3rd Annual Aspiring Young Artist Competition Winners

Leduc Art Club Members Doreen Pyrch, Ingrid Shields, and the late Gail Froland started The Aspiring Young Artist Competition in 2013. They intended to promote arts in the community of Leduc and encourage youth to continue art after high school.

The Aspiring Young Artist Competition was initially held with the Leduc Art Club Show and Sale. For the first two years, this event was held at the Leduc Civic Centre, using the atrium as a backdrop for the artwork. In the third year, the club decided to take the show to the people and held the competition during the Black Gold Rodeo weekend at the Leduc Recreation Centre.

Leduc Art Club contacts schools each year to ensure every possible student can be involved in the competition. New award categories have been introduced as the competition has grown, and more funding from community partners has allowed the Leduc Art Club to distribute cash prizes to the winners. Local, professional artists jury the show and determine the winners. 

In 2019, the Leduc Art Club approached Zyp Art Gallery to provide the opportunity for the contest winners to exhibit their work in the gallery. The students were able to see their artwork in a professional space, create art labels, and gain valuable experience in the professional art world. 

Despite the uncertainty of the past two years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, these talented high school students continued to create art. The artists of this year’s competition have persisted through these challenging times, and we are proud to present their work.