Responding to its funding crisis, and on foot of the 15 minute sell-out success of its art sale INCOGNITO, it’s hoped that a second event will help to raise further much-needed funds for the services they provide for struggling families across Ireland.
Supported by William Fry, this affordable, accessible, and imaginative online collection of 978 original pieces of art, all donated to the charity, began previewing on Monday 11th May on www.incognito.ie; with the online sale starting at 10am on 28th May.
Three Clare artists, Mick O Dea, Dominic McNamara and Leslie Ryan Hurley, have made a contribution to the collection, donating their own postcard-sized art contribution to raise vital funds for the children’s charity.
The original artworks will be sold online on a first-click-first-served basis for €50 each, with the exciting prospect of acquiring a very valuable piece of art. The identity of the artist will not be revealed until the successful purchaser receives their art in the post, with the artist’s signature on the back of the artwork.
10 families from Clare have utilised the Jack and Jill foundation’s services in April, with a total of 73 seeking assistance from the charity to date this year. Purchasing one painting is the equivalent of three hours of specialist nursing home care for any one of these families.
Featuring both Irish and international artists, the virtual gallery is a joy to browse, and features art from members of the Munster rugby squad alongside art from Bruce and Patti Springsteen, Una Sealey, The Project Twins, Vincent Devine, Martin Mooney, Mick O’Dea, Sylvia Parkinson Brown, Victor Richardson, Martin Gale, Guggi, Bridget Flinn and Adrian+Shane to name but a few.
‘We had over 15,000 visitors to the Incognito online store to buy 1,814 artworks at the first sale last month, raising over €90,000 for Jack & Jill within 15 minutes, and we are hoping to repeat this success with INCOGNITO – PART TWO, when the charity most needs this fundraising boost’ said Bryan Bourke, Managing Partner of William Fry.
‘Here’s an opportunity to bag an original piece of art, which might turn out to be worth a lot more than the €50 sale price. Works by the top artists involved, such as Martin Mooney, Mick O’Dea and Sylvia Parkinson Brown, would be valued at several times the sale price, but no matter what the buyer ends up with, it will be a piece of art that they love. It is a bit of an art lotto; while supporting the very deserving Jack & Jill Foundation in its vital support of Ireland’s sick children. We are asking people to browse the collection now and join the hundreds of people who have already pre-registered for the sale on May 28th’ Bourke added.
‘Each €50 purchase equates to 3 hours of specialist home nursing care for one of our 340 Jack & Jill families. The Foundation provides specialist home nursing care and support to children with complex medical and life-threatening conditions, many of whom may never walk or talk or paint a picture themselves. We are delighted with the continued support of William Fry, one of our key corporate partners, for this exciting public arts initiative over the last four years and we look forward to working with them again in the future. We are also extremely grateful to all the artists who have, year on year, submitted their artworks for sale for Jack & Jill. Their time and talent are what makes our Incognito art sale such a success, turning art into a real currency for home nursing care support during these challenging times,’ said Carmel Doyle, CEO of the Jack & Jill Foundation.
To browse the artwork collection and pre-register for the 28th May sale please log on to www.incognito.ie