This Is Art! Deadline Extended for Young Artists of All Abilities

RT and the Creative Ireland Programme extend the closing date for This Is Art! Competition

www.rte.ie/thisisart I www.thisisart.ie

My creation shows that art can still shine through even in difficult times Siobh n (17): Out on the City Scape

Good news for all young artists, due to the incredible response from young artists from all corners of Ireland, RT and the Creative Ireland programme have decided to extend the closing date for This is Art!. To offer a platform for creativity as the country embraces another

lockdown, the closing date for entries is now Sunday 31st January, 2021.

This is Art! invites everyone aged 18 and under, individually or in groups, to create a piece of art to be showcased in an online art gallery for generations to come. In so doing, the competition promotes artistic practice among young people while encouraging creativity, originality and self-expression.

Suzanne Kelly, Head of Young People's Programming, RT said: Everyone at RT is thrilled with the response to the This Is Art! competition. The volume and standard of work that is being uploaded onto the website every day is staggering. Through their work and artist's statements the young people of Ireland have given creative expression to their lives and concerns at this time. It is a unique privilege to be able to showcase this work and that is why we feel it is extremely important to facilitate as many young creators as possible by extending the deadline.

Tania Banotti, Director of the Creative Ireland Programme said: We are thrilled with the response from the young people of Ireland to the This Is Art! initiative. Our ambition for this project is that it would encourage our younger citizens to realise their full creative potential and to find new ways to express themselves, develop self-confidence and a sense of creative achievement. At a time when life seems so restricted, creativity helps us all feel free and therefore we are delighted that the deadline has been extended to allow more young people to participate.

This Is Art! judge. Tadgh Crowley, Glucksman Museum, Cork said: I've been delighted to see the imaginative entries by children of all ages from across the country to date. We're seeing such incredibly thoughtful and beautiful artworks from young people. Art provides us with an important way to communicate our feelings and experiences and this is particularly vital during these unprecedented times. The artworks that these young people are creating give us a glimpse into their lives and will stand as an important record of life in Ireland today.

Take a look at some of the entries that have been uploaded to the This Is Art! online gallery.

Rose (17): My Own Little World I wanted to push myself by creating an imaginative piece using a completely new medium. The boredom filled, lacklustre life that corona virus has created for many of us inspired me to paint a place where I could be completely enthralled. I am very proud of myself for finishing this piece. I am filled with joy and wonder any time I look at this painting, as if I am in my own little world .

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/rose-04-12-2020-10-26-31

Jeff (7): Hangry Grandad My creation shows an angry grandad who is covered in tomato ketchup and mustard. He got messy while eating hotdogs at home, cause we can't eat out at the moment. It's a crazy world! I love art because it's fun and I can use my imagination and explore different things .

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/jeff-01-01-2021-4-50-59

Lilly (13): Isolation Isolation is inspired by losing your identity during the pandemic. This work was completed while we had to wear masks while returning to school. Even though a large school with over a thousand students, it is possible to feel very alone and distant from others at this time

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/lilly-30-12-2020-2-50-57

Isabelle (7): Close Contacts I decided to re-use my Dads pizza box to paint using as many different colours to represent the people of Ireland as I had. This was our first pizza to be delivered when we came out of the first lockdown .

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/isabelle-01-01-2021-6-46-54

Eve (6): Nana at 70 It was my Nana's 70th birthday this month. We couldn't go to the shops to buy a present and we couldn't throw a party. I love watching portrait painting programmes and told Dad I wanted to paint Nana just like the artists on TV. I was excited to use a canvas for the first time and got a little grumpy when Dad tried to give me advice! I used the techniques I learnt from TV, sketching first from the iPad, mixing the colours and spending time getting the likeness. I am so proud of my

painting .

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/eve-29-11-2020-9-53-11

Ha Eun (10): The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow My painting represents that even when the sun sets and the world is covered in darkness, the sun will always come back up again and bring it's light with it. It also expresses the end of the year 2020 with the sun setting on the old year and the hope of a brighter new year for all of us .

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/ha-eun-05-01-2021-4-22-15

Nicole (8): Covid with Flowers I love flowers and art. Over covid I spent a lot of time in the garden looking at different flowers and playing games. I painted flowers because I love my garden and nature .

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/nicole-04-01-2021-5-46-21

Ruby (9): Cactus Life My mum loves cactus plants but as strange as it sounds she can never keep them alive! So I painted her one that can never die to enjoy as we are indoors so much these days .

VIDEO: https://www.thisisart.ie/gallery/ruby-06-01-2021-2-41-27

Iseult (14): Generation Gap This painting represents the new normal where the physical gap ha

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2021/01/12/deadline-extended-for-young-artists-of...
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