The Ballinglen Arts Foundation, based in the beautiful seaside village of Ballycastle, Co. Mayo is an Irish, not-for-profit organisation with programmes designed to support serious artists making important work in ideal conditions in an inspiring location. The Foundation offers residency and education programmes for artists, who come to spend time in this idyllic location and while immersing themselves in the local culture and landscape, have the time, space and facilities to create work. The Ballinglen Foundation’s Artist Fellowship Programme The Foundation’s Artist Fellowship Programme is unique, given that it is not a retreat residency simply for the lone artist. Rather, Ballinglen Fellowship Artists are invited to bring family and companions with them to Ballycastle. For the duration of their stay, they are given, free of charges, cottages for living, and purpose-built studios for working, within this rural community. They are then encouraged to experience the local community in its entirety – its people, shops, pubs, landscape – in the belief that this interaction will invigorate their spirit, and remind them what it is ‘to be a human being’ (as several artists have put it). Artists report that while the rugged landscape of North Mayo and its ever changing weather are uniquely inspiring, the community is equally so. Ballinglen Arts Foundation - Classes and Workshops Ballinglen Art Foundation interacts with the general public through classes, art exhibitions, school classes, artists’ studio visits, gallery tours and the use of the art library. Following on from their Residency and Educational Programmes, Ballinglen also runs a number of workshops and classes led by internationally-renowned artists, who have been Fellows of The Ballinglen Arts Foundation. A wide variety of classes caters for all level of participants & techniques, ranging from Plein Air Classes to Printmaking, Encaustic, Mixed Media, Abstraction, the Figure plus a class on Oil & Cold Wax. Having spent time in the area, the artists leading the classes have an intimate knowledge of North Mayo, which in turn, benefits participants of the workshops and classes when they take part in local field trips, which are all part of the experience. This adds to the already inspiring working environment at The Ballinglen Arts Foundation.