This year’s Harvey Cooper Art Award winners were recently announced, with several school students taking home awards and prize money.

Samantha Rance, 16, took top honours and $1000 for her submission Cost of Your Conscience.

Miss Rance, a student at Bermuda High School, was pleased to win for her submission.

“I’m not taking art as a subject in school any more, so I like partaking in it in my own time, because I like to express myself that way,” said the runner-up from 2022.

The high school student explained her piece of work on Harvey Cooper’s website as follows: “The theme ‘Down to Earth’ is represented by The Cost of Your Conscience expressing the balance between ethics and the constant allure of money.

“No one is immune to its influence, which has resulted in harming the planet. The phrase generally refers to the blurred boundary between good and evil.

“The dollar sign represents money from a corrupt source, serving as a reminder that he will never truly be above its control.

“The pin, while visually close to his heart, suggests that his support of the environment is superficial.

“Its sombre tones hint a sense of foreboding. Its consequences being what everyone has to face due to these actions.”

Miss Rance intends to save the prize money for her college fund.

In December 2023, the artwork of students was displayed at Brew on Front Street. Miss Rance’s piece of art sold for $250.

Lily Cornes, 16, was the second-place finisher and won $500 for her submission, Subversion of Harmony.

“It’s something that I wanted to participate in for awhile. My art teacher at BHS told me about it every year, but I never did it until this year and this is my last year.

“I thought it would be a nice way to end the year and for university applications. I was very passionate about the theme,” Miss Cornes said.

Miss Cornes expanded on the intention behind her work: “Well, it’s a piece that’s got three faces in it and each one is a different element.

“So, it's a storm, and then the ocean and wildfires, which are all things in recent years that have been getting a lot more intense due to climate change.

“I just wanted to represent the different aspects of that and they have a clear link to show it’s humans that are causing that and it’s not just a natural thing that is occurring.”

The high school student has an idea of how to put the funds to good use.

“I really want to donate some of it to charity, probably something to do with helping climate change, because that’s the theme, or potentially the Red Cross,” Miss Cornes said.

Her artwork sold for $500.

The Harvey Cooper Award was first given in September 2019.

Students in M2 to Grade 12/IB/S4 can participate within their school.

There is a gallery show component where each school is guaranteed three spaces.

Students are judged on total composition, interpretation of theme, use of media, elements of art and principles of design.

The theme is released in January, the application process begins in November, and judging and voting is in December.

The theme of 2023 competition was “Down to Earth”. Participating schools included Whitney Institute Middle School, Mount Saint Agnes Academy, Bermuda High School, Warwick Academy, Somersfield Academy.

The 2024 theme is “Unseen Bermuda”.

• For more information, visit harverycooperaward.com