4 hours
United Irish Cultural Center
Free Tickets Available
Fri, 13 Jun, 2025 at 06:00 pm to 10:00 pm (GMT-07:00)
United Irish Cultural Center
2700 45th Avenue, San Francisco, United States
Join us at the United Irish Cultural Center (2700 45th Ave, SF) June 13, 14, 15, 2025, for three days of Irish culture and community including music, dance, and art. Family-friendly events include the ultimate Seisiún in The Sunset, music workshops, a community art show, Irish vendors, the Dowling Library and Keepers of the Steps with cultural displays, a James Joyce inspired ballet, food truck, and more. Join us for a venerable showcase of Irish arts. Get all the details .
TRAD FEST WEST SCHEDULE
Friday, June 13, 2025
Art Exhibition Opening Night Reception
Irish Music Seisiún
Concert: Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones
About Our Art Show Artists
Michele Zousmer, visual artist and photographer for social change
Michele Zousmer, a visionary fine art photographer, employs her camera as a powerful instrument to amplify the voices of individuals and communities often marginalized by society. With an unwavering commitment, her photographic journey encapsulates the essence of human existence and emotion, capturing moments that resonate with life's profound experiences – love, loss, vulnerability, and strength.
Through the lens of her camera, Michele weaves a tapestry of life's quietest moments, unveiling the unspoken connections that bind us all. She possesses an extraordinary gift for immortalizing fleeting instances of grace and beauty that persist even in the midst of life's greatest trials. Her work delves deeper, revealing the emotions and narratives often overlooked by the casual observer.
Michele's photography transcends mere visual artistry; it serves as a vessel for emotions, curiosity, love, and, above all, the enduring hope within humanity. With each frame, she aims to offer solace, empowerment, and a dignified healing process. Through her lens, she exposes the human spirit's resilience and the innate strength that resides within each person she captures.
Out now! Her newest book, Mis[s]Understood, just won an award in a juried competition in Belfast and was featured at the recent Belfast Photo Festival. The explores the pivotal role of women in the Irish Traveler community, highlighting their importance as the cornerstone of family life. In this close-knit, culturally rich community, these women not only uphold traditions but also navigate the challenges of preserving their way of life in a radically changing world.
MORE: https://www.michelezousmer.com/
Martha Cashman (Co. Cork)
Grant funding through the Cork City Council
Sculptor Martha Cashman debuts her Coastlines exhibition at the United Irish Cultural Center at Trad Fest West—June 13-15, 2025. This unique collection addresses the Irish diaspora and the connections to place and the making of a new home. Coastlines brings together two diverse regions, the coastline of Cork and San Francisco, in the form of this Sister City twinning event.
Martha is delighted to be a part of our 2025 festival. “I am interested in the ways we observe the passage of time in the world around us. I am constantly thinking about nature and how the work I create can somehow act as a link to connect us with plants, nature, and sustenance. With this inspiration, I have focused on sculpture; working in small series to create works which express growth, change, and the accumulation and passage of time. The finished works appear as relics or artifacts of a time lost in history. Mainly hand building with fine porcelain, I use drift wood, dried seaweed and steel wire in my sculptural pieces which gives a weathered effect and invites exploration and contemplation.
Martha’s work is held in University College Cork’s permanent art collection, and as an invited artist to several International Symposiums I now have work in collections in the Natural History Museum Nabeul, Tunisia; the Outdoor Museum Vonous, Northern Cyprus; ‘Clay Meal’ Creative Mecca, Latvia; Anadolu University, Turkey; Ionela Sandrina Mihuleac Sculptural Garden Cucuteni, Romania; and Užice City Museum, Serbia.
Sculptor Martha Cashman was born in East Cork, on a farm near the sea. After training as a decorator she moved to New York and ran a successful decorating and interior design business for many years. Upon returning to Cork in 2020 she studied at MTU Crawford College of Art and Design, received a Hons Ba in ceramic design and continued there for two years to study art facilitation.
She is an active member of The Environmental Forum Cork, the Design and Craft Council of Ireland, Cork Potters, and Cork Craft and Design. “More Clay; Less Plastic” is Martha’s Eco awareness project. See more at www.marthacashman.com
Jerry Daly (Co. Cork native; San Francisco Resident)
San Francisco artist and resident Jerry Daly hails from West Cork and has a collection of mixed media art pieces he is delighted to share his art once again. Jerry is also a wonderful volunteer at the UICC and lends his talents in many ways, including helping with the lighting and installation of this exhibition.
About Our Seisiún Musicians
Both musicians are part of our lineup of worshop musicians on Saturday.
Grace Broadhead, Fiddle
Originally from Sandia Park, NM, Irish fiddler Grace Broadhead was a member of two local bands in Albuquerque, the Duke City Ceili Band and Jug O' Punch. She is also a member of The Southwest Ramblers along with Dain Forsvth from Albuquerque, and Hughie Kennedy and Jason Turk from Cork, Ireland.
In 2018 and 2019, Grace competed in the Midwest Fleadh. In 2019, her Newly Composed Tune “Chain Reaction” came in 1st place, affording her the opportunity to compete at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann 2019. She has also competed in the eComórtas Ceoil in 2020 and 2021 and was awarded a gold medal in the 15-18 fiddle competition both years. In 2021 she also received a gold medal in fiddle slow airs and a silver medal in the lilting competition.
In April, 2022, Grace was awarded the inaugural “Fiddler of London Diaspora Award” Grace has had the opportunity to play with several well-known musicians and groups, including the Sharon Shannon Band, The Old Blind Dogs, and Gaelic Storm. She also opened the show for Randal Bays when he came to Albuquerque in February 2019. In 2019, Grace played on two of Feraa Scahill’s Tune a Day videos. She also joined in on two of Colin Farrell’s Tune a Day videos in 2020.
Pauline Conneely, Banjo
Pauline Conneely was born in Bedford, England, the daughter of Irish parents from Connemara and Longford, raised in a family steeped in Irish music, dance and culture. As a young girl she achieved great success, becoming a champion Irish step dancer before turning her focus to music. Under the tutelage of legendary musician Brendan Mulkere, Pauline honed her love of the banjo, eventually earning her status as renowned banjo player.
She founded the band Chicago Reel, who feature regularly at Irish festivals around the Midwest and East Coast. She frequently shares the stage with Grammy-nominated fiddler Liz Carroll, as well as many respected artists performing on the world stage today, including John Doyle, The Chieftains, Cherish the Ladies, Sean Keane, and Mick McGoldrick.
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Tickets for Trad Fest West Opening Night—Art Show Reception and Trad Concert can be booked here.
| Ticket type | Ticket price |
|---|---|
| General Admission | Free |
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