Forget Garden Gnomes, this autumn it’s all about Garden Gromits!
3rd October, Bristol, UK
Image Caption: Gromits designed by Pixar, Cath Kidston, Celia Birtwell, Gerald Scarfe, Raymond Briggs, Sir Peter Blake and Martin Handford – Creator of Where’s Wally
For high res images contact Spirit PR below
Art bidders from around the world will soon be battling it out to get their hands on one of eighty iconic giant sculptures of Gromit which have been exclusively designed by some of the biggest names in art, animation, design and entertainment.
The eclectic array of highly covetable, one-off designs will go under the hammer in October, when bidders will get the chance to buy sculptures designed by Wallace & Gromit creator Nick Park, animation giants Pixar, artist and illustrator Sir Quentin Blake, Turner Prize-nominated artist Mark Titchener, landscape artist David Inshaw and Sir Peter Blake, famous for the Beatles Sgt Pepper album cover.
A number of well-known designers have also created a Gromit including Cath Kidston, Sir Paul Smith and Celia Birtwell and there are a number of high-profile celebrity artists including One Direction star Zayn Malik, actress Joanna Lumley, comedian Harry Hill and musician Jools Holland, who has created a musical Gromit.
The auction will be the culmination of top tourist attraction Gromit Unleashed, organised by international animators Aardman together with Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal. This summer, the project sees eighty 5ft Gromits spring up in Bristol and beyond in a high profile public arts trail.
The auction will take place on 3 October 2013 at the Gromit Unleashed Pavilion at The Mall, Cribbs Causeway in Bristol to raise money for Bristol Children’s Hospital charity Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal.
For five days, from 17th to 22nd September, all 80 individually designed Gromits will form a public exhibition titled ‘The Greatest Dog Show on Earth’ at the Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Clifton, Bristol.
The Grand Appeal has pledged to raise an initial £3.5 million for state-of-the-art equipment, including an intraoperative MRI scanner, family facilities and child-friendly artwork to enhance the £31 million investment by the NHS.
A catalogue of all the Gromit sculptures will be published in advance.
Click here to view a press pack for Gromit Unleashed.
To register your interest in bidding, email auction@gromitunleashed.org.uk.
For more information, visit www.gromitunleashed.org.uk.
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For more information or to arrange an interview please contact Spirit Public Relations on 0117 944 1415 or e-mail gu@spiritpublicrelations.co.uk
Notes to Editor
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal
Multi-award winning Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity, Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal has raised over £22 million in support of sick children and babies in the children’s hospital and the Special Care Baby Unit at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol.
Founded in 1995, the Appeal continually invests in pioneering medical facilities, care and equipment in Bristol Children’s Hospital as well as arts, music and play programmes and accommodation for families.
Bristol Children’s Hospital is one of the UK’s leading children’s hospitals and treats young patients from across the South West, South Wales and beyond with life-threatening illnesses and serves as the paediatric intensive care centre for the whole South West region. The hospital is the regions specialist centre for a range of services including cardiac and renal treatment, complex surgeries and bone marrow transplants, treating over 100,000 patients every year.
Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Appeal needs to raise over £1 million every year to ensure young patients from the South West and beyond have access to the very best healthcare possible at Bristol Children’s Hospital. Find out how you can help by visiting www.grandappeal.org.uk
Aardman Animations
Aardman, based in Bristol (UK) co-founded and run by Peter Lord and David Sproxton, is a world leader in animation. It produces feature films, television series and television commercials for both the domestic and international market. Their multi-award winning productions are novel, entertaining, brilliantly characterised and full of charm that reflects the unique talent, energy and personal commitment of the very special people who make up the Aardman team. The studio’s work is often imitated and yet the company continues to lead the field producing a rare brand of visually stunning and amusing independent and commercial productions.
Wild in Art
Wild in Art, the UK’s leading arts and education company, brings the creativity and enjoyment of public art to thousands of people through its high profile and popular events. Working with host partners, artists, communities and schools together with public and private sector organisations, Wild in Art produce mass participation events that animate cities and towns around the UK and beyond. Through inspiring partnerships, Wild in Art events bring immense pride to communities while offering extraordinary social and economic benefits as thousands of residents and tourists alike discover the wonderful world of creativity in a truly memorable shared experience.
Find out more at www.wildinart.co.uk
