Dorset mayors gathered at the presentation of an art bursary to an 18-year-old Lyme Regis student.
Howard Flanagan, owner of Art Unlimited, was joined by Cllr Anne Rickard, Mayor of Bridport and Cllr David Ruffle, Mayor of Lyme Regis, to present Woodroffe School pupil Kathryn Conway with her bursary cheque for £2500.
Art Unlimited’s Open Art Competition aims to showcase the work of emerging artists locally and on an international level.
The annual event has been running since 2022 and this year saw the introduction of the inaugural Young Person’s Bursary award, which was created to support young student artists within the community and their further education.
Kathryn shared her delight at winning the award.
She said: "For me, winning the bursary means the opportunity to work in an increasingly competitive creative field. I plan to enter the creative industries through Games Art and plan to take a course in it in university.
"The bursary will allow me to have access to better tech that can support 3D modelling programmes and adobe products, allowing me to create higher quality and more ambitious projects using professional level software.
"Additionally, access to better art materials will allow me to create more for fun. I am incredibly grateful for the bursary and the support that the Art Unlimited Gallery has given me. This will help me throughout university and to develop skills that I will use all my life."
The bursary has been funded by entry fees from the 2023 competition and the generosity of an anonymous donor.
Mr Flanagan said: “We are keen to work closely with both schools and colleges as well as the business community in order to foster young talent and develop a platform here in Bridport from which they can shine.”
The 2024 Competition is still currently open for online submissions until Wednesday July 31 with this year’s entry fees going towards at least two 2024/25 Bursaries.
READ MORE: Arts Unlimited Open Art competition launches this May
It is open to artists aged 18 and over working in both 2D and 3D, with a separate class for young artists aged 15 to 18.
The shortlisted artists will be announced on August 16, 2024.
An exhibition of all the finalists’ works will be on display at The Malthouse Gallery, Town Mill, Lyme Regis from September 10 to 22 2024.
More information is available on the Art Unlimited website: www.art-unlimited.co.uk
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