"Did you know the International Bar is the oldest pub in Dublin?" A woman cuddling a small white dog on the bench next to us asks.
"No," L and I say in unison.
"All the woodwork is original." The bartender points at the faces carved above the bar he stands behind. They look eerily similar to busts at the helms of old ships.
"Whoa," I say.
"And the ceiling is stained that orange color from nicotine," the woman with the dog says.
"Very cool. Do you own this place?" L asks the woman.
"No. I'm an artist. I actually have a show in a gallery upstairs. Do you want to see it?" she asks.
By now, L and I have fully adapted the Travel Rule: "Say Yes," so we don't even hesitate to say, "YES!"
We follow the woman up a small wooden staircase. The dog patters alongside her. Then we turn the corner to an explosion of color. Paintings line the black walls. Sculptures lounge throughout the room.
"These are all yours?" L asks.
"Yes. My name is Ana Carey. This is our first show in this venue.” She hands me a business card.
“So cool.” We went to the pub in search of a drink. Now I’m so surprised to be viewing art, I don’t know where to look first.
“My boyfriend owns the space and we decided to clean it up and offer the gallery to other artists. We don’t take a commission. It’s basically impossible for unknown artists to show their work in Dublin and we want to change that,” Ana says.
“That’s fantastic,” L says. She stands in front of a painting of primary colors where bodies seem to blend together.
“I wanted to name that one ‘Orgy’ but I was too shy.” Ana says.
We all laugh.
“These sculptures are amazing,” I point at a woman lying down with her arms stretched over her head.
“That’s how we look after sex,” Ana says.
“I wouldn’t remember,” I say.
We laugh again.
“It’s really great that you created this space to help artists,” L says.
“We need to help each other,” Ana says.
“Yes, we do.” We all agree.
If you would like to help, please follow Ana and her art on Instagram: Ana Carey (@anacarey32) • Instagram photos and videos
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