Artistic South Tyneside students in the frame

South Shields School students, Madeline Robinson and Sky Green, were both selected to be among 24 finalists in the South Tyneside Rotary Club Young Artist of the Year Awards.

The budding young artists were chosen from hundreds of entries across the region to exhibit in the Stairwell Gallery at South Shields Museum, in Ocean Road.

The annual competition aims to promote the talents of young artists, aged 11 to 17, in the borough.

South Shields School assistant head and art teacher, Ali McIvor-Cross, said: “As an art department we submit entries to the Rotary Club Young Artist competition each year and it is remarkable that we have had two of our students chosen to exhibit their work.

“The judges said that they were looking for something special, something with originality and noted that it had been an extremely difficult choice to select just 24 finalists from so many entries of such an exceptionally high standard.

“We are extremely proud of both Madeline and Sky and hope that as many people as possible will get the opportunity to visit the museum and see their work.”

Year 11 student Madeline, 16, who submitted work from her GCSE art portfolio for the competition, was highly commended by the judging panel with Year 8 student Sky, 12, receiving a commendation for her Japanese inspired anime mixed media artwork.

Both students were presented with a certificate by the Mayor of South Tyneside, Counc Olive Punchion, and will be invited to take part in a glass making workshop at Sunderland Glass Centre.

Sky, who used bus tickets to create a collage background for her anime drawing, said: “I was really happy when I saw my work on show in the museum and my mum was so proud that she burst into tears.

“It’s a massive achievement to be chosen as a finalist for young artist of the year.”

The exhibition will run until the middle of April.