We were proud to host a special exhibition and presentation evening to conclude the first Ron Woodward Memorial Art Competition. Among those attending were Sheriff Cllr Tom Mellish, Consort Cllr Fred Pearce, Ron's widow Carol Woodward, members of the Herne Bay Rotary Club, Beach Creative Directors, participants of the competition and supporting local artists.
Hannah Wraight pictured with Sheriff Cllr Tom Mellish and Carol Woodward
"You must take action..You must do the Impossible..because giving up is never an option"
Greta Thunberg
The competition asked young people to create a piece of art answering to the theme of Environmental Responsibility. It is hoped that this award will continue every two years and look to the young people who are our future, to provide some interesting thoughts and work.
The winning painting by Hannah Wraight
The Winner Hannah Wraight, a student at Herne Bay High School, was awarded first prize and presented with the Ron Woodward Memorial trophy by Carol Woodward. Her painting is a beautifully melancholic interpretation of rising sea levels due to global warming.
"In 2022, global mean sea level was 101.2 millimeters (4 inches) above 1993 levels, making it the highest annual average in the satellite record (1993-present)."
Fellow Herne Bay High School student, Olivia Snipp's powerful photography and digital art work also caught the judges attention, earning her second prize. Snipp brilliantly captures the global issue of fast fashion and the dark reality of it's impact on the earth.
"Textile production contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined."
House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, 2019
Photography and digital art by Olivia Snipp
Ron was the first Patron of Beach Creative and was involved in many different charities in the town including setting up the Roller Hockey Club/ Age-UK/ The Samaritans/ Strode Park Foundation/ Herne Bay Rotary Club who honoured him the Paul Harris award/ and to celebrate his charitable work, in 2017 he was awarded an MBE.Â
He created Herne Bay's first independent little gallery - The Bay Art Gallery (often called The BAG) with the idea of supporting young up-and-coming artists and giving them an opportunity to exhibit in a beautiful gallery but with little expense.
A selection of competition entries (left to right) Lexi Stevenson, Kiera Knock, Amelie Laraman
The exhibition showcased the exceptionally high level of entries received, including paintings and drawings, photography, digital, textile and mixed media. Each one questioning why we must preserve the beauty and life on Earth - a topic of upmost importance to this young generation. Beach Creative would like to congratulate all who took part.
Olivia Snipp, pictured alongside her photographs that caught the judge's attention