Flax Art Studios

Flax Art Studios supports and promotes emerging and established contemporary visual artists from Belfast and beyond, through studio provision.

Flaxart is an artist-run organisation which was founded in 1989 by a group of recent graduates seeking space to make large-scale sculpture and installation artworks. Space was eventually found in Edenderry Industrial Estate, an old linen mill building situated on the Crumlin Road in North Belfast.

As the organisation developed the studios received funding from the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and Belfast City Council which allowed the organisation to continue a sustained growth by allowing artists to develop their practice and hold numerous exhibitions.

In June 2003 the building in which the studios where housed was destroyed by fire. Fortunately, this disaster, which completely destroyed the entire organisation’s contents, including all facilities and artwork, was not the end for the organisation, rather it was taken as an opportunity to take stock and move on and develop further.

In 2004 Flaxart moved into new premises on Corporation Street in Belfast City Centre. Most of the original Flax Artists took spaces along with some new additions. An area of 1, 320 square metres provides ample room to house an industrial scale workshop, 7 large studio spaces, 11 smaller studio spaces, an international residency space and a communal fabrication area. A large mezzanine area accommodates the organisation’s office and IT facilities.