This Sheffield art gallery is about to start selling work for as little as £1 as part of an 'eagerly anticipated' annual sale

'Under the Bed' sale at Cupola Gallery in Middlewood. Artist Kathryn Watson with her work. Picture Scott Merrylees

Every year, the Cupola Gallery holds an ‘Under the Bed’ event which sees thousands of original works created by artists from Sheffield and beyond go up for sale.

Director of the gallery, Karen Sherwood, said: “Cupola Gallery has hosted The Under the Bed Sale for many years now, but it seems to get bigger and more eagerly awaited every year.

“It is often imitated but never duplicated. Not many galleries can boast a queue for entry for works by unknown artists, but we are expecting one this year.”

People can expect to find art work for sale for just as little as £1 at the gallery, on Middlewood Road, Hillsborough, from January 11 until February 1.

Karen added: “For those unfamiliar with the sale, it is like no other seasonal discount offer as the gallery does not reduce the price of any work it currently has on sale.

“Instead, I invite artists, local, national and international, to send in older, early work they no longer hold dear. Work, that may in fact, have been stored ‘under the bed’ – hence the title of the sale.

“The rules are that all work must be original, no reproductions, the price must be at least 50 per cent lower than its original selling price, if it has ever been on sale, work doesn’t need to be framed or mounted.”

Items can be slight seconds, imperfect, sketches, experiments, tests etc. In essence, any original items that the artist has made and is now happy to sell off at bargain prices and £350 is the highest price allowed for any single item in the sale.

“Unusually the sale is completely unselected, which allows for a greater diversity of work than you would usually find in the gallery, allowing amateur work to sit alongside pieces from multi award winning artists.

“The youngest contributor we have had was eight-years-old, the eldest was 93. I enjoy the fact that people are buying what they like and can afford without considering an artist’s reputation or standing.”

The gallery is open 10am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 12pm to 4pm on Sunday.