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The Flying 'B'
3/12/09
Richard Gilmartin's fabulous 'Flying 'B'', part of Bentley Styling and Design Art Project – 'Design is our passion. This is our Art' – helped raise £70,000 for The Christie Cancer Hospital in Manchester.
We were delighted to be invited by Bentley to the invitation-only gala auction of artworks by the men and women of Bentley’s design and styling team on 2nd December, at Bonhams, Bond Street, London, which raised 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 been supported by enthusiastic colleagues in the styling studio all of whom have been showcasing their artistic talents. Rich has now raised over £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.
The collection included a vast array of sculptures, painting, digital art and photography all created by Bentley’s in-house design team, who are better known for the creation of iconic cars such as the Continental GT and the new Bentley Mulsanne.
A mixture of live bidding and silent auction attracted tremendous interest from Bentley owners and enthusiasts both in the UK and abroad. Fierce but good-natured bidding drove up the price of many pieces beyond that expected by the artists themselves. One sculpture alone raised over £20,000 for the Christie.
Bonhams the auctioneer kindly donated its premises and services to host this exclusive event for over 300 guests.
