Current and former staff and students from Liverpool Hope University have generously donated artwork to help raise funds to support children’s mental health.
The exhibition and online auction is called Brighter Futures and it’s being organised by Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Charity.
The fundraiser is in support of the charity’s ‘7 in 10 Children's Mental Health Appeal’, which aims to raise £3 million to enhance inpatient and Community mental health services at Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, enabling more children to access treatment at the time they need it.
The online auction is open now and ends on Sunday 13th March.
Meanwhile a special exhibition will be held at the Maritime Museum at the Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool, and will be open to the public on Saturday 12th 12-4pm and Sunday 13th March 12-4pm.
Hope’s Dr David Ogle, Subject Lead for Fine Art and Design, has donated a piece, titled ‘Dunes.6’.
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He describes it as ‘one of a series of drawings based upon past projects in the sand dunes of the Sefton coast’, and adds: “The coloured spheres in the drawings - representing light, space, air, immateriality - become swallowed by the dunes then re-emerge, suggesting the cyclical quality of light in nature, the sun and moon overhead like the pendulums of a clock, and the effects of this upon our understandings of place.”
Jason Jones, Fine & Applied Arts Technical Manager at Hope’s Creative Campus, has also gifted works.
He has two evocative pieces in the auction - named ‘Untitled 1’ and ‘Untitled II’. Describing the pieces, Jason says they are ‘a study and continuation of a theme of works first exhibited in 2018. The theme of the artwork draws upon inspiration of and compositional studies of the epic biblical paintings by John Martin, atmospheric sci-fi film noir cinematography, emotional responses to musical compositions and most importantly, the process of and responses within the act of applying paint’.
Referring to the ‘sci-fi film noir’ element, Jason says he takes inspiration from movies such as Blade Runner, Arrival and The Abyss.
Meanwhile there are also contributions from Hope graduate Atilla Olah, now a successful Ceramicist, as well as ex-Hope Fine Art staff member Steve Gatley.
The exhibition has been organised with the help of a Brighter Futures Exhibition Committee, who have a broad expertise in the arts and includes professional artists, dealers and curators.
The Committee is chaired by Peter Woods, Deputy Lieutenant of Merseyside. Just a few of the prominent artists who have contributed are Yoko Ono, Tony Ross and Willy Russell.
Brighter Futures has been curated to offer a wide range of valuations, making it accessible to a variety of art lovers and collectors,
Besides the auction, you can also make a donation to the Alder Hey charity initiative directly.