The Viner Gallery was buzzing with creative energy on Saturday 16th March for the Urban Photography Exhibition. This event showcased entries to the Urban Photography Competition, honouring the memory of Keith Powell (OW 1948), an Old Wulfrunian who cherished his time at WGS during the 1940s.

Following Mr. Powell's passing in April 2020, his family made a heartwarming donation to WGS to celebrate his passion for photography and film.  This generous gift has allowed us to establish two exciting initiatives:

• The Keith Powell Digital Arts Scholarship: This scholarship supports a deserving Sixth Form student as they embark on their university journey.
• The Keith Powell Prize (Digital Arts): First awarded at Prizegiving in 2023.

The competition challenged students, staff, parents, and OWs to capture their urban environment through a digital lens, drawing inspiration from the work of photographer Tom Hicks. Mr. Hicks' project, "Black Country Type," explores the West Midlands' post-industrial landscape through the lens of typography and signage. Some lucky WGS artists even had the opportunity to join Tom on a photowalk around Wolverhampton last year!

We were honoured to be joined by Tom, who kindly judged the entries and announced the winners and runners-up of each category.

These were as follows:

Student Winners:

• 1st Place: Maxwell (Year 9)
• Runners-Up: Catherine (U6), James (Year 10), Elianna (Year 10)
• Head's Commendations: Peter (L6), Harrison (Year 8)

Staff Winner: Mark Blything

Parent Winner: Bhavna Abbi

OW Winner: Richard Shortridge (OW 1996)

Congratulations to all the winners and a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated!

A huge thank you to our Art Department, Development Team, and everyone who contributed to this successful event. Finally, a special thank you to Keith Powell's family for their generous donation and to his daughter, Elizabeth, for joining us at the exhibition.

If you are interested in viewing the exhibition please email development@wgs-sch.net