Melbourne high school students took home several prizes from the Tianjin International Art Festival this year.

Jeremy Lin, 14, a Preston Primary School and HCC art studio student won first prize at the fifth Tianjin International Youth Culture and Art Festival. 

Exhibiting 1000 students’ paintings from 43 nations around the world; this year Melbourne students won three gold medals, two silvers and six excellence prizes. 

Forty-five high school and primary school students from Camberwell, Collingwood, Preston and the New Stars Chinese Art Schools participated in the festival. Jay Yu, 6, from Preston West Primary School, won a prize for excellence. 

Their paintings have been collated in the “De Luxe” photo albums that are presented as gifts to the United Nations’ diplomatic envoys, and heads of all states, and all foreign embassies in China. Each winner receives a medal, album and certificate.

The 2009 Tianjin International Youth Culture & Art Festival was jointly sponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Tianjin Municipal Government.

The Culture Education Science International Liaison Committee of Australia Inc (CESILCA) organised the students’ involvement in the festival.  Apart from sending 45 students to participate in the festival drawing competition, CESILCA also invited Melbourne Scotch Musical College to attend the festival.  The College sent 15 young artists from the “Brown Band” to perform at the opening and closing ceremony of the festival.

The closing ceremony was held at the Cathy Future Open-air Theatre, next to “Melbourne Park”, a name that was provided by John So, former Melbourne Mayor, to mark the good relationship between the two cities.