An art auction has helped raise thousands of pounds for a community skatepark and pump track project on the Isle of Wight.
As previously reported, Freshwater Parish Council launched the creative fundraiser to support its plan for a new facility in Freshwater, blending art, sport, and community engagement.
As part of the initiative, artists transformed blank skateboard decks into original artworks, which were then auctioned to raise funds for the scheme.
The online auction ran from April 1 to May 9 and raised £6,989.
This sum, plus a £20,000 grant from The National Lottery Community Fund, has helped bring funding targets within reach.
The parish council hopes to begin construction within 12 months.
The skatepark will serve skaters, riders, young people, families, and the wider community.
Among the artwork which went under the hammer was Jenni Harrison’s piece, The Madness of King George (A Tribute to The Brighton Pavilion).
Her design featured gold-toned mandalas and ‘flower of life’ motifs, inspired by the ornate music room of the Brighton Pavilion.
Artist Sienna Anderson, an award-winning Isle of Wight photographer, also contributed a design, titled Feeling Koi, reflecting her narrative visual style and creative sensibility.
Other pieces on offer included Oh Hela by Paul Windridge, Snakes and Adders by Michael Forrest, Ginger the Old Guardian Spirit by Margarete De Araujor, and Angela Sowden’s Freshwater Bay creation.
Poet, Harrison Wavell, was commissioned to write a poem inspired by the skateboard project called Alfred’s Dragon, which he read out at the reception for the online auction at the Royal Solent Yacht Club in Yarmouth.
Share