ERROR RG P4 2.5.2000 Montessori Academy student Ryan Branco was incorrectly listed as Ryan Branch in the April 27 Lifestyle feature on children's art included in the Agricultural Exhibition catalogue.

Art is alive and well in some of Bermuda's schools, as the colourful display of winning drawings in this year's Agricultural Exhibition demonstrates. So good were some entries, in fact, that they have also been chosen to illustrate the official show catalogue.

Due to space limitations in the Education Hall, only the art of the 350 students who received Highly Commended awards is displayed. Certainly the three judges -- Nancy Wadson, Jill Amos Raine, and Diana Hindness -- could not have had an easy time whittling down their choices from the approximately 2,000 entries submitted.

"The proliferation of art was fantastic,'' Mrs. Raine said. "It was so hard to choose the finalists because there were so many colours -- and such nice work, especially from the Primary departments.

"My overall impression was of a tremendous amount of work, very good quality, especially from some of the very youngest students. I think their quality was excellent.'' For her part, former nursery school owner Mrs. Wadson said the use of bold, bright colours; originality, and creative flair were qualities which guided in her deliberations. The Parks Department's Anne Boykin Smith, who is in overall charge of the art exhibits, said students were given six theme choices to interpret, ranging from agricultural and environmental subjects, to food, the sea, and enjoyment of the Agricultural Exhibition.

Of the 350 winners, 14 children, ranging in age from six to 14, had the additional honour of having their work included in the exhibition catalogue.

They were Nicholas Chilvers, Njere Fubler, Ashley Robinson, Danielle Farrington, Tsehai Tear, Leah Mills, Ryan Branch, Jahron Dickinson, Samantha Gosling, Adrienne Smith, Janelle Williams, Christina Tucker, Dejon Simmons and Kache m Battersbee.

Saltus Grammar School student Nicholas Chilvers, who loves to fish, chose to feature a jellyfish in his drawing because of his interest in what lives in the sea. Nine-year-old Njere Fubler of Francis Patton School took the land route and settled for pigs because "they looked easy to draw''. Delighted with her award, she said that while sport is her favourite subject, she wouldn't mind being an artist when she grows up.

Talented young artists at the Ag Exhibition Fourteen-year-old Warwick Academy student Ashley Robinson was similarly pleased. Although her carefully executed pencil drawing of a farm scene "took a long time'', she was thrilled to learn it has been included in the catalogue -- a first, although she has won Highly Commended awards before.

Taught by Susan Judd, Miss Robinson says being an animal lover all her life was the inspiration for her drawing.

Heron Bay School students Kache m Battersbee (11) and Leah Mills (10) both love fruit so much they drew bowls of it. Taught by Angela Gentleman, they say their awards have inspired them to do more art in future.

For Bermuda High School student Danielle Farrington (10), who likes drawing "very much'' and has a virtual menagerie of animals, birds and fish at home, her winning entry, now on the back cover of the catalogue, came as a great surprise. Taught by Miss Harris, she is already planning to enter next year's show.

"My teacher, Mrs. Wade, was very excited, she's really nice,'' bubbly Purvis Primary School student, Tsehai Tear (9), said of reaction to her win. "When I was in assembly they gave me this orange ribbon, and everybody knew I had won a Highly Commended.'' Her imaginative picture of butterflies, birds, buds, flowers and grasses reflects her love of nature, and her love of colour, and her mother says the school's Word a Day project has helped Tsehai with her drawing skills.

While pleased with the entries submitted, judges Mrs. Raine and Mrs. Wadson expressed disappointment with some aspects of the schools' participation in the competition.

"There appeared to be very little interest from the high schools. The work that was put in was nice but sparse, and some schools were noticeable by their absence,'' Mrs. Raine noted. "They put a tremendous emphasis on sports here, but the arts are not considered as important.'' Recalling her own school days, when art was dropped as a regular curriculum subject in the senior school, she said it was only in later life that she developed the talent which has led to a full-time career as a professional artist.

"Art is very important,'' Mrs. Raine stressed. "If you feel confident with art as a child, and continue with it through your life, then you never say things like, `I have no talent' or `I can't draw a straight line'.'' Her sentiments were echoed by fellow judge Mrs. Wadson, who said: "I don't feel that Bermuda schools give enough importance to art. Everybody has a music and gym teacher, why can't every school have an art teacher?'' Noting that a lot of entries were submitted by private schools, Mrs. Wadson felt it would have been nice to see more art from the Government schools, and she suggested that teachers might begin preparing their students to enter the exhibition from the time the Department of Agriculture & Fisheries published the appropriate information in January.

Nonetheless, both judges said that they had had "a lot of fun'' being involved, and had thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The third judge, Mrs.

Hindness, was not available for comment.

Fruits of Success: Ten-year-old Jahron Dickinson's creativity and bold use of colour earned the St. George's Preparatory School student a Highly Commended award and inclusion in the exhibition catalogue.

Animal Farm: Meticulous attention to detail in this pencil drawing of farm life proved a winning formula for 14-year-old Ashley Robinson of Warwick Academy.

Sea this: Saltus Grammar School student Nicolas Chilvers' love of the marine life is reflected in this drawing which earned him an Highly Commended ribbon.

In the pink: Francis Patton School student Njere Fubler (nine) poses with her winning entry of pink pigs in the schools art competition. Her Highly Commended drawing is also featured in the exhibition catalogue.

YOUNG ARTISTS SHINE The Catalogue Kids: Students whose art is included in this year's official Agricultural Exhibition catalogue take a photo call with their work. They are (from left) Nicholas Chilvers, Njere Fubler, Ashley Robinson, Leah Mills, Danielle Farrington and Tsehai Tear.