From Professor O’Dell:


In the fall of 2005 I traveled to Ireland on an artistic journey. It was a nostalgic and mythical search to the land of my ancestors, but is prompting demanding and exciting research. As a result I am currently working on a new multi-layered photographic project exploring the Irish landscape, my family archive, the Irish Famine of 1845 and current re-migration to Ireland. My journey included three trips to Ireland, 5 months total and an artist residency at the Burren College of Art in Western Ireland. This time period culminated in approximately 7,000 images.

At the start of my sabbatical research in August 2005, I joined a photography tour in Western Ireland with Strabo tours to jump-start my sabbatical. I found the trip to be incredibly inspiring and productive. It was not your typical tour. I found Strabo tours to be a very professional and the guide leader, Olcan Masterson, both knowledgeable and captivating. So… I decided to lead my own tours for Strabo to a place I deeply care about and provide this experience for other photographers.

 In this 10-day period I thrived. Our days were filled with trips to various locations, always well-planned in advance. We enjoyed lunches at pubs in the area, which were always chosen with Oclan’s discerning taste.  Olcan was a great resource of Irish history and culture and always kept us entertained. He is also a nationally-renowned flutist -- one afternoon while photographing in a ruin, Olcan played his tin whistle for the entire group. It was a haunting moment that I will never forget. We enjoyed dinners sharing our discoveries from the day and evening sessions were spent looking at portfolios. The tour trip provided opportunity for wonderful dialogue between the participants, who ranged from novices to veterans.  Our cook also made the best Banoffee pie I have ever tasted.

Some of the highlights included climbing to the top of a castle of the legendary Pirate Queen Grace O’Malley, wandering the alleyways of Ennis, a 300-year-old market town, and climbing the rugged, green cliffs on Clare Island. This tour gave me access to remote locations I would have never found on my own and which, of course, aren’t in most guidebooks.  The tour provided wonderful dialogue, many learning experiences, breathtaking landscapes, and an excellent time to focus on photography. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about joining the tour- codell@depauw.edu.

Professor O’Dell is is an Associate Professor of Art and Chair of the Art Department at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. She is the recipient of a DePauw University Professorship, Faculty Fellowship and Fisher Fellowship. She received her M.F.A in art from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1998. A photographer and filmmaker, O’Dell’s work explores conceptual combinations relating to gender and identity, land and place, and autobiographical narratives.