Two architects are new members of Aosdána

Sheila O’Donnell of O’Donnell + Tuomey, and Yvonne Farrell of Grafton Architects have been elected to Aosdána at a meeting in Armagh. The Arts Council established Aosdána in 1981 to honour those artists whose work has made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland and to encourage and assist members in devoting their energies fully to their art. Membership of the organisation, which is by peer nomination and election, is limited to 250 living artists, who have produced a distinguished body of work. Members must have been born in Ireland or have been resident here for five years. Aosdána members who reside in Ireland may be eligible, subject to an income threshold, to receive the ‘cnuas’ from the Arts Council – an annuity for a term of five years – to enable them to concentrate fulltime on their art. The newly elected nominees will bring the current Aosdána membership to 246.