Ackim Chance of Speyside High School, is the winner of the 2019 Chief Secretary’s Art Competition.
His oil on canvas depiction of a vintage derelict truck earned him cash prizes for himself and his school and the front page of the coveted 2020 Office of the Chief Secretary’s calendar.
When asked to describe his immediate reaction to winning Ackim said, “amazing.”
The humble artist admitted while he was unsure of how he won, he felt overwhelmed. He also thanked his teachers for supporting him through the creative process.
Now in its eighth year, the Chief Secretary’s Secondary School competition invites students from across the island to submit art pieces using any medium.
And 12 finalists are selected for placement in the Office of the Chief Secretary’s calendar and cash prizes for themselves and their school.
The prize-giving ceremony for this year’s competition was held at the Scarborough Library facility yesterday.
During the ceremony, Chief Administrator of the Tobago House of Assembly Bernadette Solomon Coroma challenged students to create a success story based on the arts.
“Art can be utilised to promote our history of our culture our tourism however I believe it is underutilized and underrated,” she said.
She said art is not promoted as a career option in schools and mind-sets should be developed to include visual and performing arts as viable career options.
Chief Secretary of the Tobago House of Assembly Kelvin Charles urged the students to continue to pursue their talents.
“Much is promised for you our artistes whose talents brim with potential and promise,” he said.
He said since its inception of the competition, it continues to provide a much-needed platform for self-expression among Tobago’s students. “And it is our collective duty to support and truly empower the artists in the hope that they will truly transform the island through their innovation, he added