Auction success for fundraising art students

Art students from Glyndŵr University raised nearly £1800 through organising an auction of art work at their regular First Thursday event.

The final year applied arts students need to raise £5000 to cover the cost of an exhibition space at the New Designers event in London in July 2009. The 20 students will share the exhibition space for their work and have already started to raise money through selling their work, organising competitions, hosting fundraising events and even baking and selling cakes.

The auction on 4 December featured work donated by tutors, graduates and applied arts students from across the department. Lynda Crabbe, who is specialising in glass as part of her degree, says that the auction was a good opportunity for people to pick up some art bargains. “The auction provides a great opportunity to buy something at a fraction of the price we usually sell our pieces for. It also provides an opportunity to buy work from fellow student artists and tutors’ art work that you have admired for a while. We might organise another auction next year to help us raise some more funds and we are also going to be selling our work at the Victorian Christmas Market on 11 December in Wrexham.”

The New Designers event is held every year and helps to profile the work of over 4000 final year art students to over 17,000 visitors. The students get the opportunity to meet industry professionals and develop contacts with trade professionals and potential employers.

“I’m looking forward to having a show in London,” said Tabitha Tansey, who is specialising in glass as part of her course. “The event is a great promotional opportunity for our work and I’m hoping to get some commissions from showing my work there.”

Emily Lowrie, who is specialising in ceramics as part of her Applied Arts degree, thinks exhibiting in London will develop her organising and presenting skills. “I’d like to follow a teaching career when I have completed my degree,” said Emily. “I think the New Designers event will be a great opportunity to gain experience of organising an exhibition.”

This month’s First Thursday event also launched the preview of an exhibition by Fine Art students, which will be held at the North Wales School of Art and Design until January.