Wicklow Winners At Texaco Art Competition

Amélie McAndrew with her winning entry…

atest press release from Texaco Children’s Art, issued on Wednesday, April 16th 2025…

Oisín Brigg’s entry

Nine Wicklow students have won top prizes in this year’s 71st Texaco Children’s Art Competition.

In the 16-18 years age category, Amélie McAndrew (age 17), a pupil at Temple Carrig School, Greystones, won third prize for her work entitled ‘Beach Day’. Commenting on her artwork, Final Adjudicator – Irish visual artist, curator and educator – Pauline O’Connell, said: “Amélie utilises two perspectives (the subject looks up and we look down at her) along with impressive foreshortening, cold pink skin tones and expressive brushwork she captures the tenseness of the pose and arresting scream of the child.”

In addition, eight Wicklow winners each won Special Merit Awards for artworks that Ms. O’Connell said ‘displayed high levels of skill and creativity.’

They were Zack Waldron (17), a pupil at Arklow C.B.S.; Éala Ní hAaimhirgín (16) from Gaelcholáiste na Mara, Arklow; Oisín Briggs (13) from Greystones Community College; Rita Ruitong Chen (11) from Ravenswell Primary School, Bray; Iris May Dunne (7) from Gaelscoil Chill Mhantáin, Rathnew; Síomha Foley (6) from Scoil Chualann, Bray; Blake Balfe (13), from All Saints’ National School, Carnew; and Caelum Hanway (15) from New Court School, Bray.

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates back to the very first Competition held in 1955.

This year, as has been the case throughout its life, it has been a platform on which young artists from Wicklow and counties throughout Ireland have had their talents recognised and their creativity commended.

Now, go enter our annual Splash of Colour kids art competition here. Or else.