www.rte.ie Culture Article, Friday 5th February 2021

Artist Louise Cherry introduces a new art competition for kids that supports a very worthy cause, and the amazing child - her nephew Jace - who inspired the whole thing.

Homeschooling is not easy! I am at home, with my kids, aged 14 and 11, homeschooling, trying to work while keeping the kids, out of bed, dressed, off screens, out of the fridge and not killing each other. I thought I knew juggling before, but I sure know it now.

In my normal pre-covid life, I am an artist, I paint. As well as my art practice I run two small businesses, an art school and an art gallery. I say, I run two small businesses but in reality due to Covid, my art school has been closed since last March and the Gallery is operating on a stop / start system, currently the physical gallery has been replaced with a virtual one. Thankfully nothing can stop me from painting.

Nonetheless, with the school and gallery closed, and wanting to continue to inspire a love of art and give something back, I decided to launch a fundraising art competition for primary school children. Hopefully the competition will link communities, give kids and parents at home a project to get involved in, raise money for a great cause and remind us all despite lockdown, how lucky we are in life!

The Jack and Jill Foundation is very close to my heart, as they help my amazing sister Clare and her husband Pierre with their little boy Jace who was born with Pallister-Killian syndrome, an extremely rare genetic disorder that is present at birth and requires full-time care. This care is given amazingly and lovingly by Clare, Pierre and their three beautiful daughters, Ailis, Gaelle and Lyla - who adore their little brother.

Jace is a sweet and loving child, and despite his disabilities still enjoys life to the fullest he can. He engages well with his loved ones and loves nothing more than a good tickle and giggle. But there is no denying that his care requires a huge amount of effort and even superhero parents need a break from time to time and that's where The Jack and Jill Foundation comes in.

With their incredibly trained nurses, Jace is in good hands and Clare and Pierre can get some rest, some time to dedicate to their other children, doing things they can’t do when Jace is with them. I feel so useless as during lockdown, not only can I not help Clare and Pierre, I can't even visit them !! So I have set up this competition to support the Foundation that gives them so much support.

As an artist and an art teacher, I know that a blank canvas can be daunting and so to encourage as many children to participate as possible I have designed two project briefs that they can follow. One is designed for younger children or kids who might not usually gravitate towards an art while the 2nd is designed for the older child who might be looking for something more challenging.

There are some amazing prizes generously donated by local Wicklow businesses, with three age categories and four prizes in each category, as well as an overall school prize for the school with the most entries. I will also hang the winners (and as many other entries that I can fit in) in my gallery. The exhibition will start during lockdown, so local children can walk past and look at their work hanging in a gallery, through the window and hopefully after lockdown, I can open it for a while to the wider audience.

There is no entry fee but if people can, they are asked to donate to the Jack and Jill Foundation. 100% of all donations are going to the Foundation - €16 provides a family with 1 hour of trained nurse care. Donations can be made through my JustGiving page here. 

The deadline for the Louise Cherry Gallery / Jack and Jill Primary school art competition is Friday 26th February - find out more here.