From the BBC:
“Covid-19:
Essex boy's lockdown art project raises £100k for NHS charity”
A 12-year-old
boy's lockdown art project has raised about £100,000 for charity, after 250
artists came forward to help him. Noah, who has hydrocephalus, epilepsy and
cerebral palsy, began painting on cardboard at home in Dedham, Essex, a year
ago. His father posted on Instagram, asking artists to finish the pictures. They
were displayed in a gallery before being auctioned for the Colchester and
Ipswich Hospitals Charity. Mr Jones sent the backgrounds that his son created
to the artists, who finished them and posted them back. More than 200 pieces
were then auctioned on eBay and raised more than £80,000, with the rest made up
from book sales featuring the art and donations. Noah's father Nathan Jones
said they had originally hoped to raise £500 and were "absolutely
stunned" by the total. He said it was the perfect way to thank the doctors
who had "played a huge part" in Noah's life. "It smashed our
expectations out of the park. We would like to say a massive thank you once
again to all the artists involved," he said. "We would also like to
thank everyone for their generous bids. "The money raised will make a huge
difference to many families like ours."
Artists from
the UK, Colombia, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Germany, the US and Australia
all collaborated with Noah on the project. The family decided to make the art
into a book, called Background Bob, and the work was exhibited at Firstsite
gallery in Colchester. "We just started this as a way to pass time, but it
turned into something very special," said Mr Jones. "I feel like we
have created a little piece of history over lockdown and hopefully the art is a
reflection of a moment in time, that will become a bit collectable."
^ This is such
a great story on so many levels. ^
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