Arts & Culture
We're proud to unveil the visual arts programme for Saltwater Festival 2026, celebrating contemporary creativity shaped by the Atlantic coast.
Presented by Scenius Gallery, WAKE brings together the work of Elvis Beetham, Sam Heaton and Ian Jermyn, exploring surfing, material experimentation and coastal geographies through exhibition, film, live music and immersive visual performance.
Alongside WAKE, Kevin Lowery Gallery & Studio presents Saltwater 2 – An Exhibition of Irish Surf Art, bringing together artists whose work is inspired by the sea, surf culture and Ireland's coastal communities.
The programme is proudly supported by Brockmans Gin.
WAKE
Wake brings together the practices of Elvis Beetham, Sam Heaton, and Ian Jermyn, three artists whose work emerges through surfing, material experimentation, and coastal geographies. Presented by Scenius Gallery at Buoys and Gulls on the 26th of September, Bundoran as part of the Saltwater Festival, the exhibition draws on surf craft, fin-making, printmaking, and textile practice to explore instability, adaptation, and the sea as a condition rather than a subject. The programme includes an expanded cinema screening of the film Wake, accompanied by live music from Departures, an experimental trio of Jan Steiner, Paul Curley, and Ken Gunning, working across guitar, percussion, and synthesis. A second live set by Departures follows, accompanied by a live liquid light show from Organic Devolution, the studio practice of artist Ian Jermyn.
Saltwater 2
An Exhibition of Irish Surf Art
Kevin Lowery Gallery & Studio is delighted to announce Saltwater 2 - An Exhibition of Irish Surf Art, taking place in Bundoran from Friday, 25 September to Sunday, 11 October 2026 as part of this year’s Saltwater Festival.
Following the success of last year’s exhibition, Saltwater 2 will once again bring together artists whose work is shaped by the sea, surf culture, coastal life, and the creative energy of Ireland’s Atlantic edge.
Hosted in Bundoran, one of Ireland’s most iconic surf towns, the exhibition will celebrate the deep connection between wave-riding, place, nature, community, and identity. Artists will be invited to submit work that responds to surfing, coastal culture, the ocean, environmental awareness, local communities, or the wider experience of living and creating beside the sea.
Submissions are welcome across painting, print, photography, mixed media, sculpture, and other visual art forms.
Important Dates
Submissions Open: Saturday, 1 August 2026, 10 PM
Submission Deadline: Sunday, 30 August 2026, 10 PM
Exhibition Opening & Festival Launch: Friday, 25 September 2026
Exhibition Dates: Friday, 25 September – Sunday, 11 October 2026
Who Can Apply?
Artists from or based in Ireland, particularly those connected to the Northwest coast, surf
culture, or coastal communities, are invited to apply.
Each artist may submit up to 2 pieces. All work must be available for sale. The gallery
operates on a 30% commission rate, and prices should include this commission.
Although larger works will be considered, we will be limited in terms of what we can
accommodate due to the gallery size.
All artwork must be ready to hang or, in the case of sculpture, ready to display.
How to Apply
Please send a PDF document by email, with JPEG or PNG images of the work attached.
Your PDF should include:
● Artist name
● Contact email and phone number
● Title/s of work
● Medium/s used
● Dimensions, including framed or unframed size
● Price, including 30% gallery commission
● Short artist bio
● Short statement about the submitted work
● Up to 2 images of submitted artwork
Please send your completed application, or any questions, to:
