Creative and Digital Young Artist of the Year announced by Warrington & Vale Royal College

Warrington & Vale Royal College recently celebrated the artistic talents of young students from schools across the region with our annual Young Artist of the Year competition. A total of 22 students from various schools submitted entries in two categories: Creative Art and, brand new to this year, Digital Art. A highly impressive selection of entries were submitted including sketches, paintings and graphic designs – tutors were incredibly pleased with the calibre of artwork and had a tough job shortlisting finalists!

Each year, an array of talented students enter the competition in the hopes of winning a valuable prize that will enhance their artwork. Up for grabs this year were an Essentials Art Kit worth £65 and a Wacom Intuos Graphics tablet. On Thursday 24th March, competition finalists were announced via a virtual showcase and online exhibition which was attended by entrants and their parents/carers.

Congratulations to Tegan Morrison and Kyle Murray who both came out on top in their respective categories. Tegan, Year 11 student at Bedford High School, was delighted to be crowned the winner of the Creative Art category whilst Kyle Murray, Year 10 student at St Chad’s Catholic C of E High School, claimed the top spot in the Digital Art category. Both students produced work to a high standard that clearly demonstrated their passion for, and love of, the subject.

The Digital Art category was an exciting new introduction to the competition this year, and Warrington and Vale Royal’s Subject Leader for Graphics, Ellie Strowger, was hugely impressed by all the entrants. Talking about the category’s winner, Ellie said: “Kyle’s work stood out due his accuracy in capturing the Anime style. The addition of applying effects such as 'glows' demonstrates his natural ability to utilise digital software effectively. What’s more impressive is that he did this entirely on an app on his phone! Working with a small screen and limited digital tools has only increased his creative talent. Imagine what he can do with his new graphic tablet?” Kyle is certainly one to watch.

Ben Brady, Curriculum Manager for Art and Design at Warrington & Vale Royal, presented the awards and was incredibly impressed by the creativity and imagination demonstrated by the entrants. He said: “Having broadened out the annual event to include both Art and Design and Digital Art entries, it was great to see a breath of entries for both categories. We had great difficulty in choosing a winner, which is testimony to the strength of all entries this year. It is clear to see that the creative talents of young people in the Warrington and Vale Royal areas are flourishing and we hope to see some of the applicants on our own Art and Graphics courses in the future”.

If you’re an avid artist or have an interest in digital and graphic design, Warrington & Vale Royal College have a course for you. The college offers courses in Creative and Performing Arts (L1), Art and Design (L2 and L3) and Art Foundation Diploma (L3). For more information about these subjects and how to apply, visit www.wvr.ac.uk