In 1951 York Art Gallery commissioned John Piper to paint a picture of York. He chose to paint the view from Clifford’s Tower looking towards the Minster. The artist’s use of colour is dramatic and his high viewpoint helps to show the jumble of buildings that make up this historic city.

The Challenge

We want you to take Piper’s painting as your inspiration and create something new that will tell visitors to the Gallery what it is like to live in York today. You could:

• Choose a new way to look at the city: a bird’s eye view perhaps, or even a worm’s eye view!
• Recreate the painting in a different medium – as a sculpture, textile or ceramic – or use new technologies such as digital photography or animation
• Use Piper’s style to paint a different York scene, perhaps your school or the area of York where you live

Five prizes will be awarded of two days of workshops with an artist in your school for you and your class. A photo of the work produced with the artist will be displayed on the façade of York Art Gallery, overlooking Exhibition Square.

The best artworks entered into the competition will be displayed in The Project Gallery from April to July 2017. The Project Gallery in York Art Gallery features exhibitions created by artists and local communities who have worked closely with the gallery and its collections on inspiring and innovative projects.

Please e-mail to request a full information pack, including details of how to enter and ideas for how to get started: schoolcompetitions@ymt.org.uk. Final entries, via e-mail only, must be received by Friday 24 February 2017.

The competition is run in partnership with York Civic Trust and the Friends of York Art Gallery and is inspired by the National Gallery’s ‘Take One Picture’ programme.

Below: View from Clifford’s Tower by John Piper, 1951