Young Arts 2008

Annual Students’ Exhibition

In a new initiative, NADFAS Young Arts were joint hosts with the Royal Society of British Artists at their Opening View of the Annual Students’ Exhibition at the Mall Galleries, The Mall, London SW1Y 5BD on 15 May 2008.  This was held in conjunction with the RBA Annual Exhibition of Art.

Six paintings were shown under the sponsorship of NADFAS, two of these coming from Farnham as a result of being prize-winners at the Farnham DFAS Young Arts Exhibition held at The University College for the Creative Arts in Farnham in October 2006.  These two exhibits were “Extreme Weather: Winter” by Sophie Cayford, Farnham College and “Picnic in the Park” by Naomi McLean, Frensham Heights.   Both of them were thrilled to have their work selected.   Sophie Cayford said that she had never dared to hope that her dream of having her work hung in London would come true so soon.   Sophie Cayford is continuing her studies at the University College for the Creative Arts in Farnham and Naomi McLean is now studying music at the Royal Academy.  

Cav. Romeo Di Girolamo, President Royal Society of British Artists, congratulated the exhibitors in this sixth annual exhibition for the very high standard of their work and announced that plans for next year were to be expanded greatly to include three age groups.  Chris Russell, Chief Executive of The Dover Federation for the Arts, with whom the RBA have worked over the last few years to encourage young artists, remarked on the extraordinary talents exhibited by the students in their work and felt that it compared well with that on display in the main exhibition.   He also mentioned the work of teachers in ensuring that the art was presented in the best possible way as this did affect how the work was viewed.   Cav. Di Girolamo said that he himself had been a young exhibitor with the RBA and encouraged those present to have belief in their talents and to enter exhibits directly into the main exhibition in future.   Certainly everyone there felt that the standard of work on show was extremely impressive.

NADFAS Young Arts are currently exploring how to develop their association with the RBA in the future and in particular to continue their involvement with this prestigious exhibition.   It is hoped that prize-winners in NADFAS Society exhibitions of school art, such as that to be held by Farnham DFAS at the University College for the Creative Arts in Farnham in September this autumn, will be entered into a national competition for selection for the annual RBA show at the Mall Galleries.