With Thanks to Everyone!

As we bid a tearful farewell to Lady Windermere's extravagant Christmas Caffeinated Salons, we offer this nostalgic picture show taster of all the joys that were, and our heartfelt thanks to all the special painters, poets, performers, pianists and personalities who made the salons possible. Merry Christmas one and all!

Don't forget to subscribe to the blog and be the first to know when and where our pop-in pop-up salons return in the New Year!

Windermere Art Auction!!

Announcing Lady Windermere's Grand Winter Solstice Art Auction!!

Wednesday 21st December from 6pm

For the winter solstice finale of Lady Windermere's Salons, there will be an auction of artwork by over 30 artists from Ireland to Vietnam, in all shapes, sizes, colours and styles, to suit every taste and wallet! Come one, come all, art-lovers and panicked Christmas shoppers alike, for creative Christmas presents and treasured masterpieces! Support our starving artists and our salon hostesses! Bringing down the hammer from 6pm, along with special performances by musicians and performers, and concluding with a cockle-warming screening of 'It's a Wonderful Life'. Beverages, mince pies and other treats supplied.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Caitriona Ni Threasaigh, Gavin O'Donoghue, Jaanika Talts, Imelda Reynolds, Sean Rushe, Carol O'Connor, Phan Van Duc, Angela Anderson, Denise French, Eleanore Nicolas, Andrew Carroll, Sue Rainsford, Sean Hillen, James Carroll, Nick Boon, Muriel Foxton, Nigel Holohan, Laura Ni Fhlaibhin, Joann O'Meara, Magda Nowacka, Shelly McDonnell, Lynne Mulville, Roisin Power Hackett, Bridget Ryan, Paola Catizone, Anthony Cullen, Leo Boyd, Olive Barrett, Tanya Turner, Amanda Doran and John McCann.

Line-up for the December Salons Special Attractions

Lady Windermere has been over-joyed and over-bowled by the explosion of creativity and Christmas generosity that is filling her inbox! As well as the coffee, artwork, silent cinema, browsing, chilling and chat that will be on offer every afternoon Wednesday to Sunday til the winter solstice, we also offer the following special attractions (with much more to be announced!):

Thursday 8th December

Lady W will be serving her brews as a special guest at the Libertango Smokin' Club, a night of decaying glamour, passion and heat, of song and dance and dramatic theatrical performance. Doors open 8pm, €10 ticket.

Friday 9th December

Throwing open her doors for her first full salon day at 4pm, Lady W's opening bash features song, dance and madness along with the traditional cuppa, with Paul Grant of PowerFM DJing live in the space (and on the web) and broadcasting in live sets from the PowerFM studios by Carl Bauer/Groovement Soul (taking Facebook requests). Live performances on the night include piano ditties and theatrical skits by Delta O'Hara and a set by Fathers of Western Thought.

Saturday 10th December

'Remember This', a night in aid of Alzheimer's research with music by quirky, soulful Dublin outfit Kellie and the Scruffs and theatrical performance by 'Playback As Soon As You Hear' along with special guests, featuring DJ Lurch and a skit by Enda 'Disco Pigs' Walsh! And another chance to get your hands on those tickets to Imelda May!

Sunday 11th December

A mellow musical Sunday afternoon, featuring hypnotic hang playing, sprightly piano tunes and Latin elegance from Arash Kazemi. Come and chill, and find out at the end of the night who gets those Imelda May tickets!

Wednesday 14th December

Slavonic song and cinema night, celebrating Eastern promise. Featuring bilingual Russian and Irish poetry, slavic song, classic silent film screenings (The Man with a Movie Camera) and finishing with the grand premiere of a new English subtitling of the madcap and subversive Bulgarian 60s satire of bureaucratic insanity 'Whale'

Thursday 15th December

A dance-themed night of movement, music and mystery, climaxing in AMOON's eclectic mix of bells, bass, bellydancers, darbuka and djembe.

Friday 16th December

Friday is a trippy night of music and audiovisual delight featuring Ben Turner (winner - Radio Nova 'Dublin's Best Busker' competition).

Saturday 17th December

A night of authentically gritty cabaret, 'Midnight in Paris', leads coffee-drinkers on a journey into the underworld with the dark spoken word of Kit Fryatt, the continental clowning of Carlo Jacucci and ends with a bang and a full evening in the company of the one-and-only, sultry and inimitable, rich-girl-gone-wrong Rose Lawless. Bring your bouquets to lay at her feet, dress in the style of the belle epoque and prepare for a heady evening's entertainment.

Sunday 18th December

Christmas Family Cracker. With only 7 days to Christmas, 'tis the season to be jolly (falalalalalala). Bringing the joyful beats of Philosophy of Sound together with games, clowns, jugglers, carol-singing, card-making, piano-playing, offbeat Czech and Russian cartoons, storytelling, mulled wine, mince pies, candy canes - this is an afternoon's delight for all ages. Discreetly slip our resident SugarPlum fairy a wrapped present (worth €5 or under) with your child's name clearly written on it for a magical surprise. The evening ends with a 7pm screening of the classic Wizard of Oz. We will also be raising funds for children's charity Barnardos.

BYOK (bring your own kids - or somebody else's*).

* Please ask permission before bringing other people's children. Lady W does not endorse kidnapping.

Wednesday 21st December

On the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, we say goodbye to Lady W's December salons in style: the legendary DJ Chuckleberry spins his homespun sounds while our madcap auctioneer will be bringing the hammer down on our fabulous art collection and we have live music from hang-player Roland Gomez and pianist Johnny Rayge.

We will also be raising money for FocusIreland through the night.

With special thanks to the Back Loft and La Catedral Studios, without whose support and sponsorship these evenings would not be possible.

Lady Windermere's Caffeinated Art and Literature Salon

Lady Tara McGuinness Windermere has great pleasure in announcing her upcoming Christmas pop-up caffeinated art and literature salon in the Back Loft venue from 9th - 21st December! Ho ho ho!

A haven of coffee, conversation and cookies set amidst chill-out zones, classic silent cinema, musicality, performance, paintings, browsable reading matter, vintage wares and holistic healings - 'Lady Windermere: Coffee Fan' offers you a cup of freshly ground, finely brewed happiness with a pastry, juice or fruit accompaniment, a bright smile and some impeccable banter with your delightfully eccentric hostess (smile and banter at no extra charge). Produced in association with the lovely folks at La Cat Salons and kindly sponsored by La Catedral Studios, Lady Windermere's Caffeinated Art and Literature Salon is looking for artists, musicians, performers and lunatics who would like a free performance space or a very reasonably priced wall-space (all sales 100% yours). Click here for more details. Also seeking volunteers, interns and anyone who'd like to help develop the Lady Windermere's concept for future collaborations, understanding, of course, the vital importance of being earnest.

Interested parties apply to lacatsalons@gmail.com

Located in the heart of the galleries, art colleges and cathedrals of the decadent Liberties district - or, more specifically, located in 'The Back Loft', La Catedral Studios, 7-11 St. Augustine Street, Dublin 8 - Lady Windermere: Coffee Fan will be at home to visitors and coffee-drinkers (and fans of the finer herbal infusions) from Wednesday to Sunday between the hours of 4pm and 9pm. Please ring the Back Loft bell for admittance - the most relaxed yet bohemian Christmas party in town.