The Annual School?s Exhibition revealed several up and coming talented young Bermudian artists.

The show, which is in its 40th year, opened on Monday evening at the Bermuda Society of Arts at City Hall.

The show features student?s artwork from both the public and the private sectors and will be judged through a ?People?s Choice? award. Visitors to the gallery can fill out a form of their favourite artist and a winner will be announced later.

Minister of Education and Development Terry Lister said many of the Island?s great artists first had their work displayed at this very show.

?The works on display would not have been possible without the dedication of the teachers,? said Mr. Lister.

?Also we are especially grateful for the appreciation and interest that they have fostered in their students in general that enriches our society at large.

?For some of you this may be the first of many art shows both locally and internationally. For others it may be a one-time experience, but for all of you I hope that this will be one of many successful and courageous experiences that your talent will carry and will allow you to produce things of value.?

There were several exceptional pieces at the Annual School?s Exhibition and artist and CedarBridge Academy art teacher Manuel Palacio spoke about some of the GCSE students artwork.

?They (the students) not only have to do a finished drawing, they have to research other artists that have done similar work, and then they have to have a theme and references,? he said.

?They have to have done research and then come up with their own interpretation. The end result is just a quarter of the grade.?

One student Termel Wolfe, 17, spends his days at CedarBridge Academy in the art class.

?I have been doing it pretty much all my life,? said Termel.

?I did this piece by getting two pieces that I liked that showed confessions

His GCSE teacher Bianca Hewson said: ?He is very talented and art is his passion ? it?s all he likes to do.

?This is the second year of his programme and he sits the final exam in about four weeks time.?

Another student Llewellyn Lawrence, who did a piece entitled ?Loneliness and Irritation? said it was a picture of himself.

?It was a piece that we had to do in class and it my two emotions were lonely and irritated,? he said.

?I used a black background to represent the loneliness and the hands that are up by themselves represent irritation, because you know when you put your hands up.

?It was done in an oil pastel. I just did one layer of black on the background and the face and hands I had to use layers. I had to use different colours and I had to blend them.

?Ms Hewson and I put them on the computer and I was supposed to do another piece similar to that, but with different colours then I saw the black and red and I figured I would just do it like that.?

Mr. Lawrence plans to go to college and study medals and jewellery making at Savannah College.

The exhibition continues until February 18 and is open everyday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.