TWO decades of children’s artwork will go on show to celebrate a calendar competition’s 20th anniversary.

Among the pictures on display will be a depiction of spring flowers by Yeadon Westfield pupil Amelia Barber, whose work will appear in the 2015 calendar.

Amelia, aged nine, is one of a number of Aireborough and Horsforth children whose work has won prizes in the Children’s Charity Calendar Painting Competition organised by law firm Walker Morris.

The firm is holding an exhibition at the Tetley Gallery in Leeds, from November 7 to 16, to display 250 pieces of children’s artwork from across the competition’s history.

The calendar competition was launched in 1995 to raise awareness of the importance of art and creativity in schools.

Winning pupils receive hampers of painting materials and the schools themselves receive an art grant. This award-winning initiative has allowed primary schools, particularly those under financial pressure, to provide additional art resources, teaching and art clubs for its pupils.

Over the years, winners’ paintings have been shown at the National Media Museum, Leeds Art Gallery, Harewood House and the Saatchi Gallery website.

All proceeds from the calendar go to Martin House Children’s Hospice. More money will be raised throughout the duration of the exhibition with a silent auction of the artworks. Since starting the contest, the firm has raised over £60,000 for the hospice.

Walker Morris partner, David Smedley said: “We are delighted to be celebrating two decades of our Children’s Charity Calendar Competition with this very special exhibition at The Tetley Gallery. We never dared to believe when we started the competition in 1995 that it would enjoy such longevity and success. I would like to especially thank all the children, parents, teachers and councils who have supported the competition and made it possible to continue. In particular, I would also like to thank Ashley Jackson for his unswerving support of the competition from its inception. His infectious enthusiastic for art and his commitment through the judging and master classes has been outstanding.”

“We have a long and proud tradition for support of the arts including a number of headline sponsorships for example with the Saatchi Gallery, Royal Academy and Damien Hirst. Our Calendar Competition is particularly satisfying as it is our grass roots investment in the arts, encouraging art and creativity at primary school age – a crucial time to encourage art and creativity.”