This is Belize! St. Joseph students beat 30,000 in art battle

Art students from St Joseph’s Primary School have distinguished themselves in an international competition. Adrian Bernard Junior and Nigel Juarez went up against thirty thousand students; they won bronze medals in an art competition organized by the government of Taiwan. Today they both received awards from the Taiwanese Ambassador. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

Paintings by two Belizean students will be seen around the world after they won bronze in Taiwan’s World School Children’s Art Competition. Taiwanese Ambassador, David Wu, says that over fifty countries participated this year.

David Wu

David Wu, Taiwanese Ambassador

“This is the World School Children’s Art Competition organized in Taiwan for the year 2012. This time we had more than thirty thousand entries from fifty-two countries and we are very pleased that Belizean students from St. Joseph School went to compete in the art competition and two of them won the bronze medals and six of them got selected work. So it’s a very, very high standard of art made by Belizean students.”

The proud young artists, a standard five student and a recent graduate of St. Joseph School, received their awards today.

Adrian Bernard Jr.

Adrian Bernard Jr., Won Bronze, World School Children’s Art Competition

“I felt surprised because there were a lot of entries from over the whole world.”

Delahnie Bain

“Tell us about the piece of art that you submitted.”

Adrian Bernard Jr.

“I did a man who had some instruments, his favorite musical instruments that he likes to use.”

Delahnie Bain

“And how long did that take you to make that?”

Adrian Bernard Jr.

“About two weeks.”

Nigel Juarez

Nigel Juarez, Won Bronze, World School Children’s Art Competition

“I was very excited because I didn’t believe it but then I called the principal and she told me I won.”

Delahnie Bain

“So tell us about the piece of artwork that you sent in.”

Nigel Juarez

“Well, I collided the national symbols of El Salvador and Belize because I travel in those countries and I love them equally and I made it into one painting and it won the third prize.”

Delahnie Bain

“Now that you’re in high school you’ll continue doing your art?”

Nigel Juarez

“Yes, I come here on Thursdays and practice with Miss Huang a bit more.”

Ambassador Wu says the paintings will be featured in an exhibit in Taiwan as well as a publication that will be distributed worldwide.

David Wu

“They will be published in a book and this book will be sent to all participants from the fifty two countries. So this is a very, very good example of the high standard of art education in Belize.”

Delahnie Bain

“And was St. Joseph the only school from Belize that participated?”

David Wu

“No, because we have not only the government, but also the MPO in Taiwan, Regional Art Education Association. So we invite different schools and this year St. Joseph and last year we invited other schools and then in the future we will invite more schools to attend.  We hope that in the future we can have more students from Belize go to Taiwan not only to participate in the art exhibition or art competition but also to apply for the scholarship to study in Taiwan for arts.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.

The St. Joseph School Art program is growing by leaps and bounds. Their students recently won the local Penta Paint Up Di Place and Atlantic Bank art competitions.