It's

that time of year again when the Burton Art Gallery and Museum is

overflowing with innovative and imaginative artwork produced by the

next generation of budding artists in Torridge.

Miranda

Clarke, Visual Arts Manager at the Burton Art Gallery and Museum said,

'This has to be one of the highlights of the year and once again we are

hugely grateful to the generosity of NADFAS (National Association of

Decorative and Fine Art Societies) who have sponsored the prizes for

this year's exhibition. It's great to see the genuine delight and pride

on the faces of the visitors to the exhibition many of whom have come

into see artwork produced by family members.'

The

Annual Schools exhibition is one of the largest and certainly one of

the most colourful and vibrant of the Burton's programme. Every year it

provides the opportunity to showcase the most creative and inventive

work of some of Torridge's youngest artists, aged from 5 to 18, all

participants attend schools and colleges in the Torridge area. This

year the schools included:

Kingsley School,

Chulmleigh Primary School, Broomhayes School and Childrens centre, West

Croft Junior School, Instow Primary School, Home Grown Kids, St Mary's

C & E Primary School, St Helen's Primary School Abbotsham,

East-the-Water Primary, Parkham Primary School, St Margarets Junior

Northam, Pynes Infants, Bideford College, Shebbear College and Woolsery

Primary School.

As in previous years, NADFAS have awarded prizes

to Schools they felt produced the most creative and original ideas,

using inventive and experimental media as well as demonstrating a high

level of skill. The winners were:

Pynes Infant School

Appledore Community Primary School

Bideford College

Parkham Primary School

Each school received £100 from the North Devon branch of NADFAS and Certificates of Merit were awarded to Chumleigh, Instow and Abbotsham schools.

Gwyneth

Barnes, Young Arts Representative for the North Devon branch of NADFAS,

said,"The entries in this year's exhibition maintain the exceptionally

high standards of art we have come to expect from our local schools. To

view the world through the eyes and imagination of these young people

is instructive and refreshing. The North Devon Decorative and Fine Arts

Society is pleased to award the prizes to the schools for the

exuberance and originality of their concept and interpretation."

Councilor

David Lausen, Torridge's Lead Member for Culture, said, "The Annual

Schools exhibition is such a fantastic opportunity to support,

celebrate and foster artistic talent. It is so important that children

today are encouraged to be creative and use their imaginations, this

exhibition really highlights that anyone can engage with, make and

enjoy art. Exhibiting work at the Burton is a great way to reward and

showcase the children's, and so the schools' and teachers', desire to

be creative.'

NOTE ·Closures

The

first floor of the Burton will be closed to the public until April

2010, and there will be no access to the Burton collections (except

those on display as part of the temporary exhibition programme on the

ground floor) and the Education Space. This is to allow for work to be

carried out on the new ceramics gallery and display, which will be open

from April 2010.