5 August 2024

Student Success in Community Art Competition

Art & Design students, Jaina Chandler and Joey Jackson

Art & Design students, Jaina Chandler and Joey Jackson, won as winner and runner-up respectively in the ‘Spring into Community Art Competition’ presented in partnership with Wakehurst, Grove Garden, Southern Rail, and Art on the Line, and supported by East Sussex College.

Earlier this year, East Sussex College supported a competition hosted in partnership with Kew Gardens, Wakehurst, and Southern Rail, giving students the chance to showcase their talents and win prizes.

Artists were asked to explore their connection to their community, while celebrating the season of spring. Art & Design students Jaina Chandler and Joey Jackson won as winner and runner-up of the 16 - 35 category, respectively.

Jaina and Joey are set to have their work presented in train stations across the area. The College has also provided £100 for the winners, and £50 for runners-up!

Following the competition, Southern Rail kindly offered the College an exhibition space at Brighton Station, providing yet another platform for ESC’s creative students.

Speaking to the College about her success, Jaina said, "It was really exciting to find out that I had won. I’ve never really done an art competition before, other than in secondary school, so I was really surprised that I did win. It was very exciting when I read the email. For the artwork itself, it was a part of my college work called ‘sense of place’. The idea was to focus on seascapes as it is what connects us all together on the earth. That no matter where you are standing in the coastline, someone somewhere else in the world is standing in the same water as you. Or whenever you look up at the sky, the people around you are see the same sky, yet everyone views the same thing a different way."

Jaina added, "My tutor was very supportive during the whole process, he was the one who insisted I should enter the competition as he thought I had the potential to win. I would show him my ideas for the artwork and what direction I’d want to take the pieces in and we’d sit and discuss the best way forward. He gave his opinion on how to improve the paintings and make them have the best outcome possible."

"I have really enjoyed my course at East Sussex College. I’d definitely recommend it. My life is surrounded by art, it’s what I do, it’s what I love and it’s been really fun to be around others who love art the way I do. The course makes you dive into art and learn the techniques and gives you the space to explore what type of media you like best whilst also giving you creative freedom."

James Dibiaise, Art & Design Lecturer at East Sussex College, said, “Both students were thrilled by their success in this competition and their paintings were excellent. This is a fantastic achievement and a reflection of their hard work, dedication and creativity over the past year. The exhibition space offered from Southern also represents another exciting opportunity for our creative students to be seen beyond the College.”

If you’d like to find out more about Art & Design courses at East Sussex College, please click here.