Spectacular Vernacular



















Rowena Keaveny


Rowena is a visual artist & art psychotherapist based in the Midlands. Her work uses digital media, photography, animation and socially engaged practice to explore the diverse issues surrounding social inclusion, disability, and access to cultural participation by marginalised groups. Rowena is also deeply committed to working in an arts in health context and is an artist with Anam Beo, an arts, health and wellbeing organisation working with older people in residential and day care settings in Co. Offaly.
She has been a recipient of bursaries from The Community Foundation of Ireland, The Ireland Funds, The Arts and Disability Ireland Awards (The Arts Council + The Arts Council of Northern Ireland), Tyrone Guthrie Award (Offaly County Council), Artist in the Community Award (Create +
The Arts Council)& The Arts Council. Her work is in public and private collections including Laois County Council, Offaly County Council, The Dublin-Mid Leinster H.S.E + O.P.W
As an art psychotherapist Rowena has a special research interest in and focus on the use of digital practices and online therapy. She also works with film-making through digital narrative to facilitate an understanding of individual experience and itsimpact, and as a tool to aid self-discovery and
recovery. She has published articles including, 'Navigating Grief: Using digital narrative as a therapeutic intervention in Art Therapy' published in the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists Journal. (Vol 5/No 1: 2018 p 17-28) And most recently, ‘Covid-19: Creative Arts Therapies Crossing the Digital Divide in Ireland’ which exploresthe findings of her research into the adoption of digital practice during Covid 19.






Spectacular Sapiens Postcard Project - Rowena Keaveny


Date: Postcard Displays from Thurs, April 7th-Sat April 30th
Venue: Birr and Tullamore Town


Nominate Your Spectacular Human! Artist Rowena Keaveney is inviting you to celebrate a person in your life whose presence in it has been, ‘Spectacular’. A person who has made a significant and positive contribution to your life or a particular time during it. It could be a teacher who believed in you; a friend who supported you; a person who you once spoke to while waiting at a bus stop or on a train; a medical professional; relative; someone
you’ve since lost touch with or a co-worker. The possibilities are endless and only you will know who that Spectacular person is!

To nominate a Spectacular human you know,
email Rowena at paintpolitik@live.ie with a photo of your nominee attached and a brief explanation as to why they are Spectacular to you, with subject line ‘Spectacular Sapien’ by WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16TH.

A postcard will be made from your nominee’s photo, and postcards will be displayed in Birr Town shop windows and on the In The Open website.

For all information on the project visit www.intheopenoffaly.ie.
All Ages Walk-up & Online.



View all Spectacular Sapiens HERE from Thursday, April 7th!