Celebrating Young Talent: The Milton Keynes Open, Young Artist Secondary Schools Art Exhibition
- Toni Marie Holland
- Oct 8
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 19
Westbury Arts Centre came alive with creativity this week as students from across the city gathered for an exclusive Art Exhibition and Competition for Secondary Schools in the Barn Gallery on Saturday the 4th October, a vibrant celebration of imagination, skill, and expression. The event brought together eight schools across the city - Glebe Farm, Stantonbury, Watling Academy, Bridge Academy West, The Webber Independent School, Walton High, The Radcliffe School, and Milton Keynes College.
In total, 62 remarkable pieces filled the exhibition space, offering a stunning mix of pencil drawings, paintings, ceramics, digital art, photography, and mixed media. The result was a captivating showcase of creativity with each artwork telling its own unique story and reflecting the individuality of its young creator.
The difficult task of selecting winners fell to our three esteemed judges Mallory Henson, Robin Souter, and Olivia Mansfield, all talented artists in their own right. Their expertise, generosity, and thoughtful deliberation were deeply appreciated as they carefully chose the winning works across three categories: Years 7–9, Years 10–11, and Years 12–13. We extend our sincere thanks to them for their time, dedication, and commitment to celebrating young artistic voices.
The Barn was full of excitement for the awards ceremony on the 4th, with students, friends and family. We were also truly honoured to be joined by local Councillors, supporting the young artists, Councillors Chris Williams, Shenley Brook End and Tattenhoe Parish Council as well as Milton Keynes Deputy Mayor, Councillor Paul Trendall, and Youth Mayor, Zara Butt, who, along with the Westbury Chair of the Trustees, Joe Little, opened the event with heartfelt and inspiring words of encouragement. Their speeches celebrated not only the artistic achievements of our students but also the value of creativity within our community. It was a privilege to have their support and to see them champion the talents of our young people so warmly before the awards ceremony began.
A special congratulations goes to Marta Wydrzynska from Bridge Academy West, who won the position of Overall Winner, receiving a private tutorial from Westbury's resident artists, and her school winning the prize of £250 sponsored by Westbury. Marta's artwork captivated the judges with her mysterious and evocative self-portrait, earning well-deserved recognition for her artistic talent and emotional depth.
All students participating in the exhibition should truly be proud of themselves for their creativity and talent. The winners from each category also won private tutorials from our resident artists.
Overall winner
Marta Wydrzynska
Bridge Academy
1st Years 7-9
Bissan Tayara
The Radcliffe School
2nd Years 7-9
Vicky Merdina
Webber Independent School
3rd Years 7-9
Zeynep Dongel
Watling Academy
1st Years 10-11
Ethan Matthews
Stantonbury School
2nd Years 10-11
Fatima Masood
The Radcliffe School
3rd Years 10-11
Olivia Perry
Stantonbury School
1st Years 12-13
Olivia Sherratt
Bridge Academy Post 16 Centre
2nd Years 12-13
Julie Sherar
MK College Extended Diploma
3rd Years 12-13
Bethan Hyde
MK College Extended Diploma
The exhibition stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of art in education within our community - its ability to inspire, connect, and give young people from all walks of life the confidence to share their voices with the world.
Both this event and the Young Artist Primary Competition for primary schools in May were made possible through the generous funding of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation. Their support has given students the opportunity to experience a professional exhibition setting, to see their work illuminated, appreciated, and shared among peers. This kind donation truly helped to shine a light on the outstanding artistic talent growing within our schools.
We would also like to express our gratitude to the teachers from all participating schools. Despite their busy schedules and countless demands, they made the extra effort to prepare and submit work for the exhibition. Their passion and dedication to the arts make these opportunities possible, allowing students to take centre stage and showcase their creativity with pride.
That’s a wrap on MKOYA 2025! Huge thank you to everyone who made it possible - the artists, volunteers, visitors, and supporters who brought such energy and heart to the space. If you joined us, we’d love to hear from you with your thoughts in the comments, and if you missed it, stay tuned for our next exhibition!
The MK Open Young Artist event for both Primary and Secondary schools will be held in the Barn Gallery in 2026 once again, please do express your interest or tell your art teacher!
