Last week, the Textile Fibre Art students enjoyed another guest lecture, this time entitled ‘Launching & Selling Design-Led Products To Market’ by Dena Nolan, a freelance consultant for enterprise.
Dena has been working in the sales, marketing and innovation space for over a decade and has worked with companies across the world. Now an independent contractor she has a significant portfolio of results-focused projects working in areas such as producing a quality profitable product, maintaining and developing sales, while also anticipating and understanding the buyers/ retailers, needs and requirements. She has worked with a portfolio of clients on trade and consumer shows. Dena has hosted , staged and facilitated consumer and trade exhibitions at National & International Level as well as worked in Permanent Trade Showrooms. She has a significant results-based methodology in mind focusing on her clients’ requirements at all times.
Her unique negotiating and development skills were developed in the property market, subsequently transitioning into product design led field whilst working in the USA, for high end luxury interiors business. Her previous positions have involved engaging with (UK), Sea World/ Busch Parks (USA) Notre Dame (USA) Marks & Spencers (UK), Kilkenny Group (Ireland), House of Fraser (Ireland) Meadows & Byrne(Ireland) to name a few.
Having experience as being both the buyer and seller, Dena understands the complexities involved in the logistics and producing a quality profitable product, maintaining and developing sales but also anticipating and understanding the buyers/ retailers, needs and requirements.
To our students, Dena delivered an energetic and interactive day-long programme on understanding the strategy development and planning for proposed artifacts and products. This workshop included advice on developing and refining research, critically reviewing a market and sales strategy. The students were enthused and became more focused on the further potential of their own artifacts, which are currently being evolved. Dena immediately established a connection and understanding with the students and they found her guidance highly beneficial to the direction of their own work.
Dena Advises Students
Dena’a Lecture Begins..
We are delighted to continue our Graduate Profile this week, with another of our highly successful students, Emma Noonan.
Emma has consistently built her portfolio of work since she left the Fibre Art course, firstly as a student of G.M.I.T. and then as an independent maker. This is a testament to the hardworking attitude she always displayed as a student and maintains as a professional artist. Emma has returned to B.C.F.E. regularly to openly share her advice with students and to impart her skills and experience, which they have found invaluable.
‘Blue Cluster’
‘Blue Cluster: Detail’
‘Blue Cluster: Detail’
From a very young age Emma always had a keen interest in art and after secondary school she began her college career in B.C.F.E. studying for a Higher National Diploma in Fibre Art. After B.C.F.E., Emma went on to G.M.I.T. Galway and studied for an Ordinary Degree in Fine Art & Design for three years, finishing off her college career with an add on Honours Degree in Applied Design in Textiles.
Moving back to her family home in Delvin Co, Westmeath, Emma began her career as an independent artist. Emma took part in exhibitions with G.M.I.T., showcasing her work at New Designers in London and at The Knitting & Stitching Show Dublin in 2010. She also set up a solo exhibition in Trim Co, Meath, where she was approached by local TD Ray Butler to exhibit during Trims St Patricks Day celebrations in 2011.
Building up connections during this time with the owners of The Garden Gallery (now the Purple Raven Art Gallery) in Delvin, lead to two pieces being sold to the O.P.W. These pieces were entitled ‘Ornamented’ and were from Emma’s graduate collection. They are now part of the Irish State Art Collection. One piece hangs in Trim’s O.P.W. buildings and the other piece hangs in the offices of the Taoiseach. This was a huge start to Emma’s career in the art world and she has continued to work independently, inspired by her surroundings, for the past four years as a Textile artist.
‘Ornamented’
In her practice so far, Emma has created a collection of delicately painted silk scarves, which have been exhibited at various design and craft fairs and as part of a Crafts Council of Ireland Exhibition. In addition Emma has created a collection of beautifully detailed, handmade paper embroidered butterflies, which have travelled across Ireland and Northern Ireland as part of group and solo exhibitions.
Hand Painted Silk Scarf
Embroidered Butterfly, Handmade Paper & Stitch
Continually looking to enhance her own work and its development, Emma has involved herself in business courses, product development courses, ‘Artist In The Community’ work and craft groups. At the moment Emma is working as an Art Technician, while continuing her personal work.
‘Release’, Strong Women Exhibition
In her work, Emma enjoys the combination of traditional textile techniques and fine art and continues to draw and paint to explore new ideas. During her college years, Emma studied the various approaches of textile making, fine art and crafts, which included embroidery, handmade paper with embellishments and batik paper. Emma has continued to use these techniques in her work and practice to date.
‘Scarlet Tiger Moth’, Painting
‘Parthenice Tiger Moth’, Painting
‘Death’s Head Hawk Moth’, Painting
Below are specific details of Emma’s experience so far:
Made in Westmeath Member 2012-2014
Crafts Council of Ireland Member 2010-Present
Sponsored by Westmeath County Council awarded the ‘Artist Bursary Award’, 2012, 2013, 2014
- Art Technician – Internship with Scoil Mhuire Trim, Co Meath, Since November 2015
- Artist in The Community – St Colmcille’s National School, Gainstown Mullingar. 12 week artist in the community Textile project, 2014
Exhibitions :
- Strong Women Exhibition – Purple Raven Art Gallery Delvin Co. Westmeath, 2014
- Art Source – Solo exhibition representing BCFE as past Graduate RDS Dublin,2013
- Culture Night – Exhibition at The Garden Gallery, Delvin Co. Westmeath, 2013
- Easter Art Expo – Group Exhibition at The Higher Bridges Gallery, Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh,2013
- Nature through Art – Group Exhibition WWT Castle Espie Gallery, Comber, Co. Down, 2013
- Trasna 111 – Group Exhibition Ennistymon Courthouse Gallery, Co. Clare,2013
- Art Source – Gallery Exhibition as member of the Garden Gallery Delvin, Co. Westmeath, 2013
- Beauty in Nature – Exhibition of Textiles in conjunction with the CCOI & GANS. On display at the Knitting & Stitching Show RDS & Ballyroan Library, 2013 & 2014
Design & Craft Shows
- The National Craft & Design Fair – 2012, 2013, 2014.
- Knitting & Stitching Show – 2010, 2012, 2014.
- New Designers – 2010.
Publications & Interviews
- The Metro Eireann Newspaper – Fashion Forward with Tolu Omoyele Style Patrol “The Pattern for Success” 15th ~ 31st October 2012. Vol 13 issue 24 pages 18 & 19, metroeireann.com. Graduate Collection.
- The Liffey Champion Newspaper – Report on Kilcock Golf Club, Art & Craft Fair Charity event, By: Emer Kelly. 25th ~ 26th of May 2013.
- Art Review of Easter Expo – Higher Bridges Gallery, Enniskillen, April~2013. By: Jenny Cathcart.
- Fireside Sounds with Marian Shanley West – Ireland’s first live web TV channel provider. Feb 14th 2013.
To contact Emma visit her website at: www.emmanoonan.delvinvillage.com
Follow Emma on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaNoonanTextileArtist?fref=ts
To apply for Fibre Art:
http://www.bcfe.ie
01-6269421
Course Co-Ordinator: Orla Daly
Higher National Diploma in Fibre Art, Ballyfermot College of Further Education 