Few photographers have captured Ireland with the intimacy, dignity and artistry of Cork-born John Minihan. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Minihan has created some of the most iconic photographic portraits of our time, from Samuel Beckett and Seamus Heaney to ordinary people whose faces and stories became part of Ireland’s visual memory. His work bridges worlds: rural and urban, famous and unknown, Irish and international.
In 2008, he was commissioned to photograph a landmark project documenting the Irish experience in America with the “To Love Two Countries” exhibition, and two catalogues (2008, 2010), which was a joint initiative of the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs (when Niall Burgess was Consul General in New York) and Irish Arts Center.
Over the years, his lens has captured not only literary giants and world-renowned artists, but also members of the NYPD, Irish immigrants, workers, musicians, and communities whose lives helped shape the city itself.
This year, as the National Gallery of Ireland mounts a retrospective marking Minihan’s 80th birthday, Irish Arts Center celebrates his extraordinary contribution to photography, Irish cultural life, and transatlantic artistic exchange.
John Minihan will be joined in conversation by Rachael Gilkey (Irish Arts Center) and Sarah McAuliffe (curator of “Irish Art [Post 1900],” National Gallery of Ireland), followed by a Q&A.
Gallery viewing, Library, 6 p.m.–7 p.m. Conversation and Q&A, JL Greene Theatre, 7 p.m.–8:15 p.m. Please visit IAC's website here for ticket information.
