Gorey Open Studios

For five days in mid-July, working artists across the Gorey area open the doors of their studios to whoever wants to walk in. Gorey Open Studios is a free event organised by the Gorey Arts Community that lets you see paintings on the easel, sculptures half-formed on the bench, and printmaking equipment that normally stays behind closed doors. It suits anyone curious about how art actually gets made - not the finished thing in a white gallery, but the process, the mess, and the conversation you can have with the person who made it.

What to expect

The event runs across multiple studios in and around Gorey town, with participating artists working in a wide range of disciplines - painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, jewellery, and textile work among them. Each studio is its own experience: some artists will be actively working while you visit, others will have recent pieces on show and be happy to talk about their practice. You can buy work directly from the makers, often at better prices than a commercial gallery. The Gorey Art Collective operates from Trillium House on St Michael’s Place and has been a focal point for the local arts scene for years; the Gorey School of Art, running since 1994, has helped build a genuine concentration of skilled artists in the area. A map and list of participating studios is made available at the start of the event - pick one up at a local venue or check online before you go. Studios are spread across town and the surrounding countryside, so it is worth planning a rough route rather than drifting between them.

Getting there

Gorey sits on the N11 / M11 corridor between Dublin and Wexford town, roughly an hour south of Dublin city. By car it is a straightforward drive; there is car parking in Gorey town centre. By public transport, Irish Rail runs frequent services on the Dublin Connolly to Rosslare Europort line, stopping at Gorey - the journey from Dublin is about an hour. Bus Eireann also serves the town on routes between Dublin and Wexford. Once you have a studio map in hand, most of the town-centre studios are walkable from the station and main car parks.

While you’re in Gorey

Gorey town has good independent cafes and a compact main street worth an hour of your time before or after the studios. The north Wexford coastline is a short drive away, with beaches at Courtown and Ballymoney. There is more to see in Gorey and across Co. Wexford.

Good to know

• Dates: Wednesday 15 July to Sunday 19 July 2026
• Times: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM daily
• Price: Free admission to all participating studios
• Studio map: available at local venues in Gorey at the start of the event; check the Gorey Arts Community and Gorey Art Collective online for any updates
• Buying work: most studios accept card and cash payments direct from the artist