Teen artists star in Marilyn Monroe competition
Betsy Willcock
A pair of talented young artists have been celebrated for their creative interpretation of the enduring legacy and cultural impact of film icon Marilyn Monroe.
Betsy Willcock and Anika Pakalkaitė were chosen as the winners of the competition organised by the Bill Douglas Cinema Museum (BDCM) to commemorate its 100 Years of Marilyn exhibition.
Fifteen-year-old Betsy, from Exeter, won first prize with her entry that drew on Lichtenstein’s vibrant Pop Art style. It features irregular dots to reflect the imperfections in Marilyn’s life. Second prize went to Anika, from Taunton, for her representation of some of Marilyn’s personal possessions.
Betsy, a pupil at Colyton Grammar School, said: “I found Marilyn so interesting, and I was really struck by her tragic early death. After my visit, I found myself thinking about what Marilyn’s life would be like if she lived today, which inspired my entry linked to the Me Too movement.
“I’m delighted to win this prize, and I now feel inspired to keep creating.”
The BDCM – the leading moving image museum in the country, which has recently been designated as a collection of national importance by Arts Council England – has around 800 items of ‘Marilynalia’ in its collection, including photographs, scripts, press books, and promotional posters relating to Monroe’s films.
Many of these are on display until November, commemorating the centenary of her birth – and some of the competition entrants drew on their experiences at the exhibition for their artwork. Collages, pencil sketches and ink drawings were all submitted by entrants, who’d responded to news of the competition advertised on social media and through liaison with local schools.
“We received an amazing variety of entries from a range of artists, demonstrating Monroe’s ability to symbolise many different things to different people – a testament to her profound cultural legacy today,” said Dr Sarah Spencer, Assistant Curator at BDCM. “Our thanks go to all of our entrants and congratulations to our young winners, Betsy and Anika, for their original and inspiring entries.”
Selected entries were displayed in the café at Exeter Picturehouse from 20 August-20 September. The winners received their prizes – an assortment of goodies including cinema tickets sponsored by Exeter Picturehouse – on the University’s Streatham campus. They were invited as part of the launch event of BDCM joining the global Bloomberg Connects programme.
