Wednesday 27th May 2009

Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Barry Andrews TD presents prizes to 55th Texaco Children’s Art Competition award winners

DUBLIN, 27TH MAY 2009 - The Minister for Children & Youth Affairs, Mr. Barry Andrews TD was Guest of Honour at the 55th Texaco Children's Art Competition awards ceremony held at Citywest Hotel, Dublin today where he presented prizes to the overall winners of this year's competition.

Welcomed on arrival by Enda Riney, Country Chairman, Chevron (Ireland) Limited, the Minister viewed the prize-winning entries and met the 161 young artists who had travelled from all parts of Ireland to receive their prizes. They included the 1st, 2nd and 3rd prize-winners in each of seven age categories.

Donegal student wins €2,000 overall award plus £1,000 UTV/Texaco commission
Leading the list of winners was 18-year old Donegal student Mantas Poderys, winner of first prize in Category A for students aged 16-18 years. From Letterkenny, Mantas has won the €2,000 first prize for his multiple image composition consisting of five self-portraits entitled 'You Talkin' to Me?' In addition to his €2,000 award, he also received the £1,000 UTV/ Texaco Young Artist Commission which is presented each year to the overall winner.

A former student of St. Eunan's College and Letterkenny Vocational School, Mantas is currently attending the North West Regional College in Derry where he is studying for a Foundation Diploma in Art and Design.  He also studies at the Create-A-Link Art Studio in Letterkenny.  A regular participant in the competition, Mantas has been a major prize-winner in each of the last four years. In 2006, he won first prize in the 14-15 years age category for his painting entitled 'Gone for Lunch'.  A year later, he won a €1,000 second prize for his painting entitled 'Queen of Tory and the Guardian Angel' - a work that was chosen to illustrate the 2008 Texaco Children's Art Calendar. Last year, he again featured amongst the prize-winners, winning a Special Merit award for a work entitled 'Home'.

Remarking on the standard of his entries over the past four years, the chairman of the judging panel, Professor Declan McGonagle said that Mantas can be justifiably regarded as one of Ireland's foremost young artists. 'He has the skill, imagination and talent required to become a leading name in the world of Irish art', Professor McGonagle said.

In Category B (14-15 years), the €450 first prize winner was 15-year old Wexford student Henry Collie from Gorey Community School for his portrait study in charcoal. This was the third year in succession that this award went to Co. Wexford and the second successive year in which it was won by a student from Gorey Community School.

In Category C (12-13 years), first prize of €350 went to 12-year old Clare McKelvey from Rathmore Grammar School, Belfast for her self-portrait while in Category D (9-11 years), first prize of €250 was won by 9-year old Jesse Byrne, a student at St Mary's CBS, Mullingar for his painting entitled 'Still Life'. This is the second successive year in which this prize went to Mullingar, the 2008 winner having come from Presentation Senior School.

In Category E (7-8 years), the first prize of €200 was won by 8-year old Limerick student Rachel Hinchy from the Afterschool Club at Milford N.S., Castletroy for her colourful entry entitled 'Close Up & Personal.' In Category F (6 years and under), the youngest age group in the competition, first prize winner of €150 was 6-year old Tori Douglas from Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny for a work entitled 'Fairy on a Mushroom'. In Category G, reserved for entries from children with special needs, first prize of €450 went to 13-year old Trevor Kershaw, a student at St Joseph's Special N.S., Tallaght for his entry entitled 'Wally'.

28 counties feature on winners' list - Dublin most successful county overall
This year, twenty-eight counties were represented in the overall list of winners. Amongst the leading prize-winners, Antrim was the most successful county taking three top prizes with other top awards in the seven competition age categories going to students from Dublin and Limerick (2 each), Donegal, Cork, Wexford, Tipperary, Clare, Mayo, Waterford, Galway, Kildare, Westmeath, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Down.

When Special Merit award winners were included, Dublin was the most successful county with 32 winners overall followed by Cork (14), Antrim, Down and Limerick (12 each),Wexford (10), Westmeath (9), Kildare (7), Mayo (6), Wicklow (5), Monaghan, Kerry, Clare and Tipperary (4 each), Kilkenny, Galway and Leitrim (3 each), Donegal, Tyrone, Roscommon, Louth, Armagh and Sligo (2 each) with Cavan, Carlow, Meath, Derry and Waterford receiving one each.

Addressing prize-winners, parents and teachers, Enda Riney, Country Chairman, Chevron (Ireland) Limited said 'besides fostering an interest in art amongst our young people, the competition has played a pivotal role in promoting the careers of students who went on to become leading artists in adult life. In this regard, we are confident that our winner this year, Mantas Poderys, is one destined to have a major impact on the world of Irish art in the years to come.'

Final judging was carried out by the Chairman of the judging panel, Professor Declan McGonagle, Director of the National College of Art & Design, assisted by preliminary judges Brenda McParland (Senior Curator at the Irish Museum of Modern Art), Eoin Butler (Artist and Lecturer in the Visual Arts), Dr. Denise Ferran (Artist and Art Historian), Colleen Frew (Education Officer, Ulster Museum, Belfast) and Brian Owens (Ulster Television).

Now in its 55th year, the Texaco Children's Art Competition is the longest running event in the history of art sponsorship in Ireland. This year, the Competition attracted over 34,000 entries, an increase on last year. Students from all of the 32 counties took part with the majority of counties returning an increased entry.

-ENDS-