Queer Art Club at Butler Gallery

Butler Gallery runs Queer Art Club on the second Saturday of every month, a drop-in art session for LGBTQ+ adults held inside Kilkenny’s public gallery. The next date is Saturday, 8 August 2026, which this year falls in the middle of Kilkenny Arts Festival, giving participants a chance to see the gallery’s current exhibitions before or after the session. It is one of a handful of regular community programmes the gallery runs alongside its exhibition calendar.

What to expect

Queer Art Club is a peer-led, informal art-making session rather than a taught class, giving LGBTQ+ adults in Kilkenny a regular space to make work and meet others in a gallery setting rather than a pub or community hall. It sits alongside Butler Gallery’s other recurring community programmes, including Art Start for children and Play Space for parents and toddlers, as part of the gallery’s broader effort to run its building as a working community space rather than just an exhibition hall. Sessions are free and open to LGBTQ+ adults, materials are provided, and no previous art experience is expected. Because it runs monthly on a fixed pattern, the second Saturday, it is easy to plan around rather than needing to catch an announcement each time.

Getting there

Butler Gallery is in Evans’ Home on John’s Quay, on the bank of the River Nore beside Kilkenny Castle, a short walk from the city centre. The nearest public parking is at the Castle car park and the Market Yard, both within easy walking distance of the gallery.

While you’re in Kilkenny

John’s Quay runs along the river beside Kilkenny Castle, so a Saturday session pairs easily with a walk through the castle grounds or a look at whatever exhibition is currently on show in the gallery’s main rooms. There is more to see in Kilkenny and across Co. Kilkenny.

Good to know

• Date: Saturday, 8 August 2026, next date in the series
• Time: afternoon session, exact start time not published beyond “2nd Saturday of each month”, check butlergallery.ie nearer the date
• Venue: Butler Gallery, Evans’ Home, John’s Quay, Kilkenny
• Price: Free
• Recurrence: Second Saturday of every month