Our Main Foyer Gallery is once again filled with paintings and sculptures created by our boys for our inspirational Detweiler Competition, this year on the theme ‘Sense of Place’.
The Detweiler Competition is an annual event which was introduced to Bedford School by Rob Campbell (Director of Art 1994-2013) in 1997 and is named after the Canadian composer, author and patron of the arts Dr Alan Detweiler, who so generously provided the prizes until his death in 2012.
Initially set up as an art competition, it now includes English, Music and Drama and so encourages the arts across the whole school and, as such, is a major event in the school arts calendar. This year we were delighted to welcome Rob Campbell and Sebastian Chance, former Head of Art and sculpture teacher in the Prep School, to judge this year’s art competition.
The exhibition opened on Friday 26 February when parents, teachers, Old Bedfordians and members of the Bedford School community were able to immerse themselves in the boys’ depictions of ‘Sense of Place’ and see it through their eyes. Visitors enjoyed drinks and canapes in the Main Foyer, before moving up to the Great Hall to watch the drama pieces and listen to the creative writing entries.
This year’s entries did not disappoint! If you were unable to make it to opening night, then you will be able to enjoy entries in all four categories in an online publication, available next week. If you get the chance, please do come into school to view the artwork in person, which will be on display until Tuesday 22 March.
Winners are:
Artwork
Winner 2D: Will Turner (Remove)
Winner 3D: Chris Sporton (Upper Sixth)
Runners Up: Ta Leepiboonsawats (Upper Sixth), Samson Lok (Upper Sixth), Charlie McCutcheon (Upper Sixth), Alex Hayward (Lower Sixth), Sashin Kambli (Lower Sixth).
Drama
Winner: Neo Bantock ‘Sense of Plaice’
2nd: Max Pearson ‘Numb’
3rd: Will Roberts ‘I don’t know where I am going’
Highly Commended: Stephen Brown ‘Hafjell’
Music
Winner: Daniel Hutchins
Creative Writing
Winner: David Shirley
Runner-up: Anton Gryaznov
This year, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the competition, we were delighted to welcome back our past Detweiler art prize winners to relive their past glories and to see how the Detweiler competition has now developed. Past Art Staff including Rob Campbell, Stephen Odom, Carolyn Blake, Sebastian Chance and Katie Nicholson were also invited, providing a wonderful opportunity to catch up.
