ANTIGUA SAILING WEEK

Antigua Sailing Week (ASW) announces the launch of the annual School Art Competition where young artists aged 5 - 18 have an opportunity to design a poster as part of the 55^th Antigua Sailing Week. This years’ competition is again generously sponsored by Harper’s Office Depot.  

“One of the onshore events that truly captures the attention of school aged children is the School Art competition. And each year since 1968, organizers look forward to receipt and review of the next generations artistic interpretations of the themes presented”, explains Rana Lewis, Marketing manager of Antigua Sailing Week.  Lewis adds that: “This year, we are asking the young people to create artwork that illustrate the theme of Protecting Our Ocean Species in tandem with Earth Day’s 2024 mission.”  

The young artists can create a poster that highlights one of the following: an endangered marine species portrait; an underwater ecosystem; ocean species advocacy or those who work tirelessly to protect our ocean and species.”

This is the sixth year that Harper’s Office Depot is the title sponsor, “It really is a pleasure for us to be a part of this prestigious and long running event. We are looking forward to seeing the range and scope of work by our young artists”, states Roy Bento of Harper’s Office Depot.

The winning entry will be reproduced as a poster and serve as a welcome sign to English Harbour placed outside of Cobbs Cross Primary School. The winners of the three section 5 – 8, 9 – 12 and 13 – 18 will all receive a host of prizes from Harper’s Office Depot including EC$300 worth of art supplies for the overall poster design winner, First place winners in each age category will receive vouchers worth EC$125, second place winners EC$100 voucher and third place winners will also receive vouchers worth EC$75. Harper’s will also give an art prize to the People’s Choice award.

Stingray City, Antigua Adventure, Rock Adventures and Margrie Hunt Pottery (formerly Cedars Pottery) have all donated prizes

“We are truly grateful for the continued support of our title sponsor and from corporate entities, as it shows how important they believe it is to support and nurture our young artists”, states Lewis.

Summer Goodwin, an art student at Christ the King Secondary School (CKHS)

won the 2023 Harper’s School Arts competition. The winning poster design will be exhibited outside Cobbs Cross School. An art exhibition of the winning entries along with the presentation of awards will be on April 12^th, 2024. 

The full details including theme, guidelines and deadlines will be distributed to local schools via the Ministry of Education.  Interested teachers, parents and artists can also find the details of the competition on the ASW website or the dedicated Facebook page – ASWSchoolsArt.

Entries are now open and digital versions of the completed pieces can be sent  for consideration and judging via email to brendalee.browne@gmail.com by the deadline of March 31, 2024.  The voting period for the online People’s Choice on Facebook will be April 3 – 6, 2024.