The Exhibition

In Our Irish Chair: Tradition Revisited

The Museum's full collection of 'Sligo' chair or 'Tuam' chairs is on display for the first time. This exhibition takes a closer look at this chair type and its place in the story of Irish design.

Combined with this the exhibition details a Tuam art project that was developed by artists David Lilburn and Jan Frohburg. They chose to focus on this chair type as an emblem of Tuam because the chair has been made in the Tuam area over the last 100 years. As a special feature the 'Carlow chair' by artist and designer Sasha Sykes is also on display. The artist was inspired by the Sligo/Tuam chair and designed and created a modern chair made of acrylic embedded with organic material.

For more information on the exhibition click here

The Symposium

Tradition in Transition:  Good Design Never Grows Old.

As part of this celebration of a timeless design we have invited artists and furniture makers, historians, designers and architects from across the globe, with knowledge and experience of this beautiful example of Irish design. With their expert help we will explore the potential origins of the design, how it has survived for so long and how new artists and makers see its potential in their own work today.

For more details on the schedule and the participants click here