Animation is Art

Animation Dingle returned for its 14th edition featuring a major exhibition Animation Is Art at Siamsa Tíre Art Gallery. A showcase of original hand-drawn works, animation cels and production art from some of the most influential animated films of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. 

It challenged long-held perceptions of animation as mere entertainment and repositions it within the tradition of visual art. 

The exhibition featured original works connected to internationally recognised films including Snow White, The Jungle Book, The Lord of the Rings and Soul, alongside pieces on loan from Oscar-winning figures such as Richie Baneham (Avatar, The Iron Giant) and Nick Park (Wallace & Gromit). Works by artist and director Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch), and Pixar artists Bobby Podesta and Réjean Bourdages, demonstrate the role of individual artistic vision within large-scale studio production. 

Ireland’s contribution to global animation culture was also strongly represented, with works on loan from the Murakami family, leading Irish studios Cartoon Saloon and Brown Bag Films, artist Chris Dicker and Retirement Plan by John Kelly Jr., who has recently received an Academy Award® nomination.

Rare early production drawings from Brown Bag’s first production, Peig, alongside material from Give Up Yer Aul Sins, offered valuable insight into the development of Irish animation talent and practice. 

The exhibition was officially opened on Friday 27th February, by Minister for Children, Disability and Equality, Norma Foley who welcomed the exhibition’s inclusive and educational focus, adding: “This exhibition of world class animation from international and Irish artists is a real treat for children and young people. It will showcase the power of animation and inspire them to engage creatively. Animation Dingle continues to remind us of the importance of nurturing creativity from an early age and providing limitless opportunities for our children and young people.”

Founder of Animation Dingle, Maurice Galway, said: “Animation has always been rooted in drawing, yet its artistic value may often be overlooked. We at Animation Dingle invite audiences to this exhibition to look closely at the art form itself — where character, emotion and movement are first imagined. By placing these works in a gallery setting, we are asking animation to be read in the same way we read painting or illustration.”

The exhibition was installed across both the Round Gallery and Back Gallery at Siamsa Tíre. The main gallery presented framed original artworks for close visual study, while the Back Gallery offered a participatory experience, including an interactive drawing space for children and families, curated screenings of Animation Dingle’s Young Animator of the Year (YAOTY) award winners, Sting commissions and outstanding student films.

Angela Ryan Whyte, CEO of Siamsa Tíre, said: “Animation Is Art invites us behind the scenes of imagination, revealing animation as something hand-made, deeply human and shaped by curiosity. For children, young people and enthusiasts of all ages, it opens a welcoming doorway into creativity, gently dissolving boundaries between art forms and audiences. From Kerry, Animation Dingle has built extraordinary connections with world-renowned studios, artists and films, harnessing that global energy in a way that continues to enrich the cultural life of this place. We are immensely proud to collaborate on an exhibition that reflects both the international reach and the generous creative spirit of Animation Dingle, and that makes creativity feel accessible, exciting and rich with possibility.”

Entry for all exhibitions is free to enjoy 10am-5:30pm, last entry for exhibitions is 5pm. Hours may change seasonally or during events, please see our Building Opening Hours for latest updates.