Bentley project raises £70,000 for cancer hospital
Luxury car brand Bentley Motors staged an exclusive art auction at Bonhams auction house in London on December 1 to raise money for a specialist cancer centre in Manchester (see leatherbiz 05.11.09). Works of art created by the Bentley Styling and Design Art Project were auctioned at the invitation-only event, raising more than £70,000 for The Christie cancer hospital in Manchester.
The Bentley Styling and Design Art Project was the brainchild of Bentley designer Rich Gilmartin, who has now raised more than £100,000 for the Christie since 2001 in recognition of the care given to his mother by staff at the hospital when she was suffering from cancer.
Bonhams the auctioneer donated its premises and services to host the event, which welcomed more than 300 guests. The collection included a vast array of sculptures, paintings, digital art and photography created by the car firm’s in-house design team.
A mixture of live bidding and silent auction attracted interest from Bentley owners and enthusiasts in the UK and beyond. One sculpture alone raised more than £20,000 for the Christie.
Chairman and chief executive of Bentley, Dr Paefgen, said: “It is a pleasure and a source of great pride to see the creativity of our design team applied beyond our motor cars. This artistic skill is rarely seen outside the design studio so this unique collection has provided Bentley enthusiasts with the opportunity to own a real piece of Bentley design history.”
Toni Leden, appeals director at the Christie, said: “The dedication and inspiration of the Bentley design and styling team has resulted in a stunning contribution to the work we do in cancer research and treatment. The collaboration with Bentley has been very successful and we are thrilled that the art works have raised so much money to support the Christie.”
