College Staff & Advisory Council

Our staff come from both Ireland and abroad, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to a supportive campus community.

President

Mary Hawkes-Greene

Mary Hawkes-Greene

M.Ed, M.Sc International Business (TCD)

“Since setting up the college in 1994 my greatest satisfaction continues to come from witnessing students positively transform in this environment. This growth results not always from adding new layers of skills but rather from stripping away excess and discovering their true selves and who they are as artists.”

Dean

Conor McGrady

Conor McGrady

Dean of Academic Affairs | Head of Painting & Drawing

Conor McGrady is an artist from N. Ireland whose work examines the relationship between ideology and the politics of spatial control. Primarily executed in black and white, his often large-scale paintings and drawings explore various manifestations of social order and raise questions relating to the control of space, personal and national boundaries.

College Staff

Dr. Lisa Newman

Dr. Lisa Newman

Director of Admissions and Marketing

Lisa Newman joined the Burren College of Art in June, 2015. She previously held positions in Financial Aid and Admissions at Oregon College of Art & Craft (2001-2009) and Pacific Northwest College of Art (1998-2000) in Portland, Oregon.
Julia Long

Julia Long

Director of Group Study Abroad Programme; Library and Student Affairs Advisor

Julia Long has joined the Burren College of Art team in 2012. Originally from Romania – she holds an Honors Degree in French Language and Literature from the West University of Timisoara.
Karen Quinn

Karen Quinn

Director of Finance and Academic Coordinator

Karen has been working at BCA since 2007. Her roles at the college are as Finance Manager and Academic Coordinator.
Robert Wainwright

Robert Wainwright

Facilities Manager

Robert has been with the college since it opened and oversees the physical operations of the campus. He also provides a wide range of technical services that include managing facilities, running the art supplies shop, the workshops and college transport.
Adam Dutton

Adam Dutton

Assistant Facilities Manager/Shop Supervisor

Adam Dutton completed an MFA in Studio Art at BCA in 2020, and joined the staff in 2022. He is a sculptor from Oregon, USA where he received a B.S. in Studio Art. His work focuses on the materials of stone, wood, and pigment. By creating non-objective sculptural forms out of the Burren limestone, Adam builds a personality for the character of stone. By giving stone an identity, he invites the viewer to interact more personally with fine art through physical engagement. While using a scientific approach to reproduce natural process that occur outdoors, Adam works to make sculptures that appear natural and bewitching to handle and touch.
Martina Beuselinck & Ann Hogan

Martina Beuselinck & Ann Hogan

Café Staff

Ann Hogan and Martina Beuselinck are responsible for creating delicious dishes and catering for Burren College of Art’s student population. We make our homemade meals, sandwiches and cakes from the freshest of ingredients which are sourced locally. The Food of the Art’s Café at BCA is both a sanctuary for the individual as well as the hub of passionate discussion. We aim to make it the heart of the campus, a place where our students can feel at home.

Advisory Council

Brian Ferran Former Director of the Arts Council for N. Ireland
Denise Ferran Artist
Dr. Rebecca Braun Dean of Arts, University of Galway
Fintan O’Toole Journalist and Broadcaster
George Cunningham Historian and Author
Helen Walsh Clare County Librarian
Professor Sir Christopher Frayling Former Rector, Royal College of Art, London
   

Board of Directors

Dr. Brendan Dunford

Emma Stewart-Liberty

Deirdre Hyland