Thursday 12th November 2009

NORTHERN IRELAND STUDENTS FEATURE PROMINENTLY IN TEXACO CHILDREN'S ART EXHIBITION BEING HELD AT WATERFRONT HALL

BELFAST, 12 November 2009 - The artistic talents of Northern Ireland students are on show at an exhibition of the 161 winning entries in the 55th Texaco Children's Art Competition which was officially opened by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr. Naomi Long, at Belfast's Waterfront Hall today. Hosted by the National Museums Northern Ireland, the exhibition will continue until Friday, 4th December, opening from 10am – 5pm each day.

Featured in the exhibition are paintings by students from28 of the 32 Irish counties, including works by students from Antrim, Down, Derry and Tyrone.

Featuring amongst the Northern Ireland winners are Cora McHugh (Ballymena), Conor McKenna (Randalstown), Clare McKelvey, Marc McGowan, Méabh Lavery and Aaron Muldoon (Rathmore Grammar School, Dunmurry), Rachel Waterman (Bloomfield Collegiate College), Lucy MacRandal, Emma McCaugherty and Katie McCullagh (Aquinas Grammar School), Lauren Coleman (Dominican College) and Paddy Atkins (St. Joseph's Primary School).

Armagh winners are Sorcha Mack (Middletown) and Heather Irwin (Royal School, Armagh). From Down, winners are Gabriela Toohy (Our Lady's Grammar School, Newry),  Zoe Cornelissen (Rathfriland High School), Sarah Boden, Darren Rafferty and Éimear Hyland (all from St. Louis Grammar School, Kilkeel). Derry winners are Vincent McKenna (St. Mary's Grammar School, Magherafelt) while, from Tyrone, winners are Peter Kilpatrick and Stephen Small (St. Patrick's Academy, Dungannon).

A highlight of the official opening was the unveiling of the £1,000 UTV Young Artist Commission, which was presented to 18-year old Donegal student Mantas Poderys from Letterkenny who won first prize in the Competition.

Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Naomi Long, paid tribute to the competition for its role in "unlocking the creative talents of our young people. This is a huge celebration of creativity, and Belfast City Council - as a supporter of the arts - believes it is important to promote the enrichment of our lives through projects such as this."

Speaking at the event, Enda Riney, Country Chairman for Chevron, owner of the Texaco brand, thanked the National Museums Northern Ireland for their continued support of the Competition and for their help in bringing the exhibition to Belfast.

Thanking the management of Waterfront Hall for agreeing to host the exhibition, he praised the success being achieved by students from Northern Ireland whose works have always featured prominently in the Competition since it began 55 years ago. 

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-