Three local Dundee pupils were in Edinburgh to celebrate their outstanding winning entries for the Tesco Bank Art Competition for Schools on the 15th of this month.

Elspeth Murray from Park Place Primary School and Molly Robertson and Calum Morrison from Kingspark School visited the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in the capital to see their artwork go on display to the public, in a ceremony to announce the winners of the annual competition.

Inspired by themes reflected in the National Galleries’ collections, including How does your garden grow? Family and Heroes & Heroines, the Tesco Bank Art Competition for Schools has seen young people from Kenmay (Aberdeenshire) and the Isle of Skye (Highlands), to Moniaive (Dumfries and Galloway) and Stow (Scottish Borders) create some imaginative and brilliant work.

Entries reached record levels this year with over 6,000 art works received from schools in 31 local authorities across Scotland – a 5.3% increase in last year’s total and an amazing reflection of how many talented young artists there are in Scotland.

In total there were 53 winning entries including striking images of family at work, local communities as well as imaginative costume creations and accessories. Individual winners as young as three years old and group entries from schools across the country took part.

For the first time, all 53 winning works are on display to the public in the newly refurbished Scottish National Portrait Gallery from today, before being exhibited in a Scotland-wide tour until May 2013.

Author and illustrator James Mayhew, an ambassador for this year’s competition said:

“I am absolutely delighted to see such high standard from the 53 winning entries, but in particular the overall standard from more than 6,200 children and school groups across the country. Today is a very special day for the winners and I wish them every success, and hope they will continue to create art in the future.”

John Leighton, Director- General, National Galleries of Scotland commented:

“The entries this year, as ever, show the creativity and talent of hundreds of children from across Scotland. It is so important to us that this competition reaches young people and gives them an opportunity to discover and experiment with art, inspired by their surroundings and their National Collection here in Edinburgh at the National Galleries of Scotland.”

Benny Higgins, Tesco Bank’s chief executive, added:

“I’d like to personally congratulate Elspeth Murray, Molly Robertson and Calum Morrison from Dundee. It is great that in our first year supporting the Tesco Bank Art Competition for Schools that we’ve seen more than a 5% increase in entries. The artwork which is now on display in the National Portrait Gallery shows the amazing talent the children of Scotland have. Our aim is to continue to widen accessibility of this very special competition over the forthcoming years of our partnership.”

The competition was first established in 2004 and has attracted over 36,000 entries since its launch. Exhibitions of winning entries have been shown across Scotland, in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness, Fort William, Stirling, Banff and Berwick-upon-Tweed, attracting large audiences.