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Biography

Dr Ciara Healy-Musson is a Writer, Book Artist, Curator and Lecturer in Art, Culture & Heritage at SETU Carlow, Ireland. Previously Healy-Musson worked as a Lecturer and Director of Teaching & Learning at University of Reading, UK. Her teaching is research-led and is informed by her engagement with rurality, heritage & community, place based curating and experiential education. She is the recipient of an IMPACT Research Award from University of Reading (2016), a Large Grant Award from Arts Council Wales for a curatorial research project titled Thin Place (2015) and she was one of the 2011 recipients of the Wales Arts International and Axis Critical Writing Award. Since this award she has published widely in catalogues and art journals on artists such as: Jonathan Anderson, Adam Buick, Ailbhe Ni Bhriain, Christine Mackey, Flora Parrott, Mary Modeen, Bella Kerr, Sara Barker, Martina Mullaney, Caroline Achaintre, Jo Addison, Serena Korda, Bedwyr Williams, Mary Maclean, Alice Channer, Miranda Whall, Matt White among many others. She was also the recipient of the Curatorial Fellowship Award at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery in 2006.

Research Interests

 

Her research interests involve developing strategies in writing, curating and education for philosophy, poetry, literature, science, agriculture and the visual arts to converge. This is in order to explore new ways of ‘making room’ for other ontologies. Healy-Musson’s creative practice supports new dialogues between disciplines, and facilitates more porous and heterodox ways of re-thinking relationships with the world, especially in a time of climate change.

Her bookworks are housed in numerous collections including TATE Britain Artists’ Book Collection; The V&A National Art Library; London College of Communication among many others. Thin Place: new modes of environmental knowing through contemporary curatorial practice will be published by Cambridge University Press in 2019 as part of a collection of interdisciplinary essays on climate change.

Engagement and Collaboration

In 2016 I was funded by University of Reading to act as a research consultant to develop an international strategy for Oriel Myrddin, a contemporary art gallery in Wales. This role built upon my Arts Council of Wales funded curatorial research project titled Thin Place which involved an international exhibition, education programme, publication and symposium. From this research the opportunity to engage in a funded curatorial residency in Brooklyn, New York emerged.

My current research has been conducted in collaboration with the Museum of English Rural Life (MERL) at University of Reading and with community organisations concerned with climate change in the South East of Ireland.

My book chapter in Climate and culture: multidisciplinary perspectives of knowing, being and doing in a climate change world, is due to be published by Cambridge University Press in Spring 2018.

Current Research Students

Supervisor for: Celestine Kim, Phenomenology and Painting in the Expanded Field, PhD thesis submitted to University of Reading July 2017.

Areas of Interest as a Supervisor include

  • The politics/poetics of Place
  • Animism
  • Rurality
  • Agriculture
  • Heritage & community
  • Experiential education
  • Eco-feminism
  • Landscape & environment
  • Animal/human relationships

Publications

Peer Reviewed Journal Articles

Healy, C. (2014) Net Curtains, Textile, Volume 12, Issue 3 pp. 378 – 383, London: Bloomsbury.

Healy C. (2014) And the Night was Kind, The Blue Notebook: Journal for Artists Books, Volume 8, 2014.

Books and Book Chapters

Healy, C. (forthcoming) Book chapter in Climate and culture: multidisciplinary perspectives of knowing, being and doing in a climate change world, Cambridge University Press. Due to be published in Spring 2018.

Healy, C (2015) Thin Place, Arts Council Wales: Oriel Myrddin Gallery ISBN 978-0-9551434-5

Conference Proceedings and Papers

Healy C. (2017) Objects of Survival. Keynote Paper delivered at Postgraduate Art & Humanities Conference, University of Dundee.

Healy, C. (2016) Thin Places: An alternative approach to Place-based curation. Paper delivered at Landscape Values: Place and Praxis, NUI Galway, Ireland, 29th June – 2nd July 2016.

Healy, C. And Stead, S. (2016) Already the world – A Post-humanist Dialogue. Paper delivered at Alter Rurality 3, Letterfrack, Ireland, 8th June 2016.

Healy, C. And Modeen, M. (2015) Vibrant Places – A Thin Place Dialogue. Paper delivered at the 2015 Association for Literature and Environment Conference, University of Cambridge, 2nd September 2015.

Healy C, (2014) How art curation can form an access point to the ‘spiritual.’ Nazarene Theological College, University of Manchester.

Healy, C. (2013) Forever Beginning: An introduction to the concept of Thinness and its potential significance to curatorial practice. University of Leeds.

Healy, C. (2013) Thin Curating: An introduction to trans-disciplinary curatorial practice, University of Swansea.

Healy, C. (2013) Keeper, A Literary Exploration of the Loved Object, Swansea Metropolitan University.

Critical Reviews

Healy, C. (2014) Review of Fixed Position, Flora Parrott at Tintype, London: This Is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2014) Review of Mooner at Arcade gallery, London: This is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2013) Review of ArtFarm Residency, Dublin: Visual Arts Newssheet.

Healy, C. (2013) Review of Jo Addison at Tintype Gallery, London: This Is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2013) Review of Prodigal in Blue at Laura Bartlett Gallery, London: This is Tomorrow

Healy, C. (2013) Review of Y O U at Oriel Mostyn, London: This is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2013) Review of Difference Engine at Oriel Myrddin, London: This is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2012) Review of Motion Capture at the Lewis Glucksman Gallery, Cork: This is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2012) Review of My Bad, Bedwyr Williams at IKON, Birmingham: ArtReview.

Healy, C. (2012) Review of Crazee Golf, Tintype Gallery, London: This is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2012) Looking to Remember: A Literary Exploration of the work of Sara Barker London: Axis.

Healy, C. (2012) Review of Left of Place, Mary Maclean at Five Years Gallery, London: This is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2012) Review of Caroline Achaintre, Sara Barker, Alice Channer,  Eastside Projects Birmingham:  This is Tomorrow.

Healy, C. (2012) Review of Coal Dust Mandala, Review of Jonathan Anderson Exhibition, London: This is Tomorrow.

Catalogue Essays

Healy, C. (2014) Miranda Whall, Bath: Institute of Contemporary Interdisciplinary Arts (ICIA)

Healy, C. (2014) Mary Modeen, Edinburgh: Edinburgh Printmakers.

Healy, C. (2013) Keeper, A Literary Exploration of the Loved Object, Swansea: Mission Gallery.

Healy, C (2011) Tracing the Aura of Place, Catalogue Essay for Field Notes, Arts Council Wales: Oriel Myrddin.

Healy C. & Mackey C. (2007) Riverworks, Sligo: Arts Council of Ireland.

Commissions

Healy, C. (2015) Ghost Loop, Essay Commissioned for Black Diamond, created by Serena Korda for Confluence, Wales.

Healy C. (2014) The Unfolding. Essay Commission for Journey : Response to Place, created by members of Sculpture Cymru, Wales.

Healy, C. (2013) Critical Essay Commission for Matt White, Wing of a Fly, Spike Island, Bristol: Arts Council, England.

Healy C. (2013) Certain Trees, Artists Book Essay Commission for David Harker, London: Axis.

Artists Book Publications

Healy, C. (2013) The Preparations of St. Augustine Volume II, Artist Book following Writers Residency at ARTFarm, Galway, Ireland. IATUM: London.

Healy, C. (2012) The Preparations of St. Augustine Volume I, Artist Book following Writers Residency at L’Espace 36, St Omer, France & Electro Studios, Hastings. IATUM: London.

Healy C. (2007) Birds, Ignition Press: Dublin.

Healy C. (2006) Butterflies, Ignition Press: Dublin.