Two Greentree School and Acme School students have been named winners of ATB Financial’s Young Artists Competition and will have their work displayed in the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton until May 20.
Avelino Pestano and Mikala Smith of Greentree School and Jihoo Kim and Benjamin Wolstenholme-Schmidt of Acme are among 31 artists who had their work selected by a panel of expert judges in the contest. ATB asked grade four students across Alberta to submit works of art that told an Alberta story in conjunction with their Social Studies curriculum. Entries were judged on content, creativity, composition and craftsmanship.
ATB received hundreds of entries from all corners of the province.
“I didn’t think we were going to win,” said Pestano, 10 who sketched a picture of a dinosaur in front of an erupting volcano. “I sketched it out then traced in the colour.”
Both Pestano and Smith’s work were influenced by cubism and featured vibrant colours, contrary to Acme student’s Kim and Wolstenholme-Schmidt’s work – one used black and white of Acme and surrounding hills and one in crayon of trees and teepees.
“We were excited to know we won,” said Smith, 9. “I draw a lot when I get bored at home. I didn’t think it was going to win. It makes me want to draw more.”
Greentree teacher Ms. Nikki Wood said they were narrative pictures with some aspects of coursework being involved. Pestano drew dinosaurs while Smith sketched the Hoodoos in front of snow capped peaks. The students had to include four sentences with the picture describing what the image meant.
“They did a really good job, they obviously are very talented,” said Wood. “It was different than what we usually do.”
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