One of the largest arts prizes outside London has once again attracted outstanding submissions. This year Bournemouth & Poole College teamed up with Poole Museum to present the 5th Dorset Arts Prize. Created to actively engage the community and help promote a broader, more inclusive vision for the arts locally, the competition was open to all Dorset artists, designers and makers. The theme for this year's competition was "open", to allow the artists the freedom to produce work in whichever format they felt most confident in.
This year the Arts Prize welcomed Sibyl Fine King, Director of the Fine Family Foundation, as the newest member of the judging panel. The Foundation supports Dorset-based charitable bodies working with the environment, the arts, education, health and also in community projects. Sibyl worked alongside International Artist and former student Stuart Semple, International Photographer Tony Worobiec and the Borough of Poole’s Museum and Arts Manager Michael Spender to judge the competition.
Funded by the College and The Dorset Community Foundation Trust, the winners of the award categories ranged from Year 10 and Year 11’s, to the Over 19’s and received rewards of up to £1,000. The winner of the Student Achievement Award also won a £2,500 bursary to put towards Higher Education Progression or a Business start-up.
This year’s winner of the Achievement Award was photography graduate Charlotte Acton. Charlotte one day hopes to open her own photography studio and expressed her joy at receiving the award, which she “really didn’t expect to win”. Charlotte was rewarded for her portraiture work. She explained how she enjoyed creating photographic portraits of her brother, who is “one in a million”. She went on to say that “his features are really unique and offer some fascinating angles”.
Stephen Ainsworth, who won second prize in the Over 19 age group, described his award as “absolutely amazing”. Stephen stated that for him, “just to be nominated in the first place was an honour”. Inspired by his mother who encouraged him to enter, Stephen was rewarded for his submission of drawings and photographs of his daughter training to be a tattoo artist, as he attempted to “capture that period of time in her life”.
Parkstone Grammar School’s winner of the 16-18 year old category, Mia Pangilinan, was equally pleased with her award. Mia took the time to create a 3D piece of work depicting “the little things in life”. Mia explained that she wanted “to take everyday things in life that we don’t appreciate and make them permanent”.
Parkstone Grammar representatives Elizabeth Sturdy and Anne Batley were hugely impressed with Mia’s imaginative artwork, along with the submissions of their other students which contributed to Parkstone Grammar winning the overall School Art Prize. The pair explained how they encourage as many of their students as possible to enter their competition, as “they have a really good chance to gain some rewards and recognition for producing such wonderful work”. Anne and Elizabeth also mentioned that their students were “hugely excited” at the prospect of their work being on display for the public at the Poole Museum.
The full list of winners were:
The Art Prize for the Year 10 and Year 11 category
• 1st Prize of £1,000 –Tia Ensby, Parkstone Grammar School
• 2nd Prize of £500 –Amelie Snelgrove, Parkstone Grammar School
• 3rd Prize of £250 – Lucy Macauley, The Bishop of Winchester
• Highly Commended – Caitlin Firth, The Bishop of Winchester
The Art Prize for the Year 12 and Year 13 category
• 1st Prize of £1,000 – Mia Pangilinan, Parkstone Grammar School
• 2nd Prize of £500 – Francesca Ramage Mangles, St. Mary’s Shaftesbury
• 3rd Prize of £250 – Saskia Lyne, St. Mary’s Shaftesbury
• Highly Commended – Sophia Newing, The Bishop of Winchester
The Art Prize for the over 19 category
• 1st Prize of £1,000 – Susan Shimeld
• 2nd Prize of £500 – Stephen Anthony Ainsworth
• 3rd Prize of £250 – Sandra Harwick
The School Prize
• Parkstone Grammar School
Diane Grannell, Bournemouth & Poole College Principal said “It was a pleasure to work with the Poole Museum to host the 5th Dorset Arts Prize.
“The Prize has always been a fantastic way to encourage collaboration between local schools, and as a way for both students and adults in the local community to showcase their tremendous creativity and talent.
“With the artwork being placed on display in the museum, we are proud that this year the wider public can also enjoy the fantastic work that has been submitted.”
