Artistic secrets
ORIGINAL artworks from hundreds of leading artists are being sold online in the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) Secret Postcard Auction on Thursday, September 23, following huge success last year with £107,000 raised for the charity.
Now a major event in the national art calendar, the Secret Postcard Auction offers collectors and first-time buyers the chance to buy unique works of art by leading figures from the art and cultural world, from as little as £40. With hundreds of small artworks to choose from, dozens of lucky buyers will be in with the opportunity to snap up an original piece of art for a tiny fraction of its true value.
The event will be held online again this year as the building is temporarily closed, as they work on a major £3.8 million heritage capital project. Despite the success of the physical event in the past, the team were blown away when the online auction achieved an incredible £107,000, during the height of the pandemic in 2020.
The auction has always been a vital contributor to the RWA finances and features many world-renowned contemporary artists and talents better known in other fields.
The target for 2021 is £40,000, which will enable the RWA to continue its acclaimed creative work across Bristol when it reopens in early 2022 - including free family activities in some of the city’s most deprived wards, as well as support for people with a range of physical and mental wellbeing challenges.
Alison Bevan, RWA director, said: “The Secret Postcard Auction is always a vital contributor to our finances. Due to the impact of Covid-19, and our consequent closure for the Light and Inspiration project, it is doubly vital now. As an independent charity that is hugely reliant on visitors, event and Drawing School income (and for the staff and artists who rely on us) the auction is really essential for us to continue to deliver life-enhancing creativity to communities across Bristol and beyond. It has always been such a fun event and there is no reason that needs to change this year. Many artists have been incredibly generous in supporting us, and as always we have a huge array of artworks to suit every taste.”
Audiences are encouraged to bid from the comfort of their own home this year, with bids closing between 9pm and 9.30pm on Thursday, September 23. The identities of which artists did which postcard will remain secret until the auction ends.