Main Street in the centre of town and are ideal for painters, printmakers, digital media creators and all those working in 2D or light construction media.
Factory Studios – Are located in the main LSC building and would suit artists working in the areas of stone, wood, ceramics, mouldmaking, metalwork, forge and foundry.
Access to the Studios is from 6am to 10pm and rent includes: utilities, broadband, kitchen.
Contact us for an application form if you would like to apply for space: info@leitrimsculpturecentre.ie
Project Studios
The Gallery consist of various spaces totalling 304 sq.m. These can be used by artists wishing to view or develop new work in a gallery context or try out installation and/or projection ideas.
Factory Project Space, on the first floor of the Factory is a 54sq.m. studio that caters for performance, drawing, workshops and artists projects. The studio is well lit, heated and has a wooden floor which is ideal for movement and performance based work. The room can also be used for community and artists workshops, master classes, drawing projects or as a projection space for talks and meetings.
The gallery space is 304 sq. metres open planned with extensive wall space 3.9m high. It has an extensive window front of 60 ft and the specialist Erco gallery lighting as well as ample daylight. The Gallery shows individuals or groups of artists and provides for special projects, workshops or community events.
National and international artist led groups or curators may hire the facility and exhibit their own projects.
The facilities include
InFocus IN5316 Projector 1920x1080
Dell 2400 Projector 1024x768 XGA
The Foundry and Metalwork areas are equipped to cater for the sandcasting process only and we are unable to facilitate refractory casting at the moment. The operation encourages direct hands on use of the facilities and experimentation is encouraged across a range of mould-making processes.
Facilities Include
Sandcasting equipment with large sunken bronze furnace (bronze) and small Flamefast portable furnace (aluminium).
Blacksmithing forge with anvil.
Welding with TIG, MIG and ARC.
Sandblaster
Benches and vices
Centricast C300 mouldmaking machine with Seba 20kg melting pot
Metal sheet guillotine
Metal sheet roller
Chop Saw 355mm
Pillar Drill
Bench grinder
We have some hand and power tools to hire but generally artists should bring their own.
Materials can be ordered by artists from:
Steel - Please contact us.
Welding supplies - Basic tools and consumables can be sourced locally:
Please use our address and your name on the order and pay for everything up front. We cannot accept COD.
The Centre has three potters wheels and a three kilns.
We have limited hand building tools and some power tools to hire but generally artists should bring their own.
Materials can be ordered by artists from:
Please use our address and your name on the order and pay for everything up front. We cannot accept COD.
Facilities Include
Ulster Ceramics College electric kiln 8.1. Front loading - 68cm deep x 46cm wide x 75 high. Capacity – 225 litres.
Ulster Ceramics College electric kiln 4.2. Front loading - 45cm deep x 39cm wide x 69 high. Capacity – 120 litres.
Nabertherm 190 electric kiln. Top loading circular – 59cm wide x 69cm high. Capacity – 190 litres.
Paragon SC2 Silver & Glass Kiln – for small work from silverclay and enamelling to glass and bead annealing.
Lincoln Wheel
Facilities Include
Dewalt band, plunge and mitre saws
SIP Pillar drill
Trend T14 Router Table
Titan Planer & Thicknesser
Draper Hand Router
Horizontal drill
Record Power Lathe
Draper Hand Router
Wet & Dry bench grinder
We have some hand and power tools to hire but generally artists should bring their own.
General materials and tools can be sourced locally or ordered by artists from:
BMG Hardware
Please use our address and your name on the order and pay for everything up front. We cannot accept COD.
Fabrication facilities are housed in the largest open planned space in the factory at 275 sq. metres.
The space has a height of 15 metres and benefits from direct access to the yard.
Stone working happens within our Grinding Unit and outside in the covered yard area.
Lifting gear for the movement of stone:
Konig Gantry
Hydraulic table
Adjustable height bankers
Two-person Hand lifting clamp
Grinding Unit:
Martini Aeroimplanti water wall which draws stone dust away from the user and keeps dust to a minimum in the surrounding atmosphere.
We have some hand tools to hire but generally artists should bring their own.
Tools can be ordered by artists from:
Stone can be ordered from:
McMonagles stone in Mountcharles. They have a lovely Spanish sandstone which is fantastic for fine details. They might have offcuts which are a bit cheaper. Their own Donegal sandstone is very hard and harder on tools. They also have limestone.
Mckeon Stone in Stradbally, Co Laois has limestone and offcuts are available.
Visits a number of local monumental stone workshops who do headstones. Many of them replace old limestone headstones and base stones with modern black polished granite from China and India. They can be hard to work though.
Please use our address and your name on the order and pay for everything up front. We cannot accept COD.
Facilities Include
Martini Aeroimplanti waterwall
Bench grinders
Pallet trucks
Konig gantry with block lifter
A 75 sq.m investment Mould-making Studio and separate Wax-working Studio.
Mouldmaking Processes
Clay, Plaster and Wax Moulding: An introduction to good mould principles
The simplest of mould materials, clay can take up impressions of objects, surfaces and actions. Plaster will quickly set and remain hard. These in turn allow wax editions to be taken. Each step in a mould process depends on the degree to which the properties of each material interact. For example; plaster/wax (water/oil). Useful techniques, especially for the reproduction of models from one material to the next in the casting process.
Life Casting Plaster
Bandage and/or alginate rubber can be used in taking impressions from fine surfaces and objects, notably the body and parts thereof. Often used by artists to reproduce life detail in wax and then bronze and stainless steel.
Direct Wax
As an alternative to the copying function of the wax in the casting process, the wax can be freely constructed, using various softening, welding and paint-on techniques. Expanded Polystyrene can be usefully combined with wax, tin foil and other fibre and organic materials to build up surfaces and volumes. An experimental and exploratory approach has been successful in the past.
We have some hand and power tools to hire but generally artists should bring their own. We do not keep any materials in stock due to their short life span and increasing cost.
Tools and materials can be ordered by artists from:
Please use our address and your name on the order and pay for everything up front. We cannot accept COD.
The Traditional Printmaking Workshop is located in a separate building behind Sheehan’s and includes etching, lithography and silkscreen facilities. Access also includes the Print Studio with computer, scanner and printer, which leads through to the Traditional Print Dark Room & Exposure Unit.
We promote the use of non-toxic printing processes and develop alternative methods for avoiding the use of solvents and chemicals harmful to health and to the environment such as electro etching, galv-on etching etc.
Facilities include
Tofko Etching and Lithography Press - Bedsize 100cm x 183cm
Karl Krause (Leipzig) Etching Press - Bedsize 67cmx150cm
Silk Screen Press - Kippax Model 4030-OA – Max screen 58”x44”. Max print area 40"x30".
Drying Rack – Kippax Model 4232 - Tray size 42” x 32”
UV LED Exposure Unit - Kippax Model 5036-LEDTT - Max screen size 1270mmx915mm (50” X 36”)
Drying Cabinet - Kippax Model 4832-HDC - Max screen size - 1210mmx853mm.
Epson SureColor SC-P900 A2+ Inkjet Printer with Accurip software connected to an iMac
Square hot plate 60×60
Litho and silkscreen equipment
Assorted gravers, burnishers, chisels and scrapers
Lino and wood gouges
Japanese marking knife
Arkansa stones
Mezzotint rockers and Roullets
Diamond dry points
Stop out varnish, soft and hard grounds.
Please bring your own tools and materials. They can be ordered too and sent to us. Please use our address and your name on the order and pay for everything up front. We cannot accept COD.
How to use the Studio:
For beginner printmakers (and experienced printmakers too), the best way to get familiar with the studio and printmaking is to attend Manorhamilton Print Group's Thursday night or Friday morning peer group. Currently they do not do Screenprinting on this night - See Facebook:
Alternatively you can book into a 1:1 Induction session.
Once you are familiar with the studio and confident to work on your own you can book the Studio - prices are:
TRADITIONAL PRINTMAKING - Etching & Silk-Screen: Includes tracing, blotting and newsprint papers, black ink, acids, grounds, meths, turps, white spirit, degreasing materials, etching tools and access to Printmakers Dark Room and Exposure Unit. €20 per day. We have accommodation for €35 a night too.
The Analogue Photographic Darkroom is located at the back of the McKenna's residential building.
Facilities include:
Enlargers
Print Washer
Please bring your own tools and materials. They can be ordered too and sent to us. Please use our address and your name on the order and pay for everything up front. We cannot accept COD.