St Mary’s wins three major awards in Dorset Arts prize

St Mary’s Shaftesbury won three prizes in this year’s Dorset Art prize. The Art department was awarded the School Art Prize, student India Tuersley won first prize in the 16 to 18 age group, and Charlotte Whiteside won second prize in the 14 to 16 age group. Accepting the award for St Mary’s, Head of Art and Photography Mrs Bridger said she could not have been more thrilled to see the hard work and creativity of the girls at St Mary’s be recognised. ‘We are so lucky to have such diverse talents at the school and to have the facilities to encourage nurture these talents. My thanks go to all the staff who guide and assist the girls studying Art and Photography at St Mary’s.’ Up against competition from schools and art colleges all over the county, the awards reflect the high standards in the school’s Art and Photography department. Headmistress Mary Arnal said, ‘Art and Photography GCSEs and A Levels are some of the most demanding courses, requiring huge amounts of commitment and confidence from pupils. Our Art Department has fantastic facilities but also a team of wonderful and inspiring staff.’ The Dorset Art Prize is an open submission prize for visual arts and it encourages all Dorset artists, designers and makers working in all media to submit their artworks. The prize was created by Bournemouth and Poole College with the support of the Dorset Community Foundation. It offers the largest prize for any art competition outside London.