Welcome to the MUSA Young Artist Award 2012!
Organised by the University of St Andrews Museum Collections Unit
About the Competition
The MUSA Young Artist Award is an annual art competition for schools in Fife. It aims to recognise and support creativity in schools, and promote learning, using the University of St Andrews’ museum collections as a starting point.
The competition was launched in 2007 to coincide with the development of the new Museum of the University of St Andrews (MUSA), located at 7A The Scores. Since opening its doors in October 2008 MUSA has welcomed over 80,000 visitors including 3050 school pupils.
This year the MUSA Young Artist Award returns to the ever-popular Bell Pettigrew Museum of Natural History whose Edwardian displays are cram-packed with animals of every shape and size.
Who can enter?
The competition is open to all schools and nurseries in Fife. There are six categories for entries:
- Category A - Nurseries
- Category B - Primary 1 to Primary 3
- Category C - Primary 4 to Primary 5
- Category D - Primary 6 to Primary 7
- Category E - S1 to S3
- Category F - Special Education Schools/Units
All schools entering the competition will receive a specially designed certificate in recognition of their participation. In addition, winning pupils will receive:
Categories A & B (Nurseries – P3)
1st, 2nd and 3rd places: MUSA Young Artist Medal and selection of art materials
Categories C, D, E & F (P4 – S3 and Special Education Schools)
1st place: MUSA Young Artist Medal and £40 token for art materials
2nd place: MUSA Young Artist Medal and £25 token for art materials
3rd place: MUSA Young Artist Medal and £10 token for art materials
Winners and their parents/teachers will be invited to a special prize-giving ceremony in June at the University of St Andrews. Winning entries will also be displayed at the University’s Gateway Galleries from June-August 2012 and shown on this website.
Competition theme: Fantastic Creatures
The theme for this year’s competition is Fantastic Creatures. Pupils are invited to seek inspiration for their artwork from the Bell Pettigrew Museum’s weird and wonderful collection of birds, mammals, reptiles, fishes and insects.
There are two ways in which schools can explore this topic:
- Teachers may book a free educational workshop for their class at the Bell Pettigrew Museum. Pupils will investigate real specimens and experiment with various art techniques. Workshops will be led by friendly and experienced MUSA Learning & Access staff. (See Booking A Visit)
- Teachers may download images of exhibits from this website and use them as a basis for discussion and creative work in the classroom. (See Gallery)
Advice on how the competition can be integrated with the school curriculum can also be found in 'Teacher's Notes'.
How to Enter
Pupils should make their personal, visual response to the competition theme using any 2D or 3D medium including: painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, collage, photography, pottery, textiles, etc.
Maximum dimensions:
2D work: Please use either A4 or A3 paper (any colour) and submit your original artwork unmounted.
3D work: Up to 35cm x 35cm x 35cm. (13.8 x 13.8 x 13.8 inches)
Please submit a colour photograph (or printout) showing the original work. We regret we cannot accept entries on CD, memory stick or by email.
Entries must reflect the competition theme, and will be judged according to the following criteria:
- originality and creativity
- confident handling of materials
- boldness and impact
- an obvious link to the University’s collections
The full competition rules and postage instructions are available here. Please ensure you read all rules and instructions carefully before entering the competition. Good luck, and have fun making your artwork!