Westmeath students win top prizes in Texaco art competition

Five Westmeath students have won top prizes in this year’s 68th Texaco Children’s Art Competition.

In the six years and younger age category – the youngest age group in the competition – William Glynn (6), a pupil at All Saints NS, Mullingar, won first prize for an artwork entitled ‘From Grandad’s Garden’.

William’s work is described by final adjudicator, Professor Gary Granville, as being “striking for the different uses of colour in various media”.

In addition, four Westmeath winners took Special Merit Awards for artworks that Professor Granville said, “displayed high levels of skill and creativity”.

They were Nicholas Glynn (6), All Saints NS, Mullingar; and Adam Khan (6), Muhammad Hadi Qureshi (5) and Laraib Aslam (8), all Presentation Junior School, Mullingar.

No strangers to the Competition, Muhammad won first prize in the same age category last year, while Laraib won second prize in the same age category of last year’s competition.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates back to the first competition, held in 1955.

This year, as has been the case throughout its life, it has been a platform on which young artists from Westmeath and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.

From 31 May to 30 June, Belfast’s Royal Ulster Academy of Arts is hosting an exhibition of the top 126 winning paintings in this year’s competition. Admission is free and the academy is open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am-5pm.