The Sovereign Art Foundation (SAF) is delighted to announce the winners of the Sovereign Student Art Prize Guernsey.
This year’s prize celebrated 29 finalists, each nominated by their teachers in recognition of the exceptional quality of their work. The prize is designed to recognise the importance of art in education and to shine a well-deserved spotlight on the talent being produced by young people across the island.
The Winners
The Sovereign Art Foundation Judges’ Prize, carrying a personal award of £800 for the student and a £2,000 grant for their school, was awarded to Poppy Bowen from Blanchelande College for her piece ‘Home’.
Inspired by a visit to the Lofoten Islands in Northern Norway, the work is deeply personal. Poppy describes the composition as
representing an escape and a portal into a new world, with elements from her travels brought together into something close to perfect. At its heart is a fjord, where land meets sea, and the hummingbirds woven through the piece are a tribute to her Nana, lost to cancer in 2021, for
whom a trip to Norway had always been a dream. Poppy made that journey for her. It is the kind of work that reminds us why art matters.
The Sovereign Art Foundation Public Vote Prize saw the Guernsey community respond with real enthusiasm, generating nearly 800 votes, a testament to the engagement and support that this prize continues to inspire across the island. The winner, as chosen by the public, was Adam Walter, also from Blanchelande College, for his piece ‘Petit Bot Passageway at Low Tide’.
Discovered during a kayaking trip, Adam was drawn to the location by its strong composition, leading lines and range of tones and colours. Working from photographs taken across multiple viewpoints, he painted in acrylic on canvas, using square-ended brushes and palette knives to build up the paint in varying thicknesses – a technique that brings real texture and depth to the finished work. Adam receives £400, with a grant of £1,000 awarded to Blanchelande College.
Congratulations to both Poppy and Adam, and to Blanchelande College on a remarkable double win.
“We are incredibly proud to celebrate the talent, creativity and dedication shown by all of this year’s participants. The standard of work continues to be exceptional and highlights the importance of supporting young artists at every stage of their development. Initiatives like this provide meaningful opportunities and exposure for emerging talent in Guernsey.”
Martin-Dale Bradley, Managing Director, Sovereign Trust (Channel Islands) Ltd.
Part of a Global Network of Charitable Work
The Guernsey Student Prize is one of twelve Student Prizes run by SAF around the world, spanning Bahrain, Chester, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Guernsey, the Isle of Man, Malta & Gozo, Mauritius, London, Portugal, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Foundation was established in 2003 by Howard Bilton and Tiffany Pinkstone, with a founding vision of celebrating artists while raising funds for programmes that use art to make a meaningful difference in communities.
For Sovereign Guernsey, support for the prize goes beyond sponsorship. As a business that has been part of the island’s professional community for many years, there is a real sense of responsibility to invest in the people and talent that make Guernsey thrive, and celebrating the next generation of artists feels like a natural expression of that commitment.
Congratulations to All 29 Finalists
While the prizes rightly celebrate individual achievement, every one of the 29 finalists deserves recognition. To have their work selected and celebrated among peers, family and the wider community is a remarkable achievement in itself.
Sovereign Guernsey is proud to support this prize and looks forward to continuing to nurture the next generation of artistic talent on the island.
