THE Westmorland Gazette and Abbot Hall Art Gallery are running the first Young Art Critics competition as part of www.thisisthelakedistrict.co.uk’s Artists In Residence Online section.

Students from four schools invited to participate will review the Euan Uglow Controlled Passion: Fifty Years of Painting exhibition and submit a critique.

The winning entry will be published in the paper, on the thisisthelakedistrict website, and on the gallery site at www.abbothall.org.uk on Friday, July 18.

“Being published on the Internet is a great opportunity for students wishing to build up a portfolio for future education and career plans,” says Kate Harrison, The Westmorland Gazette web editor.

And Abbot Hall’s deputy director and head of Education Cherrie Trelogan is equally enthusiastic: “This project will give students the opportunity to fulfill some of the curriculum requirements by extending their knowledge of art, developing their confidence in writing and expressing their own opinions and finding out about the roles of galleries and newspapers.” Participants have been invited to the preview session to meet competition organisers and view the exhibition.