Enter Turner Contemporary’s annual art competition, celebrating Chagall in Tudeley and a celebrity antique valuation day in Westerham

Turner Contemporary’s annual art competition, Portfolio, celebrates the talent and success of aspiring artists from across Kent.

The competition is open to all pupils and students aged four to18 and to members of staff from any institution in Kent whose primary function is the care and education of young people.

The 30 winning entries will be exhibited in Turner Contemporary’s Clore Learning Studio from 2 April until 10 May 2015. An additional 150 shortlisted works will digitally accompany the exhibition, projected on-loop.

This year’s competition theme is This is ME! and is inspired by Sir Anthony van Dyck’s last Self-portrait on display in the gallery’s current exhibition, Self: Image and Identity (until 11 May 2015).

Portfolio gives students and staff the exciting opportunity to showcase their work at one of the UK’s leading visual arts galleries and alongside Self, which includes works by Sarah Lucas, Damien Hirst, David Hockney and Andy Warhol.

This year’s Portfolio competition has received a record 1,200 entries, inspiring children and adults to get creative, making new works in Kent. Entries were particularly encouraged by outreach sessions delivered by Canterbury Christ Church University in schools across Kent.

Entries have been divided into age-band categories and judged by a panel of experts, with prizes being awarded for first, second and highly commended places across each category.

The competition also includes categories for staff and for pupils attending special schools. Turner Contemporary, the Lilford Gallery and Canterbury Christ Church University will award their own prizes to those artists whose work shows artistic flair and creativity.

Diamond days

The Grand Hotel on Folkestone’s the Leas is presenting a selection of 40 original pieces by James Cassidy in its Palm Court and Salon de Thé.

The exhibition includes Giclée diamond dust canvas prints from the series ‘They Dreamed Their Dreams,’ inspired by the many poignant messages and dedications to be found on memorial plaques along the town’s famous Victorian promenade.

Also on show is the artist’s poster art, which uses digital manipulation and deconstruction of iconic photography from the early 1900s through to re-imagined pictures from modern times, creating haunting kaleidoscopic images of ethereal females.

The exhibition continues until 10 May 2015.

Celebrating Chagall

A piece of Kentish art history is being celebrated by a Kent watercolour artist inspired by the small village church in Tudeley, the only church in the world to have all its windows decorated by Chagall.

Now Tonbridge artist Steve Everest has rekindled the story with two new watercolours: one showing the artist enjoying a rest on a bench while overseeing the work on the stained-glass, and the other of Chagall’s home town of St Paul de Vence in France.

The stunning windows were created as a memorial to Sarah d’Avigdor-Goldsmid, who died in a sailing accident off Rye aged just 21 in 1963. Sarah was the daughter of Sir Henry and Lady d’Avigdor-Goldsmid, who lived at Somerhill, now a school. Her distraught parents contacted Chagall and asked him to design and produce the main East window above the altar in their local church as a tribute to her.

At first, Chagall declined the commission, but was eventually persuaded to take it on and in 1967, the East window was installed. However, when Chagall saw the church, he decided that he would replace all 12 windows for the Goldsmids.

Immerse yourself

The two worlds of dance and visual art collide this month when Maze, an immersive new performance presented by Turner Contemporary and Jasmin Vardimon Company, takes place at Margate’s Winter Gardens from 11-15 April (see also March Kent Life, pages 28-30).

An element of the Maze installation will also feature in Turner Contemporary’s upcoming Risk exhibition exploring the relationship between art and risk, which runs from 7 October 2015-17 January 2016.

? Tickets: £15, £10 (concs), book at: 01843 292795 or maze-event.org

Celebrity Valuation Day

Catherine Southon and Mark Stacey of BBC Bargain Hunt fame will be on hand to value your pieces on Sunday 19 April between 11am and 4pm .

Organised by Chrissie Masters of The Design Gallery in Westerham, the event will take place at Westerham Village Hall in Quebec Avenue, TN16 1BG .

Donations will be made to the educational charity VEPK and no booking is required.