MOMA Machynlleth are delighted to announce the Winners of the 2025 Tabernacle Art Competition. The theme for the competition was \u201cMy Peaceful Place\u201d. Christopher Mike generously agreed to be this year\u2019s Judge. Christopher is a painter who operates from studios in London and Wales. He paints urban and industrial landscapes to show how beauty can be found in what may otherwise appear to be brutal environments. Other times he concentrates on the untamed and beautiful Welsh coastline.<\/p>\n
About the competition, Christopher says \u201cThe quality of this year\u2019s submissions was even higher than last year; so too was the number of people who had followed the theme. My Peaceful Place evidently resonated with many people. It was clear that a great deal of thought had been given to the submissions.\u201d<\/p>\n
First Prize in the Adult category goes to Bob Charlesworth with his gouache, pen and ink work titled \u201cThe Red Baloon \u2013 George\u2019s Afternoon Nap\u201d.
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\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.moma.cymru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/03103243\/BobCharlesworth-198x300.jpg\")
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\nBob Charlesworth, born 1943, spent most of his working life running a carpet business in Shropshire, but began to paint after he retired in 2010. Bob now lives in North Shropshire, where he has an allotment, bowls a lot in the summer, writes stories (purely for pleasure), practises a little bookbinding, and runs a small weekly drawing group. His current ambition is to write a series of fantasy stories, illustrate them, and then put them into his own hand made book.<\/p>\n
Second Prize, donated by The Friends of The Tabernacle, is Suzanne Harris with her acrylic on canvas titled \u201cAnd Breathe (Tally Forest)\u201d.
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\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.moma.cymru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/03105450\/SuzanneHarris-241x300.jpg\")
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\nSuzanne is from Aberystwyth. After teaching art in the community for many years, she relocated from south to west Wales to develop her practice.
\nHer subject matter is mostly figurative and has a narrative or symbolic element to it. Intrigued by the mystery behind the face and ambiguity of expression and context, Suzanne works from both life and her imagination.<\/p>\n
Third Prize, donated by Wendy Fuller, goes to Rachel Millington with her textile: linen on linen work titled \u201cA Room with a View\u201d.
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\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.moma.cymru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/03105520\/RachelMillington-300x123.jpg\")
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\nRachel, from Church Eaton in Staffordshire, has always loved drawing and painting, and often illustrated her essays while at school. In her thirties, Rachel decided to go to University to find a way of learning and making art that could have a practical application, then went into teaching. A love of art and particularly textiles has stayed with her, she is now retired from teaching, and spends her time creating wearable art, hand\/machine stitched art pieces, and exploring colour work and pattern through FairIsle knitting, basic weaving and print making.<\/p>\n
Malcolm Ryan, Jean Napier, Sarah Keen, Helen Pugh, and Jacq Brill were Highly Commended.<\/p>\n
In the Ages 11 and under category, the winner is Zoe Leng, age 10 from Knaresborough, North Yorkshire, with her acrylic on canvas work titled \u201cOn the Beach\u201d.
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\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.moma.cymru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/03105603\/ZoeLeng-300x300.jpg\")
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\nLydia Mears (age 11), Osian January-McCann (age 11), Grace Hussein (age 9), and Iolo Williams (age 10) were Highly Commended.<\/p>\n
The winner in the Ages 12 to 17 category is Ellie Stubbs, age 12, with her brush pen work titled \u201cRelaxed Reading\u201d. Ellie is from Derwenlas near Machynlleth.
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\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.moma.cymru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/03105636\/EllieStubbs-196x300.jpg\")
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\nTrinity Holmes (age 16), Alice Andrews (age 13), Lydia Corfield (age 14), Elsi Davies (age 12), Oz Wilkins (age 17), and Finn Collister (age 15) were Highly Commended.<\/p>\n
The selection of the winners was no easy task with around 180 works being submitted. The winning works, alongside the highly commended works and a selection of other submitted works, will be exhibited in the Owen Owen and Bridge Galleries at MOMA Machynlleth from 28nd June to the 3rd September. All the exhibited works are for sale. <\/p>\n
We encourage visitors to come and vote their favourite works. The adult and under 18 works with the most votes will win the Ailsa Owen Memorial Prize, a prize given by David Owen in memory of his late wife who judged the first competition nearly thirty years ago. Voting is open until 22nd August with the winners being announced at midday on Saturday 23rd August, along with the theme for the 2026 Tabernacle Art Competition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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