About Us

The PopUpArt – Newbridge initiative is the brainchild of Eilis Kavanagh, a Newbridge based Landscape Artist who, in 2018, identified the need for an exhibition space for the wealth of talented “Kildare Connected” Artists to enable them to showcase their work to wider audiences than previously available to them.

Since its inaugural exhibition in September 2018, which was held in the beautifully restored historic Newbridge Town Hall, PopUpArt Newbridge exhibitions have become an integral part of the Kildare  Fine Art landscape, having facilitated in excess of 200 local “Kildare Connected” artists at exhibition venues which include the Riverbank Arts Centre – Newbridge, Gra Gallery – Naas, The Whitewater Shopping centre – Newbridge, Newbridge Town Hall and Charlotte Mall, with a minimum of three exhibitions scheduled each year, curated by Eilis Kavanagh.

Not to be defeated by the Global Pandemic hiccup in operations, this new Virtual PopUpArt Newbridge virtual online gallery was created to continue to support and allow the collective of artists to showcase their work during 2021

The success of the virtual gallery led to invitations to exhibit in the Riverbank Arts Centre in Newbridge during July, The Gra Collective Art Gallery – Naas for the months of July and August and the Whitewater Shopping Centre for 3 weeks in September to great acclaim.

For Christmas 2021, the “Online Exhibition ran for the month of December and could be viewed on www.popupartnewbridge.com and the “Walk- in” at Unit 1/2  Charlotte Mall, Charlotte Street, Newbridge, Co. Kildare which ran from December 1^st -15^th inclusive.

During 2022, we ran five successful community-focused exhibitions, being invited back to the Riverbank Arts Centre and the Whitewater Shopping Centre in addition to McAuley Place – Naas and the beautifully restored Historic Town Hall in Newbridge.

2023 was a busy year with two “mini” exhibitions in the Whitewater Shopping Centre to celebrate St Brigid and St Patricks Weekends and the hugely successful June Fest Exhibition. We continued to support our local “Kildare Connected “artists by facilitating another exhibition, which was incorporated into Culture Night 2023.

In 2024, we started the year with a splash by celebrating Brigid 1500 through a vibrant exhibition! Our presence continued to grow with a featured work displayed in the Newbridge Business Centre and a rotating artist showcased in our Gallery Window at the stunning Whitewater Shopping Centre.

Building on this momentum, 2025 has been another exciting year. We proudly took part in the St. Brigid’s Festival, continued our collaboration with the Newbridge Business Centre with new works on display, and returned to the Whitewater Shopping Centre as part of June Fest 2025, bringing fresh artistic energy to the summer season. Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to be back at the Riverbank this July with another inspiring presentation of local creativity.

Our Database of Artists continues to grow, with numbers currently in excess of 300 high-quality artists of all genres, many of whom have exhibited with us since 2018. Now that PopUpArt Newbridge is a well-established self-supporting Community initiative, you can look forward, over the coming years, to enjoy the diverse work of such highly talented local artists, virtually and physically.

Our Website and social media platforms are updated with each new event. You can contact the Artists directly or through this website.