Four talented Donegal students have won top prizes in this year’s 70th Texaco Children’s Art Competition.
In the 16-18 year age category, Weronika Jarowinska (age 16), a pupil at Loreto Secondary School Letterkenny, won second prize for her work entitled ‘Man to Machine’. Her artwork is described by Final Adjudicator, Gary Granville, Professor Emeritus of Education at the National College of Art and Design as a “juxtaposing of natural organic material with artificial material to great effect, with the printed text providing an interesting narrative behind the organic and metallic material.”
Second prize in Category A of the 2024 Texaco Children’s Art Competition was won by Donegal student, Weronika Jarowinska (age 16), a pupil at Loreto Secondary School Letterkenny, for her work entitled ‘Man to Machine’.
Weronika is pictured with her prize-winning artwork at a function to announce the top winners held in Dublin. Weronika was joined by her proud mother, Monika, and her supportive art teacher, Ms. Lynnette Rodgers.
Photo Credit (Mac Innes Photography/Justin Mac Innes)
In the 14-15 year age category, Kerri Doherty (15), from Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town, won second prize for her artwork entitled ‘Granda’s Turn!’. Professor Granville described her work as a “beautifully realised intergenerational piece in which the little girl paints her grandad’s fingernails.”
Kerri Doherty pictured with her prize-winning work entitled Granda’s Turn!’.
Kerri Doherty (age 15), from Abbey Vocational School, pictured with her prize-winning work entitled Granda’s Turn!’ with her dad, Ronan and Mum, Sinéad.
In the 6 years and under age category – the youngest age group in the Competition – second prize was won by Charles (Dominic) Gallagher (6), a pupil at St. Mary’s National School, Castlefinn, and a star of last year’ Late Late Toy Show for his artwork entitled ‘Moving Oceans’, in which Professor Granville said “the artist uses simple, strong and expressive strokes.”
Second prize in Category F – the youngest age group in the 2024 Texaco Children’s Art Competition – was won by Donegal student, Charles (Dominic) Gallagher (age 6), a pupil at St. Mary’s National School for his work entitled ‘Moving Oceans’.
Mac Innes Photography/Justin Mac Innes
Charles (Dominic) Gallagher (age 6) is pictured with his prize-winning work entitled ‘Moving Oceans’ with his dad, Seamus.
In addition, Alice Friel (5), from Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál, Letterkenny, won a Special Merit Award for her artwork entitled ‘Self Portrait with Rainbow + Butterflies’ that Professor Granville said ‘demonstrated high levels of skill and imagination’.
Scoil Mhuire Gan Smál student Alice Friel’s art
No strangers to the Competition, Kerri won third prize in the 12-13 year age category in 2022 and a Special Merit Award in category B last year, Charles (Dominic) won second prize in the 6 years and under age category last year and Alice won a Special Merit Award in the same category last year too.
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 very 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 Donegal and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.