What to do in Cork: the gorgeous Glucksman Gallery

upstairs in the Glucksman Gallery

                Beautiful

If you enjoy beautiful green surroundings, stunning buildings, and fascinating art, you'd do well to pencil The Glucksman Gallery in to your Cork City plans. Located in the park-like UCC campus, the Gallery is just a short stroll away from the main B&B/GuestHouse/Hotel areas. 

We went to see the Josef Albers exhibition, and having never been to the gallery before, I didn't know what to expect; what I found really impressed me! We strolled through the Western Road gate along the riverside, where a family was feeding ducks & swans, onto lush green grounds with lovely old stone buildings.

The river Lee at UCC's Western Gate

The Gate Lodge & door of the same. Quite romantic!
 Click for a map & virtual tour of  campus.            

Up the path a bit you will find The Glucksman Gallery on your right. It was striking! Modern architecture was a bit of a surprise after the preceding surroundings, but it was exciting! The grey stone and soft green glass harmonised well with the surrounding buildings and parkland, and especially once inside the galleries I think many people must fall in love with it. 

Glucksman Gallery was perfect for showing the works of Albers, which are so strongly geometric. I felt the building mirrored them wonderfully, and the light coming through the windows the day we visited had (see my opening photo) the sort of numinous quality associated with stained glass, which Josef Albers worked with so beautifully. 

            What's On Next?
As I write this, the next exhibition has just been mentioned on Twitter:

Goodbye Josef Albers. Hello Henri Matisse. Next show @glucksman all about drawing and moving image. Opens July 27th. All welcome. #art
— Ireland / Fiona (@ireland) July 8, 2012

 

Follow @Glucksman on Twitter or like them on Facebook for more. On their website you can download the new program when it is available- and if it is anything like this past one, there will be lots of events, workshops, talks & kids' activities to choose from. You'll want to go to lots of things, not just the exhibition! 
                     

              Extra Niceties!
There is a cafe at Glucksman, which is open from noon on Sunday, and we chilled out there until the gallery opened at 2. We didn't eat, but had coffee and enjoyed the birdsong & view on the outdoor terrace. One tip I can give you is that instead of using the toilets in the cafe, go out into the lobby & head down the stairs to those (see photo to left) lovely tiled toilets-- the cafe toilet is definitely the 'ugly sister' compared to these :-)   

                                             

     Perhaps next time we visit Cork City & The Glucksman Gallery, we'll have a bite to eat there so we can let you know our thoughts. Hope you get to enjoy the green UCC campus (and green as in enviromental, too! It is the world's 1st Green Campus!) and visit the gem of the Glucksman Gallery. 

Let me know of any other Cork gems you love- leave a comment below, or tweet me at @vibrantireland   Thanks!
WhatToSeeInIreland

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