Waterford teens recognised for powerful artworks – Whatson

From hundreds of entries, the shortlists of this year’s AIB Portrait Prize and AIB Young Portrait Prize have been announced by the National Gallery of Ireland.

This year, two artists from Waterford have been shortlisted. Aoibhe O’Connor’s acrylic on canvas, ‘Breakthrough’, and Aoibhe Devereux’s, ‘Tumtha’, a piece in acrylic on canvas board, have been shortlisted along with 18 other artists from across the country, in the AIB Young Portrait Prize.

The AIB Young Portrait Prize returns for its sixth year in 2024 as a showcase for the artistic talent of young people from across the island of Ireland.

Five winners (one from each respective age category and an overall winner) will be selected from a shortlist of hundreds of entries from young people aged three to 18.

Winners will receive a bespoke art box and a cash prize. The overall competition winner will be awarded a personalised wooden box of high-quality art materials and a cash prize of €500. All 20 shortlisted entrants will have their artwork professionally framed and prepared.

Exhibitions of the shortlisted works in both competitions will run at the National Gallery of Ireland from November 9, this year to March 9, 2025.