Welcome to the MUSA Young Artist Award 2013!
Organised by the University of St Andrews Museum Collections Unit and supported by the Fife Branch of the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies.
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 112,600 visitors, including 3900 school pupils.
This year the MUSA Young Artist Award seeks out some of the rare, unique and incredibly beautiful treasures that the University has collected and investigates what they can tell us about this 600 year old institution. Pupils are encouraged to respond creatively with their own artworks.
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 - Additional Support Needs
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 2013 and shown on this website.
Competition theme: X Marks the Spot
The theme for this year’s competition is X Marks the Spot. Pupils are invited to seek inspiration for their artwork from the stunning collection of rarities at the Museum of the University of St Andrews.
There are two ways in which schools can explore this topic:
- Teachers may book a free educational workshop for their class at the Museum of the University of St Andrews (MUSA). Pupils will explore the unique items of gold and silver that are on display and experiment with a variety of art techniques using a range of materials. (See Booking A Visit)
- From January, teachers may download images of exhibits from this website and use them as a basis for discussion and creative work in the classroom.
Advice on how the competition can be integrated with the school curriculum can also be found in Teachers' 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!