Born out of a passion for creativity For The Love Of (FTLO) www.weareftlo.com was established by Ivor Noyek & Shane O'Driscoll along with FTLO music-man BANTUM in Ireland in November 2008.

FTLO aims to connect and showcase creatives; artists, designers, illustrators, photographers, writers, film makers, performers, as well as open the doors of the creative world to the public for all to explore, enjoy & connect.

Following a conversation Ivor and Shane had about the frustrations of being a creative with restrictions and boundaries on their work – whether these be; client, college or professionally based – they decided to create a platform for themselves and others to express their creativity.

Ivor & Shane also wanted to dispel the pretention that can exist around the art & design world and open the doors of creativity and it's processes for all to enjoy and connect. Beer and live music, not wine and cheese as the duo say.

FTLO is a creative community and platform showcasing talent, both upcoming & established, via events, exhibitions, workshops and networking opportunities in one accessible and contemporary environment. This can include anyone working in any creative media; art, design, music, writing, photography, film and encompasses professionals, freelancers, students, hobbyists and everything in between. Anyone making work because they Love it!

For four years FTLO have run such events in Ireland with massive success and popularity showcasing over 500 pieces of work from around 350 artists, designers, writers, film makers, photographers and many more disciplines.

When Ivor moved to New York in May 2013 FTLO saw an opportunity to expand their reach into the US. An open call brief was issued over social media and FTLO's website encouraging creatives to submit work with an opportunity to have it showcased in New York this Spring.

The open call is currently out for global submissions and has a deadline of February 7th. The work being showcased will predominantly be from Irish creatives based in New York and coming from Ireland as well as other places around the world.

Work submitted can range from; painting, sculpture, graphic design, print, photography, film, illustration, fashion design, product design, writing, music, sound installation, performance, street-art etc. The pieces can be created collaboratively or individually. See this as an opportunity to make new work but we also accept previous work that has not yet been shown.

For more information check out the website www.weareftlo.com . FTLO NY will open on Friday 25th April 2014 in The Bottleneck Gallery.