Calling all St Albans Schools!
Registration for the Maltings Art Prize 2022 is now open and budding artists are invited to pick up their pens and paint brushes once again.
The Maltings has worked with schools to identify themes that can be interpreted with and relate to the curriculum and this year there are two themes to choose from, ‘Reflections’ & ‘Animals of the World’. Inspiration can be taken from a favourite wild animal to shapes & pattern, from a self portrait to a mirrored image, from a memory to habitats – the choice is yours!
The top prize is £1,000 for the winning child’s school art department, and £250 for them, but all finalists will receive trophies recognising their work, and the winning pieces will go on display at the Maltings later this year.
Centre manager Phil Corrigan said: “We ran this initiative for the first-time in 2019 and had such an overwhelming response that we have continued to run it every year since! We are always looking at ways of engaging with the local community and the Maltings Art Prize really hits the spot – so many parents, teachers and pupils asked if we would be running it again, engagement was tremendous, so we didn’t even question rolling it out this year.
“The project is designed to support and encourage the development of art skills from the students of St Albans-based schools, we hope this year’s themes inspire the blossoming young artists in St Albans – good luck everyone!”
There are five different groups for entries: Group One (Years 12-13), Group Two (Years 9-11), Group Three (Years 6 to 8), Group Four (Years 3-5) and Group Five (Reception to Year 2).
Pupils are invited to use pencils, inks, watercolours, acrylic paints, oil pastels, fixed chalk pastels and ceramics, but prints and photographs are not permitted. Groups One and Two should use A4 to A3 maximum, Groups Three, Four and Five A4 maximum, and ceramics should be no bigger than 30cm by 30cm.
Artwork should include the child’s name, contact details, date of birth, name of current school and group category they are entering.
Schools should register via email to MaltingsArtPrize@gmail.com using the subject of Maltings Art Prize by 15th July and artwork should be dropped off at the management office at The Maltings Shopping Centre by 30th September.