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Yesterday the rain poured down and turned pavements into puddle-runs but not wanting to surrender to the weather I decided I would still go out and enjoy an evening of culture and entertainment.

First I met my friend D. at the RHA (Royal Hibernian Academy) for an exhibit opening – a collection of paintings, sculptures, installations and photography- called The Untold Want. The exhibit is a selection of Irish and international artist, a seemingly random one, but through the placement in the gallery and the relationship between the items creates individual reactions, stimulating ideas and emotions.

We wandered around, some items enticing, others somewhat odd, a few encouraged interaction and several were quite intriguing. I particularly enjoyed the works by Nan Goldin, the first and last photo in the selection my personal favorites, and I would love to be the owner of Foxglove by Irish Sculptress Dorothy Cross. As always I bumped into friends and strangers, chatted and made new connections, after all Dublin is small, the World of Art even smaller!

Afterwards D. and I went down to The Origin Gallery to see the opening of Suzy O’Mullane’s ‘There Was Nothing Good about Good Friday’. I have to admit it wasn’t to my taste, I found it quite rudimentary and not particularly new or exciting. However I did enjoy the passion the Gallery owner Noel displayed and Suzy is obviously excited about her work – and many loved what they saw.

But what made the opening for me was a surprise performance by the wonderful Larry Beau, a modern day troubadour, with an incredible voice and a talent for performing. I have met him on several occasions before and was delighted to spend some time chatting with him, shared time with a very uniquely creative person.

It was a truly enjoyable event and I met some interesting people – some of which I do hope to meet soon again. But after a  glass of wine and a gin & tonic in a pub it was time to head back to the north side and see what The House Presents was up to.

The House Presents are one of my favorite event creators in Dublin. A modern day salon with a mixture of music, readings, performances, spoken word and theater. The delightful Natalie and Paula have so much passion for the arts that they chose the acts with care, and they never disappoint.

I sadly missed the first act, but I was just in time to enjoy some Bluegrass. A group called The New Breadwinners, consisting of John (mandolin), Luke Coffey (banjo), and Niall Hughes (guitar), were brilliant. These three gifted, young guys filled the lounge with truly amazing music. It definitely was worth dropping in for after a  long night of visual art the perfect ending to an evening filled with a little bit of magic.

The arty-farty world of Dublin really did put on a good show – despite the rain – a perfect night out.