Made in Limerick Showcasing Local Artists and Craftspeople

Pictured: Jerry Fenniman, woodturner, and Jasmine Crawford, who makes handmade soaps and oils, pictured with their crafts in the Made in Limerick shop. Photo: Katie Glavin/ilovelimerick

Made in Limerick UPDATE, Tuesday, October 6, 2020:

Made in Limerick, an organisation that showcases the craft and work of artists and craftspeople from all over Limerick has opened a new shop in the city centre. 

The group of 12 artists and designers have been collaborating at a premises at Thomas Street for more than four years.

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The new premises, at 113 Lower Henry Street (near the Limerick Museum), will showcase the groups of handmade high quality arts and crafts in what is a bright, airy and welcoming new space. 

“Movers and shakers in arts, crafts and design, we go hand-in-glove with Limerick City. Our aim is to provide a one-stop local handmade gift gallery for locals and tourists alike. As an integral part of the fabric of the city, our members are delighted to welcome our loyal customers and also newcomers to 113 Lower Henry Street,” said a spokesperson.

Made in Limerick Showcasing Local Artists and Craftspeople

by ilovelimerick correspondent Katie Glavin

June 1st, 2017 – Made in Limerick, a shop that showcases the craft and art of 17 designers, makers and craftspeople from all over Limerick is still going strong

Made in Limerick has a wide range of handmade jewellery. Photo: Katie Glavin/ilovelimerick

The shop was officially opened on November 26, 2016, and has since been offering a platform for local artists and craftspeople to showcase and sell their designs through a collective system.

Jerry Fenniman spoke to ilovelimerick about the shop being a collective and how it’s not only contributing to retail but also to Limerick artists and craftspeople. He said, “Everyone is from Limerick and it’s a collective, which is important because what we are doing is sharing the rent and space and we all take our days to work in the shop.”

The shop is situated in the heart of Limerick City and is slowly but surely finding its feet. Made in Limerick is filled with the works of local talented artists hoping to showcase and sell their pieces. Many of the people displaying their works come from the Limerick School of Art and Design. Jerry Fenniman spoke about how it can be difficult as an artist in Limerick. He commented, “This is a place for us to showcase our work and hopefully, people will outgrow the place and then we can make room for new people to come in. Unfortunately, we are at the moment, the only place like this. It’s incredibly difficult for a young artist to come out of their degree or studies. We will be making contact with the Limerick Art College. We’ll put up notices and let them know we are here.”

The artists and craftspeople at Made in Limerick are available for commission or personalised pieces. Photo: Katie Glavin/ilovelimerick

There are a wide variety of products in the Made in Limerick shop, including, woodturner, blacksmith, soaps, jewellery, steel and copper works, mixed media, stone art, metal art and traditional drawings and paintings. Made in Limerick are welcoming artists and craftspersons of all kinds to their shop. They are even offering personalised or commission pieces if a customer requests. Jerry Fenniman spoke about the clientele of their shop and how far Ireland has come from the recent recession. He said, “it’s doing well since opening, it’s holding its own. Our clientele is still building. There is a lot of people from Limerick who want to buy locally but it’s a matter of getting the word out there that we are here. We do get the word out as much as we can. The tourist board is promoting us a bit, they’re sending tourists up here and people on holidays. The Bank of Ireland has been holping us out as well and letting us put up displays on their window. Things are starting to improve from the recession when nothing was being sold but there is a clientele and there are people who want to buy our works.”

Limerick has always had a ripe history in art and culture and with the opening of shops like Made in Limerick, local artists and craftspeople are finally finding their feet post-recession. Local students now also have a platform through Made in Limerick where they can showcase and sell their works in their own homeplace. It is clear that there is a market for local, handmade, arts and crafts. We wish Made in Limerick every success in the future

To see the Facebook page for Made in Limerick click here.

For more stories of Made in Limerick from I Love Limerick click here.