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Athena Route, a Year 12 student at Mater Dei College in Perth, won the Caritas Australia Perpetual Trophy at the 2020 Angelico Exhibition for her artwork titled The Value of Intangible Memories.
There were 166 primary entries this year and 150 secondary entries from 56 Catholic schools across Western Australia to the Angelico Exhibition.
The Angelico Exhibition for Catholic Students is named after Fra Angelico, the Italian early Renaissance painter, and is a prestigious annual event on the Catholic school art calendar.
Catholic Education Western Australian (CEWA) Executive Director Dr Debra Sayce, Catholic Arts Chair Darryl Winsor, and Caritas Australia Social and Ecological Justice Animator for WA Deacon Paul Reid presented Athena with the award at the Catholic Education Office in Leederville.
Only award recipients, families, judges, teachers and sponsors were present because of COVID-19 social distancing measures.
“My artwork comments on the value of intangible memories in everyday life,” Athena expressed.
“These memories bring feelings of warmth and comfort, emphasising the value of the memories that people cherish.”
The Caritas Australia Perpetual Trophy is awarded for artwork that reflects the Caritas Australia guiding principles of human dignity, preferential option for the poor, solidarity, subsidiarity, and stewardship of the earth’s resources.
The winning artwork also demonstrates the 2020 theme “Go Further Together”, which recognises the need for people to work together towards a brighter future.
“Athena’s artwork was an incredibly creative piece that encapsulated the 2020 theme ‘Go Further Together’,” Dcn Reid noted.
Caritas Australia is a member of Caritas Internationalis, one of the world’s largest humanitarian networks in the world with 169 agencies operating in over 200 countries and territories.