A bold new exhibition set to be on show in Tipperary throughout all of August

This August, Nature’s Pace: A Cadence for Synchronism will open at Thurles Library’s Source Gallery, bringing with it a deeply personal and poetic visual exhibition from artists Lily Fitzpatrick and Maria Rose Browne, two creatives whose journey is as captivating as their work.

Their story began in September 2019, when both women met while enrolled in a PLC art course at Coláiste Mhuire under tutor PJ O'Connell. They were, by their own admission, at a crossroads. The course offered them creative freedom without pressure, just space to explore. A visit to the Source Gallery that year sparked a dream: to one day exhibit their work in that very space. That seed took root.

Despite the upheaval of the pandemic, they continued to create, adapting to their “kitchen campuses” while staying attuned to nature’s rhythm. That grounding force of the natural world eventually led them both to graduate from Limerick School of Art and Design with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art (Painting) and now, in 2025, it brings them full circle, back to Thurles.

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Lily Fitzpatrick, based in Nenagh, draws inspiration from the natural world, its seasonal hues, emotional undercurrents, and paths that lead both outward and inward. Her work avoids direct imitation of landscape, instead layering abstraction and mystery to reflect a meditative, healing engagement with space.

Maria Rose Browne, from Ardmayle, once a city dweller, found new rhythm in rural life. Her mixed media work weaves together found, weathered materials and ephemera, capturing the beauty of decay and the quiet struggle between the artificial and the organic. Her art is a study in transition—geographical, emotional, and temporal.

Together, their joint exhibition Nature’s Pace is more than a gallery show, it’s an invitation. It asks us to treat the land as sanctuary. It reflects on how engagement with our rural surroundings can help untangle the complexities of modern life and reconnect us with the deeper pace of the world.

The official opening takes place on Saturday, 9th August 2025, from 2:30 to 4:30 PM at Thurles Library (E41 K802). The exhibition runs throughout the month of August during library opening hours.

Supported by Tipperary County Council and local arts organisations, Nature’s Pace is open to all, and it’s more than worth your time. Come for the art. Stay for the quiet recalibration.