Going, going…gone! Place your bids in the Artists at Home Christmas charity auction.
Every year, it is our pleasure to sponsor the fantastic ‘Artists at Home’ event which sees artists across our patch of West London open their homes and let the general public view their work. From paintings to ceramics, residents of Chiswick, Hammersmith and Shepherd’s Bush relish the opportunity to discover new artists creating beautiful pieces right on their doorstep.
Unfortunately, this cherished event was unable to safely go ahead this year due to COVID-19 restrictions, but rather than call it off completely, in June Artists at Home moved online with each artist opening their own ‘virtual studios’ via the website.
Now, this November, the artists are launching an online Christmas charity auction to raise money for a wonderful local charity: The Upper Room. Each artist will donate a percentage of the winning bid from their pieces to charity, with many generously donating 100% of the proceeds.
Director of our Chiswick office, Paul Cooney MNAEA said “Artists at Home is a highlight of the Chiswick calendar that we’re proud to support each year. I’m delighted to see that this year, not only has the event adapted to these strange times we’re experiencing, but through the artists donating their proceeds to The Upper Room, they’ve used it as an opportunity to help out other members of the community that may be suffering.”
Hamish Pringle, who is organising the charity auction says, “Unfortunately, the situation regarding the pandemic remains serious and our artists are not able to show their work at the usual events during the festive season. What’s more, we are aware that there are many within our community who are suffering real hardship – therefore we felt an auction for a local charity would give us all some cheer this Christmas time.”
By donating art to the online auction, the artists fundraising will provide hot meals, clothing, toiletries, help with finding and applying for jobs, as well as bilingual counselling for those with mild to moderate mental health issues.
“Bidders will not only be able to buy unique works from local artists but they will also know they are supporting the vulnerable within their community,” adds Hamish. “There are items at all price points, so we urge people to browse our auction site for the perfect feel-good gift.”
Chris Francis, Operations Manager at The Upper Room said: ‘We are absolutely delighted to be the beneficiaries of the Artists At Home Online Auction. Throughout the pandemic, The Upper Room has continued to provide support to ex-offenders, people who are homeless and those who are vulnerably housed. We anticipate the demand for our services will only increase in the coming months, and so having the backing of local individuals and groups like this enables us to keep that support in place and, crucially, to adapt to whatever comes next. A huge thank-you to all the artists involved as well as Horton and Garton for sponsoring it!’
Visit the auction page here.
Bidding begins Monday 16th November 2020, 10am (UK time) and closes Sunday 29th November 2020, 9pm (UK time).
