Saatchi And The Sunday Telegraph Name A Winner

The art world has a budding star, an 18-year-old named Lauren Mincher.

Mincher is the winner of the Saatchi Gallery-Sunday Telegraph Art Prize for Schools, 2009, which I wrote about here earlier this month. Open to students around the world, more than 22,000 entered, and the British newspaper announced the winner and two runners-up in yesterday's edition.

Mincher portrayed her grandfather in her entry, at right; runner-up Ghan Chansuwan, 18, made a photographic self portrait called Identity, and third-place finisher Katie Lewis, 17, painted a work that brings the style of Francis Bacon to mind. (Go to my earlier post -- link is above -- to get to their work easily.)

In all cases, the artists and their schools will receive a prize. Critics and artists judged the contest.

All 20 works that made the short list of finalists in the competition will be featured in an exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London from Dec 3 to Dec 14. Charles Saatchi told the Telegraph, "I love seeing the gallery full of schoolchildren enjoying the art. The rooms we have for the schools to display their pupils' work are very popular with the public and I'm thrilled with the selection made by the team of judges."

I love seeing young people participating in the art world; as I wrote a few weeks ago, this breeds art enthusiasts. I'd love to see a competition like this based in the U.S.

Photo: Lauren Mincher, Courtesy Sunday Telegraph