Do you fancy getting creative on the back of an envelope to raise money for The National Brain Appeal's, A Letter in Mind?
The annual fundraiser, now in its seventh year, asks artists everywhere to submit a bespoke piece to its exhibition, which will remain anonymous and sold at a flat fee of £85. The identity of the artist is only revealed at the end of the event, once the artwork has been sold. Proceeds go towards supporting vital projects at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, where, like all NHS hospitals, staff have been working under enormous pressure over the last few months, responding to the Covid-19 crisis.
In recent years Tracey Emin, Grayson Perry, Antony Gormley, Olafur Eliasson and David Shrigley have donated artworks to A Letter in Mind. For 2020, your creation could be amongst big names such as designer Zandra Rhodes, artists Chantal Joffe, Ishbel Myerscough, Morag Myerscough, Mark Dion, Gill Rocca, Bill Mundy and Mark Entwisle, and illustrators Tim Hopgood and Polly Dunbar.
The theme for this year's show is Everyday Things, reflecting on how life has become simpler during lockdown. It's due to take place at the Oxo Gallery, London, and on the charity's online gallery from 5-8 November.
Artist and designer Morag Myerscough, who has recently designed the poster Stay Home for 19 Artists versus Covid-19 and created billboards to thank frontline workers for In Good Company's #PostersforthePeople initiative, talks about why she enjoys supporting The National Brain Appeal’s exhibition: "Displaying and selling the artworks anonymously is definitely part of the appeal. People can choose something they want and are giving to charity in the process. You want your piece to be anonymously desirable!
"It's amazing when you go to the exhibition and see everybody's different responses, so many different thought processes. I find that really fascinating. There's no one answer to anything."
Royal Academician Chantal Joffe adds: "A Letter in Mind is egalitarian in that all the artworks are anonymous and all artists are equally represented. I don't like hierarchy. I much prefer that it is not about names. I think all artists like that. There is less pressure on the artist. It's not a threat. I also prefer that everybody does the same size and the envelope concept. It is simple and good."
Ishbel Myerscough, who won the 1995 National Portrait Gallery’s BP Portrait Award, will be taking part for the third time this year. She says: "A Letter in Mind is a good title. It conjures up lots of images. I am always composing letters in my mind to people past and present. All these people don’t know I'm thinking about them!"
Want to get involved and support a great cause? You can register at aletterinmind.org.
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