Local winners in Texaco Children’s Art Competition

Four Westmeath students have won top prizes in this year’s 66th Texaco Children’s Art Competition.

In the 14-15 years age category, Amy Zhao (15), a pupil at Our Lady’s Bower Secondary School, Athlone won second prize for her work entitled ‘Girl In A Jumper’.

In addition, three Westmeath winners each won Special Merit Awards for artworks that final adjudicator, Professor Declan McGonagle, said: “were imaginative and displayed high levels of skill”.

They were Nicole Forster (18) from Wilson’s Hospital School, Multyfarnham; Sarah McCormack (16), from St Finian’s College, Mullingar, and Jessica Donoghue (7) from St Mary’s Primary School, Mullingar.

No strangers to the Competition, Amy and Nicole have both won prizes on previous occasions.

Amy won first prize in the 12-13 years age category of the 2017 Competition and a Special Merit Award in 2018.

Nicole won third prize in the 14-15 years age category in 2017, a Special Merit Award in 2016 and first prize in the 12-13 years age category in 2015.

Thanks to the onset of Covid-19, the competition had to be extended over a longer period this year and there were delays to the final adjudication process and the announcement of winners.

As a result, activities normally undertaken during April and May – traditionally, the introduction of winners to the media and the formal presentation of prizes – had to be set aside as a consequence of which prizes will be delivered by hand without the possibility of an awards ceremony.