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The story so far...
Biography
Tyrone born visual artist Sarah Ruttle is a graduate of Constructed Textiles from DJCAD Dundee, Scotland. Based in West Cork in Ireland she creates artwork using illustration, textiles, paper art and print. Illustration has become an important part of her solo projects and her most recent work has been developed in contemporary portraiture, creating characters and making artworks which are intimate and compelling.
Exploring materials which can create layers of intrigue, Sarah uses both textiles and paper cutting techniques to make small sculptural works and limited edition books. She has a passion for photography, composition, pattern and texture and you may be able to see these influences in her work. While she also loves beautiful & clever design, traditional craftmanship and well executed art.
Arts & Health
To date there have been two intertwined parts to Sarah’s arts practice – creating solo work and developing a participatory arts practice. Collaboration is central to Sarah’s participatory practice, developing creative projects and work both with participants and other artists within a health or social care setting. Arts and Health engages health service users of all ages and abilities, their carer’s, healthcare staff and local communities. Improving quality of life and cultural access in healthcare settings is at the heart of her arts and health work.
Sarah has always felt drawn to working creatively with people. Developing projects alongside participants, healthcare staff and other artists has been enriching, inspiring and humbling for her. Sharing an invitation with a participant to make something creative together can develop unique and meaningful conversations. It is important to Sarah to portray a participant's voice with honesty and integrity in and through collaborative opportunities. She has built creative connections through a combination of making and storytelling, while using a multi-sensory approach. She views this work as a strong part of her practice. While she has an evolving and developing solo practice, she continues to find inspiration in her work within Arts & Health.
Her passion for working within an Arts & Health context is evident in the research opportunities she has taken on, inspired by Ireland’s Arts & Health field which is continually growing and evolving. In 2021 She was awarded an ‘Arts Participation Bursary Award’ from the Arts Council, giving her the opportunity to take time to consider the perspectives of the healthcare staff, participant and artist engaging in Arts and Health.
Sarah has been working on the Arts for Health Partnership Programme artist team in West Cork since 2008 and is an Arts Educator for ‘In the Picture,’ a Dementia friendly gallery programme in Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre. She has also developed projects within the community and in an acute mental health setting.
Early Years
With her background in Textiles Sarah has been one of the commissioned artists to develop Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre’s ‘Discovery Box’; a self-directed resource for children of all ages and their adults to encourage engagement with the artwork in the gallery. It is bespoke to each exhibition and contains a series of imaginative tools to employ the creative mind and to investigate the artwork through play and conversation. In participating, it creates a space for people to spend more time with each other exploring the artwork. Sarah has loved the chance to make tactile and interactive pieces to engage families through this work.
Sarah has also been invited to be ‘Creative Director & Lead Artist’ for a number of years on the Curiosity Project. Curiosity is a County Cork Culture Ireland supported project that invites children between the ages of 3 and 5 and their families living in rural outreaches of West Cork to access Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre’s venue for a cultural engagement with contemporary art and architecture. Being part of a creative project that is exciting and inspiring like this has been a positive experience for Sarah.
