Show for young artists opens
On 19 July, the Royal Academy of Arts opened its fourth annual Young Artists’ Summer Show online, as well as at the Clore Learning Centre in London. The show features a selection of work by young artists from across the UK, aged from four to 19. The pieces were selected by a panel of judges that included artists and people working in the art industry.
The judges chose from more than 21,000 entries from 3,438 schools. Artworks could be made in all sorts of ways, including drawing, painting, sculpture, video-making and even a combination of different methods. The art could cover any subject or theme, and could be done with other pupils, whether in a small group, across a whole year group or an entire school.
One young person whose work was chosen for the exhibition is Year 9 pupil Rose Ritson. Her painting was inspired by true events and shows a Ukrainian woman who has given birth to a baby girl named Veronica. Ritson wrote to the judges, “I hope that my painting shows the bravery and perseverance of the women in Ukraine as they strive for peace.” Organisers of the exhibition, which is open until 14 August, say they want to celebrate the importance of art in education and to encourage young people’s creative talents. The art will be divided into key stages one to five, and prizes will be awarded to the two most inspiring artworks in each stage. Winners in the 2021 event included five-year-old Joey, for his colourful 3D model called Camouflaged Lizard; and nine-year-old Chloe’s painting of herself looking out to sea, titled Curious Girl Gazing at the Horizon. Visitors to the exhibition can vote for their own favourite artworks for the People’s Choice Award, online from 19 July to 31 August. There will be two winners chosen. Molly Bretton from the Royal Academy said it was a privilege to work on the Summer Show because of the
“incredible skill and imagination of young artists across the UK.”