Celeb artists put pen to paper

A celebrity art auction, featuring works by Dame Judi Dench and Brian Blessed, has raised £1,000 for two local causes.
Charity art auctionCharity art auction
Charity art auction

Rotherham arts regeneration project, Gallery Town, and Rotherham Hospice teamed up for the auction held at the Coterie Gallery recently, as well as on eBay, where people could silently bid on the artworks they wished to buy.

The auction contained original postcard-sized artworks by Dame Judi Dench, Brian Blessed, Pulp dummer Nick Banks, artists Pollyanna Pickering and Margaret Clarkson, author Julia Donaldson, illustrator Axel Scheffler, the Earl of Scarborough and many more.

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However, the twist to the proceedings was that the people bidding had no idea which celebrity had produced which artwork.

A spokesman for the event said: “All of the artworks were signed on the back and people were encouraged to bid on the artworks they liked or thought were by a celebrity or recognised artist. They could of course end up being by a college student or local amateur artist.

“After a slow start it soon became apparent that some of the more prominent artists like Margaret Clarkson and Pollyanna Pickering’s work were easily identifiable and these started to attract the highest bids. These artworks achieved just under £100 each however each one was worth significantly more and valued at over £300 each meaning some lucky bidders had a really good day with a very savvy investment.”