Young Artist

FELIX IS ASHBY ROTARY’S YOUNG ARTIST 2026

Felix Bee, a 9-year-old pupil at Viscount Beaumont CofE Primary School won Ashby Rotary’s Young Artist Competition 2026 for his painting ‘Because I’m Happy’.

A packed Conkers Discovery Centre was the venue for the prize giving on Friday 27 February that attracted over 200 entries in the competition from primary and secondary schools. The theme of the competition was ‘Happiness in Nature’ and that emotion was certainly portrayed in Felix’s painting.

Julie Kydd, President of Ashby Castle Rotary Club, welcomed the audience of parents, teachers and children and introduced the judge, local artist Dr Malcolm Vaughan and the  Mayor of Ashby Councillor Damilola Ojuri who would be presenting the certificates to the winners.

Malcolm described how difficult it had been for him to choose the winners. ‘I was most impressed with both the artistic merit of so many pictures and the originality of thought that had been exercised’ he said.

First in Primary School prizes were presented to: Ivy Dixon, Albert Village; Sophie Tipper, Donisthorpe; Aubrie Harrison, Moira; Lyla Quinn, Packington; Felix Bee, Viscount Beaumont; and Matthew Blandamour, Woodcote.

The first in Middle School prize was presented to Elsa Tice, Ashby School. While the Upper School prize went to Sarah Crowder also from Ashby School. All of these winners received gift vouchers of passes to Conkers Centre generously donated by Conkers.

The Best in Class Awards were next, presented in Primary School Class to Felix Bee; In Middle Shool Class to Elsa Tice and in Upper School Class to Sarah Crowder.

Finally, Malcolm Vaughan announced the Young Artist of the Year Award. He said ‘it was not easy to look through so many excellent paintings and select one as the overall winner. However, one did stand out for its bold use of colour and its obvious portrayal of its title ‘Because I’m Happy’. Felix received a year’s family pass to Conkers.

The Rotary Club of Ashby de la Zouch and Ashby Castle Rotary Club thanked Rotarian Mike Wicks and his team for all the hard work of organising the event.

Captions

1   Felix Bee, Ashby Rotary Young Artist 2026 with his painting ‘Because I’m Happy’.

2   Felix Bee receives his winner’s certificate from Councillor Damilola Ojuri supported by event judge Martin Vaughan. 

3   Some of the winners of the Ashby Rotary Young Artist 2026 competition with Councillor Damilola Ojuri and event judge Martin Vaughan.                        

Photos by Rotarian David Smith