Irish American Writers and Artists will have its first Salon in Washington, DC on April 4 at 6:30 pm at the University of the District of Columbia.
Organized by IAW&A Salon Producer John Kearns and UDC Professor Cherie Ann Turpin, the Salon promises to be an artistic exchange among New York Irish-American artists and Washington African-American artists.
New York presenters are Brendan Costello, Sarah Fearon, Sean Carlson, Sheila Walsh, and champion fiddler, Marie Reilly.
Sarah Fearon, graduated from the High School of Performing Arts, and New York University, and is happy to serve as a Co-Director on the board of the Irish American Writers and Artists. Some film credits include Reversal of Fortune, Liebestraum and the Martin Scorsese picture The Departed. She has been a stunt person, and a regular performer at Gotham Comedy Club, The Metropolitan Room, Stand Up New York and Thalia at Symphony Space. Recently selected for the Brooklyn Reading Works evening “Funny Pages” held at the Stone House in Park Slope, and has a short film in progress about one of her comedic characters, Snazzy Peabody, a real estate legend in her own mind. This past fall she had photos in the Rockaway Artist Alliance exhibition titled Calm, Storm, Rebirth. On her last visit to Washington DC it was to represent the environmental group “Mission of Mermaids” Sarah is currently working as an agent with The Corcoran Group real estate firm in New York City. Sarah.Fearon@corcoran.com 917-687-8432
Sean Carlson: After six years managing global communications and public affairs at Google, Sean Carlson set off independently to complete his first book, a nonfictional narrative of love and loss following a family story from Ireland to the United Kingdom and the United States. His essays have appeared in the New York Daily News, the Irish Times, USA Today, and elsewhere. In addition to other writing projects while navigating the publishing process, he provides communications consulting and leads trainings, able to join us while in DC for a program with the International Center for Journalists.
Sheila Walsh was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts and graduated from Boston University. The first part of her career was as an actress. When Sheila married, she ‘retired’ from acting. Wanting to keep her hand in the theatre, she started writing plays. The semi-success of her first play suggested to Walsh that she might be a playwright at heart, so she continued to write. Her plays include: Within the Year, Tea With Mommy and Jack, Two Sides of the Story (an evening of monologues), O the Days!, The Suburbs of Her Mind (about her sister’s death from Creutzfeld-Jacob Disease, a form of Mad Cow disease), Bosoms on Table and Caught. Her award-winning one act play: Molly and James was the seed for the play Himself! (nominated for Carbonelli award,) the musical Himself and Nora evolved from this piece. Himself and Nora was produced at the Old Globe and the James Joyce Center-Dublin. It received a National Endowment for the Arts Award. Ms. Walsh’s latest play is Mr. Tweedy’s Neighbors. She is a member of the Dramatist Guild, Irish American Writers and Artists and Screen Actors Guild.
Brendan Costello Jr. teaches creative writing at The City College of New York, where he earned his MFA. His fiction and non-fiction has appeared in Salon.com, ep;phany magazine, Promethean, and smokebox.net. He is also the producer and co-host of “The Largest Minority” on WBAI radio.
UDC presenters include Kenji Jasper, Wilmer Johnson, Elsie Johnson, Toinnette Marshall, Camila Fraiz. Location: UDC, 4200 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008, Building 41, Room A03.