‘This is Art!’ 2024 is open for entries from young people aged 18 and under
Artists: Maser, Leah Hewson & Aideen Barry join IMMA’s Sheena Barrett & Glucksman’s Tadhg Crowley to choose this year’s most imaginative entries
RTÉ’s ‘This is Art!’ competition supported by Creative Ireland and the Shared Island Initiative, opens today. Young people aged 18 and under are eligible to enter and let their imaginations go wild exploring a world of creativity. This all-island competition is open across five categories and to all abilities (Age 7 and under, Age 8 to 11, Age 12 to 15, Age 16 to 18 and the Group category). ‘This is Art!’ accepts submissions in any and all forms, from paintings, drawings and sculptures to photography, digital art or even creating something using found or upcycled materials. Entries must be photographed and submitted digitally. Create, snap and upload on rte.ie/thisisart by midnight Sunday, November 3rd. Entries are free and further information on how to enter is available on rte.ie/thisisart.
This year some of Ireland’s most exciting galleries, artists and creatives jumped at the chance to celebrate the incredible talent of young people across the island of Ireland. Judges include some of Ireland’s leading artists: graffiti and street artist Maser, contemporary abstract artist Leah Hewson and groundbreaking visual artist Aideen Barry. These exciting names in Irish art will team up with stalwarts in the art community; Tagdh Crowley, Senior Curator in The Glucksman Cork and Sheena Barrett, Head of Research and Learning, at IMMA – the Irish Museum of Modern Art. The five judges will be immersed in the creativity of young people from all over Ireland and have the opportunity to award some of the most imaginative artworks. Last year over 3,000 entries were made.
‘This is Art!’ supports the creativity, originality and self-expression of young people. A prize fund of €10,000 will provide awards and bursaries for winners across the five categories. For 2024, Maser has been commissioned to design and create this year’s category winner trophies, making a bespoke piece of art for winners to treasure forever. The bursaries will empower young artists to develop their talent with additional education and training. Beyond the prizes, more than one hundred shortlisted entries will receive personal commendations and feedback from the judges on their work.
This is Art! is much more than an art competition, it’s a celebration of the artistic expression of young people. Its purpose is to actively foster creativity in the next generation and to showcase their work in an online gallery. The theme for this year’s competition is; This is Imagination! It offers a blank canvas for budding creatives and young artists of all abilities to create whatever they can imagine. This year’s theme encourages entrants to have fun exploring the limitless realms of their creativity, allowing their imagination to take the lead. Young creators will be empowered to express themselves through whatever medium of art they prefer.
Speaking on the launch of ‘This is Art!’:
Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media of Ireland said: “Since it was first launched, the enthusiasm for This is Art has been wonderful to witness. Not only have the young people of Ireland responded in their thousands to this great initiative but they have astounded us with their talent and sense of creative adventure. The level of engagement and inventiveness was remarkable and I am delighted that my department is able to continue to support this wonderful competition. I want to wish all young artists the very best of luck; be brave, be bold and have fun!”
Director-General of RTÉ, Kevin Bakhurst said: “ Our This is Art! competition celebrates creativity among young people across this island and has been an important part of RTÉ’s support of our youngest artists in recent years. I had the pleasure of meeting some of the wonderful young artists who featured in last year’s exhibition and to hear first-hand how much they enjoyed participating in This is Art! and the platform it gave them. RTÉ is proud once again to partner with Creative Ireland in this celebration of young artists of all abilities all over the island. If last year is anything to go by, we can look forward to seeing some impressive artistic creations from all the young artists out there. Good luck to you all.”
RTÉ’s Suzanne Kelly, Head of Children’s and Young People’s Content: “Launching This Is Art! is one of my proudest achievements since I took up my role as Head of Children’s & Young People’s Content here in RTÉ. Every year I am blown away by the freedom of expression and inspiring creativity that exists here on the island of Ireland. To see a year through the eyes of the kids and young people who live here is really inspiring and thought provoking. I can’t wait to see what you all come up with this year. Let your imaginations go wild!”
Artist Maser, who takes a spot on the judging panel this year and is also designing the awards for each category winner, said: “I’m delighted to be a judge for This is Art!. Encouraging kids to get creative and express themselves is something that means a lot to me. Having art as an outlet was hugely important to me growing up and I love encouraging young people to explore their imagination and creativity. I can’t wait to see what this year’s entries show us. Competitions like this really encourage young artists to develop and find themselves. If you have something to share – enter on rte.ie/this is art.”
If you or someone you know is a budding young artist that could bring to life the theme of This is Imagination! invite them to get involved and upload their entry for free on rte.ie/thisisart The competition closes on midnight Sunday, November 3rd. Submitted entries can be viewed in the digital gallery which is a growing repository for young people’s talent and creativity.
Visit rte.ie/thisisart to explore and follow @tia.ie on Instagram, @thisisart.ie on TikTok and @RTEjr on Facebook for news on ‘This is Art!’ 2024.
ENDS
About this year’s judges
Maser, Artist
Dublin-born artist Maser, who began in graffiti in 1995, has achieved global acclaim. His work, rooted in urban environments, includes collaborations with Damien Dempsey and JR, and commissions across Europe. Notable projects include a U2 music video and exhibitions at IMMA, National Gallery of Ireland, and Palais de Tokyo in Paris.
Leah Hewson, Artist
Leah Hewson, a First-Class Fine Art graduate from IADT, Dublin, has exhibited solo at the Royal Hibernian Academy and INK Miami. Her residencies include Nars
Foundation New York, SIM Berlin, and Facebook AIR. Hewson’s work continues to be collected internationally, including being auctioned at Sotheby’s London.
Aideen Barry, Artist
Aideen Barry, an internationally represented visual artist based in Ireland, was elected to the RHA in 2020 and is a member of Aosdána. Her work, addressing themes like feminism and inequality, has been exhibited globally, including at Salzburg Kunstverein, IMMA, and FRIEZE Art Fair. Barry has received numerous awards, including the Golden Fleece Award and Culture Ireland Award.
Tagdh Crowley, Senior Curator, The Glucksman
Tadhg Crowley is Senior Curator: Education + Community and in this role he has devised and delivered numerous projects that enable diverse communities to engage with contemporary art. He is responsible for the Glucksman’s schools programme, and oversees the delivery of education activities for all ages and abilities.
Sheena Barrett, Head of Research and Learning, IMMA
Sheena Barrett has extensive experience supporting artists to make new work. She has curated over 150 exhibitions and now leads the Engagement and Learning team at IMMA to support the museum’s ambition to be Radically public, a global connector, a centre for research and Learning and a Catalyst for change. She has previously held roles at Dublin City Council, Temple Bar Gallery & Studios, and the National Gallery of Ireland.