Centrepieces Mental Health Arts Project: ART AUCTION 2015

SATURDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2015

Orchard's Shopping Centre, Dartford, from 12.30pm.

This November sees the 15th Annual Auction of artwork created by artists from Centrepieces. The event raises money to help keep the organisation running, with 50% of sales going to the artists who are members of Centrepieces, all of whom have experienced mental health problems.

Originally established with a £5,000 Millennium Award from the National Lottery, Centrepieces was for many years supported by the Crayford Centre, which was part of the local mental health services. It moved in June 2014 to new premises in the Lodge at Hall Place in Bexley, financially supported by Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Today, Centrepieces consists of around 100 artists, many of whom volunteer to help run the project. Centrepieces became a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in February 2015 and is currently looking to fundraise to secure its longer term future.

Centrepieces exists to promote mental health recovery through the arts, creating opportunities for people to take part in art activities, and to exhibit and sell their work; it also tries to promote a better understanding of mental health in the wider public. With that aim in mind, the charity promotes public art in the local community, such as ‘The Worrier’ (above) previously sited by the river Cray in Crayford Town Centre, and the ‘The Nest’ (left) sculpture at Hall Place, projects which have been led by Centrepieces artists.

This year’s Auction previews from Thursday 12th to the morning of Saturday 14 November, and visitors can make advanced bids for any work they are interested in buying, if unable to attend the event itself.

Below are some examples of the style of work that will be on offer:

'Purple Haze' by Trevor Whiting

'The Accumulated Darkness of Many
Old Things' by Kim Campbell

'Flower 2' by Neil Butler

'Threesome' by Barbara French

'Shout Louder' by Dawn Tomlin

'Transition' by Christie Cassisa