Mona Wins Prep School Art Competition

Mona Preparatory School in Kingston has won the coveted K. Wilson James Shield having outdone 12 other schools in the Art in Preparatory Schools Competition, held recently at the Institute of Jamaica in Kingston.

Second place in the competition went to Immaculate Conception Preparatory, which was awarded the Y de Lima Cup; the Institute of Jamaica Cup went to third place St. Hugh’s Preparatory for overall good variety, as well as the only school using ceramics; while fourth place Lannaman’s Prep received the K. Wilson James Cup for good collage work.

The schools displayed artworks covering drawing, painting, crafts, graphics and sculpture. Using the elements and principles of design, the children explored the Jamaican culture and different aspects of the world at large.

Each entry was evaluated based on composition and design, creativity, originality, presentation and finish.

In her report, chief judge Lorraine Thompson-Stewart said the works displayed by each institution depicted various themes and topics, which served to “stir the creative mind into action”. The end result, she said, were “aesthetically pleasing works of art”.

Mrs. Stewart said that Mona Preparatory showed resilience and versatility with the use of paper and cloth. These two resources were explored to the fullest and the collages were of a high standard and showed contrast of colour and texture, she added.

Held since 1962, the Institute of Jamaica-sponsored competition is named in honour of the late Dr. Karl Wilson James, one of the pioneers of children’s art. It aims to unearth the artistic talents of children at the elementary level and provide an opportunity for them to hone their artistic skills.

The Institute believes that children’s art should be judged on its merit as it contains a special quality that adults cannot imitate. Teachers are therefore asked to allow children to express themselves without giving any direct help, as art creates a channel for imagination, expression, creativity and helps to develop the child’s ability to learn accurately about the world in which he/she lives.

Emphasizing the importance of culture in children’s art, Mrs. Stewart advised teachers to encourage students to continue to use indigenous materials that are recyclable, noting that the possibilities of paper are endless.

“We can safely say this was the year of the collage. There were collages of varying forms. Let us remember that children’s art is the tangible result of the learning experience. It is an offering of heart and mind from one human to another and should be viewed as a way of educating the public”, she said.