By Amy Price
October 23 2019, 14.25
Follow @SW_Londoner
A Twickenham secret art sale held by the Environment Trust last month has raised more than £19,000 for charity.
The fourth annual sale, which took place on 28-29 September at The Exchange, saw 369 works of art sold at £40 each to help fund projects run by the trust.
Contributing artists, ranging from local talents to celebrities such as actress Emma Thompson, were given free rein over what they created on A5 pieces of card.
Emily Lunn, heritage project manager of the Environment Trust, said: “This event is really important because it draws all sorts of people together from royal academicians who submit art here through to local college students who are also participating.
“We’ve got a range of ages and abilities and it’s all about what people love, which is really unique because you don’t find out the name of the artist until you’ve bought it, so you’re reacting to the art in a visual way and responding with your heart perhaps more than your head.”
The 27-year-old from Wokingham said that the auction allows the Trust to draw on unrestricted income and continue working to conserve south west London’s built and natural environments.
Featured artist Alex Wilks, 27, from Bromley, was of the same opinion, saying: “The thing that makes this a good event is it gets people chatting to other artists.
“It brings people together while understanding why we’re here, which is for the Environment Trust.
“They do phenomenal work to sustain the environment.”
Current projects range from hedgehog and water vole conservation efforts to the preservation of a Mortlake World War Two air raid shelter.
John Anderson, chair of trustees for the Environment Trust, Twickenham, said: “The trust is unique in providing and looking after both the built and the natural heritage.
“We think that in a highly urbanised area it’s impossible to divide the built environment from the natural world, and so we have projects running in both.”
Mr Anderson, 68, said that the move to a secret auction prevented the event from being ‘rather stuffy’, enabling art and the environment to be brought together for a much wider group of people.
He added: “We want everyone to be able to come here and be able to buy affordable art and to take it away and enjoy it later.”
The full total of £19,240 included £3,780 raised through a silent art auction.
One piece – Northern Line by Royal Federation of British Artists member Robert Wells – went for £2,500.
For more information visit the Environment Trust website.
