High Life Highland is delighted to announce that two young Highlands-based artists have been selected as winner and runner up of the Fleming Collection’s third annual summer art competition this year.
To inspire young creative minds over the summer, the Fleming Collection runs art competitions asking entrants to submit a painting, drawing, sculpture, assemblage, photograph or even performance that draws from one of the hundreds of artworks in their collection.
Originally initiated in the summer of 2020 as an alternative boost to creativity for anybody of school age who had endured many months of home-schooling and uncertainty during the Covid lockdown period, the Fleming Collection aim to encourage young people to embrace their artistic gifts year after year.
Speaking on behalf of the Fleming Collection, Theodore Albano, Collection and Website Manager, shared: “We have been extremely pleased to be showing work in the Highlands in Inverness, and know how important it is to collaborate on providing cultural outlets in the upper part of Scotland.
“The Fleming Collection is thrilled to be receiving submissions by Young People in the area, and see them enthused and engaged with art. Reaching young people and getting them interested in arts and culture early on in life is so important.
The panel was made up of Scotland-wide representatives of the art world, who collectively assessed each anonymised art submission: Lucy Woodley, Assistant Visual Arts Curator at Inverness Museum and Art Gallery, and Mrs Valentine Fleming, a long-term supporter of the Fleming Wyfold Art Foundation, and James Knox, Director of the Fleming Collection.
Winner of the under 11s category is Highlands-based Mylo Paterson, whose entry was inspired by a selection of Scottish Landscapes. Runner up of the under 11s category is Highlands-based Lily Gudgeon, whose entry was inspired by Arthur Melville’s ‘The Highland Glen’.
First place prizes include a £50 Cass Art Voucher, and runners up are to receive a copy of the Fleming Collection’s publication ‘A History of Scottish Art’ to inspire future art pieces.
Cathy Shankland, High Life Highland’s Visual Arts Curator, added: “It was wonderful to see such creative responses from young artists to the Fleming Collection’s fantastic ‘Glasgow Girls and Boys’ exhibition that the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery hosted this earlier in the year.
“It is so important to get Young People in the Highlands engaging in art within and outside of their local communities, whether that’s through a day trip to their local Art Gallery or taking part in the likes of the Fleming Collection’s annual open-entry art competitions.
“On behalf of High Life Highland, I am delighted to know that there were a high volume of entries from across Scotland, and that the judges were impressed by the calibre of work.
“Well done to Mylo and Lily for having the courage to submit their pieces and have them nationally recognised!”
Theodore concluded: “Thank you to all our entrants this year, we look forward to receiving future creations next summer.”
To keep in-the-know about any upcoming art competitions, or simply to learn more about the Fleming Collection, please visit their website: https://www.flemingcollection.com/
