72nd Texaco Children's Art Competition Winner Announcement
The adjudication of this year's Competition has been completed and we would like to thank young artists who entered and their parents or guardians, their teachers and their school communities for their involvement and participation. As in previous years, the entry level was notable and the standard of work received exceptional.
Congratulations to all, but especially to our category winners whose artworks are on display in the 2026 Gallery above. These artists have been invited to our Awards Ceremony next month where they will be officially presented with their award winning prizes and certificates.
We note in particular this year's overall winner, sixteen years old Aurianna Hanlon from Kilkenny.
In choosing her submission in acrylic paint as the overall prize winner, Final Adjudicator and Chairperson of the judging panel — Irish visual artist, curator and educator — Pauline O'Connell described Aurianna's artwork as "an ambitious and compelling self-portrait that challenges perspective and draws the viewer into a shared space, demonstrating both technical control and emotional depth".
“An exceptional painting that is well deserving of first place in this year's Competition, the perspective places the viewer below the subject, who looks down with a steady, engaging gaze. The division of light and shadow across the face is masterfully handled, with tonal shifts ranging from warm umbers to cool purples and blues. Set against a richly textured ultramarine blue sky, the brushwork remains fluid and expressive while retaining remarkable accuracy," she added.
We would also like to extend our congratulations to those artists who have been awarded a Certificate of Commendation by our judging panel. Their details will be posted here in the coming weeks and they will receive their Certificates at this time too.
If you have any queries regarding the information above, please email Bronagh Carron at texacochildrensart@valero.com
Congratulations!