Following a service of commemoration for Commonwealth Day at Bath Abbey, The Royal Commonwealth Society, Bath and District Branch held a prize-giving ceremony at 44AD artspace nearby.
Hope and Humanity in the Commonwealth was the theme for this year’s artist’s prize and exhibition.
The prizes were presented by Her Worship the Mayor June Player in the presence of Deputy Lieutenant Mohammed Saddiq and Deputy Lieutenant Edward Bayntun-Coward.
The Mayor of Bath stands in front of the prize-winning wings alongside Mohammed Saddiq DL and Edward Bayntun-Coward DL.
The judges for the RCS Bath Artist’s Prize and exhibition were Rev. Stephen Girling from Bath Abbey and Hetty Dupays from Art at the Heart of the RUH.
Hetty said ‘It was a pleasure and honour to be a judge for the RCS Bath Artists’ Prize. The exhibition as a whole is a wonderful showcase of talented local artists and their varied interpretations on the theme for this exhibition; ‘Hope and Humanity’.
The judges for the RCS Bath Young Artists’ prize were Marc Parrett and Dr Janet Rose, Principal of Norland College.
Entries for the competition came from all over the BA area with categories for adults and students. The adult submissions were of a very high standard and the contribution of the students aged from 4 to 18 were a wonderful selection of imaginative and thoughtful ideas. Showing in the lower gallery was the prize-winning white feathered wings made by Trinity Church Primary School as a collaborative piece of work.
‘What a wonderful piece of work,’ remarked Dr. Janet Rose. ‘It truly reflected the theme of the competition and I loved they way it was created collaboratively by the school. It is a beautiful piece. I also had fun posing as an Angel! The pupils should feel very proud.’
Trinity Church Primary School, Radstock pick up their art award. The school will be gifted a selection of books for their school library.
Delighted to receive their awards from the Mayor of Bath, the prize winners were as follows:
Rod Craig – 1st Prize
June Bianchi – 2nd Prize
Paul Thomas – 3rd Prize
Rita Lazaro – Visitors Choice Prize
Whole school collaborative art – Trinity Church Primary School – 1st Prize (under 11 years) Isabell from Bishop Henderson Primary School – 2nd Prize (under 11 years)
Serena from The Royal High School – 1st Prize (11 – 15 years)
Minnie from The Royal High School – 2nd Prize (11 – 15 years)
Grae from St Gregory’s Catholic College – 1st Prize (16 – 18 years)
Bella from The Royal High School – 2nd Prize (16 – 18 years)
Serena from The Royal High school – 1st prize winner (11-15 years)
The excellent array of prizes was donated by sponsors The Charter Trustees of the City of Bath, The
Royal Society of St. George, The Britain-Australia Society West Country Branch, TSL Accounting, Norland
College, and Bath Spa University.
A special prize was presented to St Gregory’s by 44AD artspace for their work which will be exhibited later in the year.
Dr. Janet Rose said ‘This artist was a well-deserved winner. Their talent shone through. I loved the message it was giving about young people changing the world and being ‘humanity’s hope’.
Grae from St Gregory’s Catholic College – 1st prize winner (16-18 years)
This exhibition is also a celebration of the Royal Commonwealth Society, Bath and District Branch – its values, and the support it gives to our local community.
RCS Bath Young art prize and exhibition continues in the Basement Gallery at 44AD artspace from 22 – 30 March 2022 (12-6pm / Sun 12-4pm) and 04 – 10 April (10am-5pm / Sun 1-4pm).
A selection of the adults artwork from the exhibition is also on display at the Royal United Hospital in Bath until 31 May 2022, with prizewinner’s artworks to go on display at The Bath and West Showground in June for the Jubilee celebrations.
