York Articles
Celebrity art auction raises £49,000 for tsunami victims
Celebrity art auction raises £49,000 for tsunami victims |
| Written by yorkguides.co.uk | |
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Brian Dooks (Yorkshire Post) Organiser, student Daisy Bell, of Whitwell-on-the-Hill, near York, appealed to the stars following the death of her uncle Robin Needham, 51, in the Boxing Day disaster. She said last night the event had been "the most amazing thing in the world". A contribution by Hockney made £7,200. A piece by artist brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman sold for £4,800. Doodles and a few lines of text produced by Tracy Emin raised £1,000. A Paul McCartney cartoon sketch sold for £1,500 while sculptor Antony Gormley's picture Shadows reached £3,400. Charlotte Church, Elizabeth Hurley and Ralph Fiennes were also among the 250 celebrities whom Miss Bell persuaded to produce artwork for the auction at Christie's in Edinburgh in aid of tsunami-hit villages in Asia. Mr Needham, a father-of-four, who was brought up in Helmsley, helped thousands of the world's poorest people in Africa and Asia in his 25 years as an aid worker with CARE International. Inspired by his loss, Miss Bell an Edinburgh University psychology student, sent off blank postcards to the country's best known artists, musicians and celebrities and was astounded when replies came flooding back. She said: "The response has been extraordinary and I am incredibly grateful to everyone that took the time to return the postcards whether with an intricate painting or drawing or just a signature. It will all help raise funds. "My uncle's death naturally caused my family immense grief but it was his loss to the international aid and development world that has inspired me to take on this project." The 20-year-old was helped by her friends Mary Ramsden and Marianna Chidley, whom she met at Queen Margaret's School at Escrick Park, near York. They are now studying together. About 60 works were auctioned at Edinburgh's Ocean Terminal. Another 200 pieces are being sold on the Internet, with bids accepted until Monday afternoon. The designs on the postcards can be viewed at www.artofcare.co.uk |
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