Instagram art auction surpasses €13,000 in donations for Covid-stricken charities
An online art auction has surpassed the €13,000 mark in donations for charities affected by the Covid-19 crisis.
Create Aid is an Instagram-based initiative where artists donate their piece, and buyers donate money to a charity of their choice in exchange for the artwork. Within five weeks of launching, the account has raised over €13,374 for charities all over the world.
Created by artist and kids' TV producer Chris Dicker, who was looking for a way to help frontline staff and charities affected by Covid-19, the account asked the animation community to share their artistic talents and the response was immediate.
To date over 200 pieces of art have been sold by over 120 artists, including 50 children.
“No money exchanges hands with Create Aid. We post the pieces on Instagram and if someone wants to buy it, they comment under the picture and it's sold. The buyer has 48 hours to send proof of their donation to a registered charity, anywhere in the world and then the artist covers p&p and mails the work to them,” said Dicker.
Donations so far have been made to dozens of different charities including Front Line Heroes, The Mater Foundation and The Father McVerry Trust. Every charity is open to benefit from Create Aid.
On Friday and Saturday nights, the showroom is open for a special donated piece to be auctioned between 9pm and 11pm. Tonight, an exclusive Podge and Rodge promo poster from 1998 (48cm x 46cm) signed by Podge and Rodge will go under the hammer accompanied with an original piece by Chris Dicker of the twin brothers (illustrated above).
Saturday, April 25th will see a signed book by Peter Donnelly and an original sketch up for grabs and with more rarities up for grabs each week - including a special piece for Create Aid by Irish media personality Amy Huberman and Cartoon Saloon director, Tomm Moore.
Previous pieces include a rare sketch by Zig and Zag from 1992 that sold for €501 for the ISPCC, and a silkscreen print by world renowned and award winning author, artist and designer Tomi Ungerer, that raised €675 for Feed the Heroes.
Donations have also come from across the world including Bob Peterson, an Academy Award®️-nominated screenwriter, and director at Pixar Animation Studios. Bob has worked on movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Up. A bespoke piece of Roz from Monsters, Inc. whom Bob also voiced, sold for €450 with a donation made to Daffodil Day.
It’s not just traditional art that is being donated - “If you created it, you can donate it”, enthuses Dicker. A scarf by KDK raised €200 for Mendicity Institution, helping homeless people in Dublin.
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