In December 2016, Portraits of 12 female academic leaders were unveiled; the first to hang on the walls of the Royal Irish Academy as part of Accenture’s Women on Walls campaign. The historic portrait commission features individual portraits of the first four women to be admitted to the academy alongside a group painting of eight of today’s leading female scientists. The finished artworks, by Vera Klute and Blaise Smith, are the first portraits of female subjects to be featured on the Academy’s walls in its 230-year history. Business to Arts, working in partnership with Accenture facilatated the commisioning process.

The campaign originated when Accenture executives were attending a meeting in the Royal Irish Academy to discuss addressing the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM). Upon leaving the meeting, they asked “Where are the women?” as they surveyed the hall dominated by traditional male portraits.

The portraits can be viewed at Academy House, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Read more about the artists and the selected subjects here.

Women on Walls is a campaign that seeks to make women leaders visible through a series of commissioned portraits that will create a lasting cultural legacy for Ireland.

You can read more about the full story of the Women on Walls campaign so far, via this link.

‘Eight Scientists’. From LtoR: Professor Emma Teeling, Professor Catríona Lally, Professor Debra Laefer, Professor Lydia Lynch, Associate Professor Aoife Gowen, Dr Maria McNamara, Professor Sarah McCormack, Professor Aoife McLysaght. Artist: Blaise Smith

If you are interested in commissioning a portrait and need some advice please contact Joeleen Lynch, Membership & Project Manager, at joeleen@businesstoarts.ie. You can also read our top tips for commissioning here.

For all queries relating to this campaign please contact: womenonwalls@businesstoarts.ie