I’ve been an artist since I was a child -- in fact, that's all I've ever wanted to be. In 2015, I expanded my love for CREATIVITY and EDUCATION into my own school: Galway Art Academy. I teach art at all levels, from primary and secondary schoolchildren to third-level students, as well as children and adults with disabilities.
I am passionate about all things creative. As a subject, art offers an opportunity for self-expression, helping us to understand our place in the world. I strive for learning through discovery, investigation and exploration, creating projects for my students that excite, challenge and motivate.
Dee integrates her own art practice into her teaching, using a cross-curricular approach that combines subjects such as English, History, Geography, Science, Technology, Maths and Social Studies to inspire creativity. Her annual workshops, funded by Science of Foundation Ireland, are featured at the Tipperary and Galway Science Festivals, promoting interdisciplinary learning and creativity.
Dee recently completed a Professional Diploma in Creativity & Innovation in Education with University College Dublin. This diploma has resulted in a brand-new pilot workshop programme for primary school teachers aimed at empowering them to integrate creativity across the curriculum.
Dee also holds an MA in Creative Practice, a hDIP in Art and Design Teacher Education, a BA in Art and Design, and a first-class honours BA in Fine Art. As a freelance art teacher, Dee works in primary education and has lectured in Contemporary Art at ATU. She has volunteered at the Limerick Prison Education Centre and worked with Alzheimer’s patients in nursing homes. Highly regarded nationally, Dee is a member of the Education Panel for the Design & Craft Council of Ireland and has reviewed the new Leaving Certificate Art History & Appreciation book for Gill Education.
In the west of Ireland, Dee worked as the Education Coordinator for the TULCA Festival of Visual Arts and has led numerous projects in primary and secondary schools, supported by local authorities and education centres. On a national level, Dee collaborates with the Arts Council of Ireland on the Creative Schools Programme and has worked as a STEAM Specialist with the National Youth Council of Ireland.
In 2022, Dee worked on The Eden Project, an international initiative in partnership with the National Concert Hall in Dublin and the International Teaching Artist Association in the USA. Through these roles, Dee brings a wealth of experience and a broad network of national and international connections to Galway Art Academy, enriching the learning environment for all students.
Dee’s own artwork is multidisciplinary combining drawing, collage, printmaking, photography, installation, altered book art, bookmaking, furniture design & pattern design. She combines traditional and more modern digital methods to create work. Inspiration comes from her own personal experiences and observations. Themes of transience and memories dominated her work for many years and more recently her work has been focused on personal identity and belonging.
In 2014 Galway City Council awarded her an Individual Artists Bursary. Dee has shown work in the Galway International Arts Festival Impressions exhibition in 2015, 2016 and 2018. In 2012 her work was selected for the Claremorris Open Exhibition. Dee also spent three weeks in Finland in 2011 on an artist’s bursary awarded by Leargas and Galway VEC. She has taken part in several group exhibitions in Galway, Dublin and London and her work is held in private collections.
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