ADEPT
Situated within the Faculty of Fine Art & Education at Limerick School of Art & Design and with an inter-disciplinary emphasis, the ADEPT Research Group focusses on advancing new scholarship, publication and the development of third-level provision at the intersection of the fields of Fine Art & Design Education, Psychology and Creative Technologies. Emphasis is on practice-based research in the fields of Fine Art and Fine Art Education, with future facing considerations regarding the integration of new technologies into studio-based programmes. The group consists of research-active artists, lecturers and postgraduate researchers. Key activities include,
Conferences, symposia and seminars, focusing on current research interests.
Publication and dissemination.
International collaboration and partnership..
Funded research projects.
Post Graduate, PhD and Post Doctorate research.
Group Members
Dr. Martina Cleary (PI. Founder), Dr. Lisa O’Rourke Scott, Dr. Aislinn O’Keeffe.
Jo Kimmins PhD researcher, Ann Conmy PhD researcher, Arlene Caffrey PhD researcher.
Research Focus
Research activities within this group are informed by expertise and focus on studio based fine arts practice.
Members are practicing artists, writers and researchers spanning the fields of Fine Art Painting, Lens-Based Media, Performance & Live Art,
New Media & Immersive Technologies, with additional resource to interdisciplinary collaboration with the Dept of Social Sciences.
Current research projects and research supervision includes investigation into the use of new technologies in Fine Art practice,
Community-based Art & Activism, Identity & Gender Studies, Neurodiversity in Art & Art Education.
Recent Research Dissemination by members (2023-25):
Peer-reviewed publications:
Cleary, M. (March 2025) Taken by the Others, The Danger of Being Feral, book chapter in ‘Gone Feral: Unruly Women and the Undoing of Normative Femininity’, Edited by Andrea O’Reilly and Casey O’Reilly Conlin, Demeter Press, Ontario. https://demeterpress.org/books/gone-feral-unruly-women-and-the-undoing-of-normative-femininity/
Cleary, M. (Dec 2024) The Re-Generative Potential of Myth in Re-Constituting the Missing Mother, book chapter in ‘The Missing Mother’, Edited by Andrea O’Reilly and Martina Mullaney, Demeter Press, Ontario. https://demeterpress.org/books/the-missing-mother/
Cleary, M. (Dec 2023) Ritual Dream of the Shaman, contributing artist chapter in ‘Digital Art in Ireland, Reflections and Visuals’, Edited by James O’Sullivan & Aoibhie McCarthy, Blackwater Publishing. https://www.blackwaterpublishing.com/shop/p/digital-art-in-ireland
Conferences:
Conmy, Ann (Sept 2025), ‘A Littoral Rubicon Betwixt & Between’, Sea Changes Mermaid Conference, The British Library London https://www.opengravesopenminds.com/sea-changes-2025/session-speakers-and-abstracts/
Cleary, Martina (June 2025), ‘Time Travel, Flow and Wandering within Neurodivergent Creative Practice’, The Open University, London https://fass.open.ac.uk/creative-interactions/creativity-creative-arts-and-neurodivergence-conference
Cleary, Martina (April 2025), ‘Defective Concrete Blocks in County Clare’, the Defective Concrete Conference, Ulster University https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyrO9j6QbQM
Cleary, Martina (2024) Generative AI, Synthetic Memory and the Digital Re-Imaging of Past, Present and Future Ideas of Home, The 2nd Symposium on Digital Art in Ireland, UCC, https://cora.ucc.ie/server/api/core/bitstreams/cc98b081-0304-401f-81c1-6a5e8721babf/content
Cleary, Martina (May 2023), ‘The Well At The Bottom of The Sea’, The Association for the Study of Women in Mythology Conference, New York https://womenandmyth.org/past_events/2023-aswm-conference/
Cleary, Martina (April 2023) ‘Using Accessible Virtual Reality (VR) for Interdisciplinary Teaching, Learning and Collaboration, the EdTech Conference Dublin.
Other Presentations:
Cleary, Martina (2024) ‘Practice-Based Research Methods for Doctoral Studies’, Reflecting on Decolonising Research and Development through an Indigenous and Feminist Lens, DSAI Summer School, TUS https://www.dsaireland.org/activities/summer-school/summer-school-2024/
Cleary, Martina (October 2023) Defective Concrete Blocks in County Clare, presentation to the PETI Committee of the European Parliament. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/committees/en/fact-finding-visit-to-ireland/product-details/20231027MIS02523
Cleary, Martina (2023-24) The Impact of Defective Concrete Blocks on Homeowners in County Clare, three presentations to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage,
Exhibitions:
Cleary, Martina (Aug 2026), solo exhibition ‘Cyberbones & Digital Dust’, Súil Gallery, Ennis, Co. Clare
Cleary, Martina (Dec 2024), international group show ‘À Propos du Flâneur’, Torres Vedras Municipal Gallery, Portugal https://photoireland.org/news/retrospective-exhibition-of-the-flaneur-new-urban-narratives-eu-project-coming-to-portugal/
Caffrey, Arlene (June-July 2026) Solo exhibition at An Táin Art Centre, Dundalk, Co. Louth.
Caffrey, Arlene (May-June 2025) ‘Intersection’ Artist Residency and Live Performance at Garter Lane Studios, Waterford.
Caffrey, Arlene (Dec 2025) ‘Intersection’ Live Performance and artist talk, the Tea Houses, Kilkenny.
Conmy, Ann (Feb 2025) Bolay Residency and selection for group exhibition ‘Mapping Stories’, curated by Marianne O Kane Boal.
Conmy, Ann (March 2025), Artist talk for VAI ‘Connected Horizons’ webinar to an audience of Curators and Peers about Arts Based Research.
Conmy, Ann (Dec 2025), work selected by curator Aoife Banks for Mayo Artists Show at the Linnenhall Art Center, Ballina, Co.Mayo.
Conmy, Ann (June 2025), ‘Polyphonic Summer’, curated exhibition for artist Mike Absolum, Abhainn Gallery, Co. Sligo.
Kimmins, Jo (Oct-Nov 2025), ‘Rooted Utopias’, group exhibition, WexArts, Co. Wexford.
Kimmins, Jo (June 2025), ‘Acquacious’, solo exhibition and artist talk Interface Inagh, Co. Mayo https://interfaceinagh.com/news/aquacious-jo-kimmins/
Kimmins, Jo (June 2025), Heinrich Boll Residency, Achill Island.
Kimmins, Jo (July 2023), Eufonic Residency, group exhibition and artist talk Spain. https://adeptresearchgroup.com/news
Kimmins, Jo (Sept 2023), ‘The Soul of Water’, solo exhibition, Aras Art Centre, Inis Gluaire, Co. Mayo.
O’Keeffe, Aislinn (Nov 2023), ‘Thou Shalt Not Suffer A Witch’, solo exhibition at The Peoples Museum Limerick & LSAD Gallery https://adeptresearchgroup.com/news