Wolfwalkers: The Exhibition 10 Jun - 26 Aug 2023
Step into a world of hand drawn animation and get a glimpse of the vast work involved in creating Wolfwalkers, one of the most magical and beautiful animated Irish films of all time.
A collaboration between the Butler Gallery and five-time Oscar nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon, this self-guided exhibition experience will share with you the story of Mebh and Robyn as they adventure into the mysterious world of shapeshifters and wolves, on a quest to find Mebh’s mother and save the last of Ireland's wild wolves.
As you wander through the exhibition, you'll see original art, core working drawings and backgrounds from the film, and learn some of the methods and techniques the animators used to bring the story of Wolfwalkers to life.
Meet an Animator!
On Saturdays 1 July, 22 July, and 19 August come along and see an animator at work during your visit to Wolfwalkers: The Exhibition.
Find out how animators develop characters and bring them life. See the techniques an animator uses to create their work. Ask questions and get some insider knowledge on the life of an animator. Try your hand at some simple animation techniques and character development.
Our visiting animator is Eimhin McNamara. He is an Irish animator, illustrator, and educator, and he was responsible for supervising the experimental Wolfvision sequences for Wolfwalkers.
The animator will be in the space between 11am-4pm.
School Groups
School groups can visit the exhibition when they take part in our fun visual art workshops exploring Irish folk tales for 1st to 6th classes from 7 - 23 June. Find out more and book your class in here.
Teachers can also make use of our Wolfwalkers Classroom Activity Pack, which is full of storytelling and visual art exercises exploring some of the film's themes. The activities cover the drawing, paint & colour, and clay strands of the Visual Art curriculum, and also create opportunities to explore cross curricular links with History in the story and culture in the past strands, as well as story writing, oral and communication skills, listening and responding strands of the Primary Language curriculum.
If your school is running a summer programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage, we would be delighted to welcome you and your students to visit Wolfwalkers: The Exhibition. To book a school group during the summer, please email boxoffice@ark.ie or call 01 6707788.
Learn to draw with Cartoon Saloon animators
To celebrate the arrival of Wolfwalkers: The Exhibition at The Ark, we are excited to share a series of four video tutorials from Cartoon Saloon animators with easy tips and techniques to help children learn how to draw characters and scenery from the award-winning animated film, Wolfwalkers.
About Cartoon Saloon
Cartoon Saloon is a Kilkenny-based animation company responsible for animation films and TV shows such as The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Puffin Rock and Skunk Fu. Cartoon Saloon is a four-time Academy Award®, Golden Globe®, BAFTA and Emmy nominated animation studio formed by Paul Young, Tomm Moore and Nora Twomey. From award-winning shorts to feature films and TV series, Cartoon Saloon has carved a special place in the international animation industry.