REDRUTH ARTIST TAKES TOP PRIZE IN SKATEBOARD DESIGN CONTEST
Fifteen-year-old Darren Myners of Redruth has taken the top prize in Whatever It Takes, a national competition to design a Cornish skateboard, with his image of a skateboarding pasty.
Blueprint pro Nick Jensen, one of the UK’s top skateboarders, judged the competition and revealed the winner on Saturday 20 October 2012 at the opening of a two-month exhibition of boards by entrants and skateboarding professionals at Heartlands, Pool.
“It was an extremely tough choice,” said Jensen, who encouraged fellow professionals to design boards as a point of inspiration. “Darren's design really showed what is great about Cornwall and how passionately people feel about the place.
“This competition has been brilliant for Cornwall and the Cornish skating scene. It's brought together people interested in skateboarding and people interested in art – and given everyone a fantastic opportunity to have their work on display in a prestigious local venue. I really hope that Heartlands will continue to encourage skateboarding.”
More than 150 people entered the competition and ten shortlisted entries were offered the chance to transfer their designs on to used decks donated by Jensen and other professionals. The ten shortlisted entrants were: Robin Harrison (Sheffield), Dale May (Brea), Louis le Bretton (Camborne), Joe von Savageri (Pool), Finley Birnie (Saltash), Archie Milburn (St Columb), Jodie Morris (Hayle), Darren Myners (Redruth) and Tegen Williams (London).
Overall winner Darren, who is in his final year of GSCEs at Richard Lander School, Truro, said that he wants to be an artist.
“I want to get my work out there,” he said after receiving his prize of a skate deck donated by S J Skate Store, Truro, and a T-shirt from Roots Skate Shop, Camborne. “It was strange to see people going up to see my board and looking at it – but it was great.”
Second came Dale May and third Finley Birnie.
Dale studied art and animal care at Cornwall College and now juggles three jobs: he still hopes to be an artist. His intricate design is an aerial view of the landscape of west Cornwall.
The exhibition will be in the Glass Atrium at Heartlands from 20 October – 22 December 2012 and is free. It is the result of a project run in conjunction with Heartlands by cultural arts agency Bridging Arts with Claire Arymar, Neighbourhood Manager for Pengegon estate and surrounding areas, and Cornwall Community Action Network (CCAN), which runs work placements and apprenticeship schemes.
“This project has united different communities in a very exciting way,” says Arymar. “We are so lucky that Nick Jensen has given his time, enthusiasm and artistic expertise to give the whole thing such a boost. It will mean such a lot to local people – especially those who are never normally asked their opinion or given such a public platform.”
The exhibition is open daily from 10am to 4pm (last entry 345pm) from 20 October to 22 December 2012 in the Glass Atrium at Heartlands.
