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Home » News » First Minister’s Christmas card unveiled

First Minister’s Christmas card unveiled

6 December 2017

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled a painting by renowned Scottish artist John Byrne as the design for her 2017 Christmas card.

First Minister’s Christmas card unveiled

‘Say It With A Kiss!’ is in Byrne’s trademark style and features a dancing couple about to share a kiss under the mistletoe.

The original artwork will be auctioned next year with proceeds going to four charities – Food Train, SCIAF, Scottish Women’s Aid and Teapot Trust.

We are thrilled to be at the launch of First Minister @NicolaSturgeon's Christmas card and so grateful to have been chosen as one of four charities who will benefit from the proceeds 🌲 pic.twitter.com/o5zimTDgHr

— Scottish Women's Aid (@scotwomensaid) December 5, 2017

A fantastic afternoon with @NicolaSturgeon and John Byrne for the First Ministers Christmas Card launch in #Edinburgh. Thrilled that @FoodTrainScot has been chosen by the First Minister as one of 4 charities this year pic.twitter.com/j0LLHWpMDd

— Meal Makers (@MealMakersScot) December 5, 2017

Great news! SCIAF is chosen by renowned artist and supporter John Byrne to benefit from the sale of his painting unveiled today as the First Minister’s 2017 Christmas card pic.twitter.com/0DT3cSKpWf

— SCIAF (@sciaf) December 5, 2017

The First Minister said:

I’m absolutely thrilled to have such a beautiful painting by John Byrne for my Christmas card this year. He is one of our most celebrated artists and this work has a wonderful festive feel while maintaining John’s inimitable style.

“The four charities that will benefit from the sale of the painting do fantastic work on local, national and international levels and I’m very pleased that the card can support such a wide range of good causes.”

John Byrne said:

I was both surprised and delighted to be commissioned by the First Minister to produce the artwork for this year’s Official Christmas Card and got to work straight away – I had a notion to paint a young couple from my boyhood days in Paisley, having a great time jiving to the music of Jimmy McCracken’s ‘Big Band’ at the Town Hall c1957 dressed in the style of the day, with a nod to the Festive Season.”

Since 2007, artwork from the First Minister’s official Christmas cards has raised around £170,000 for good causes through sales of the original paintings and limited edition prints.

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We have a winner! Sophie Blackett, Age 10 from Calderwood, East Kilbride has designed the First Minister's 2020 Christmas card.🎄📨 Well done Sophie and thank you to everyone who took part, we had almost 700 fantastic entries.🌟 Sophie's design along with the message inside⬇️ twitter.com/ScotGovFM/stat… pic.twitter.com/EjBNmEaPk4

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Entries can be scanned and emailed to firstminister@gov.scot with the subject heading 'Christmas Card Competition' 🖥️ Or posted to St Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh, EH1 3DG marked 'Christmas Card Competition' ✉️ Good luck! 🤞

Then make sure they enter before midnight on Monday November 30. ⏰ Pictures should be no larger than A3 and drawn in pen/pencil/crayon/paint only. No stickers or glued on pieces please. ✏️🖍️🖌️🎨

The First Minister is looking for a picture that represents kindness to use for her Christmas card this year.🎄📨 Do you know a young person under the age of 16 who can present the perfect festive picture to wrap up 2020? 🎁🎀

The original artwork for the First Minister's 2019 Christmas card will go to auction on Friday 27 November, Lot 870: bit.ly/361HnoO twitter.com/ScotGovFM/stat…

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