Wicklow students win top prizes in Texaco Children’s Art Competition

Six Wicklow students have won top prizes in this year’s 67th Texaco Children’s Art Competition, the results of which were delayed until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the 7-8 years age category, Ella Kelly (8), a pupil at Saints Michael and Peter Junior School, Arklow won first prize for an artwork entitled ‘Red Apple’ (pictured above). Her work is described by Final Adjudicator, Professor Declan McGonagle as a “deceptively simple painting of a single apple on a dark background which is very convincing and strong in composition”.

No stranger to the Competition, Ella won a Special Merit Award in 2020.

In addition, five Wicklow winners each won Special Merit Awards for artworks that Professor McGonagle said “demonstrated high levels of skill and imagination.”

They were Fearne McMahon (17) from Glenart College, Arklow

Valencia Mascarenhas (13) from Coláiste Chraobh Abhann, Kilcoole

Holly Byrne (12) from Holy Rosary National School, Wicklow Town

Jessica Ruiying Chen (13) from Loreto Secondary School, Bray

Eva Ruixin Chen (11) from Ravenswell Primary School, Bray.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is one of the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates back to the very first Competition held in 1955. This year, as has been the case throughout its life, it has been a platform on which young artists from Wicklow and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.

From September 14th to October 2nd, Drogheda’s Highlanes Municipal Art Gallery is hosting an exhibition of the top 126 winning paintings in this year’s Competition. Admission is free and further information is available at www.highlanes.ie