Bidding for the Future - Art World raises funds for decorative arts education at Sotheby's auction

The Company of Arts Scholars is leading a campaign for greater educational support in the decorative arts with a spectacular Charity Auction at Sotheby’s later this year.

Today’s students will be the experts of tomorrow and the guardians of our heritage. But they will struggle to obtain the skills, knowledge and opportunities they need, without financial and practical support.

In February Colin Gleadell of the Daily Telegraph commented: “…in times of government cuts, it’s the art dealers and collectors at the auctions who can provide the jobs and sponsorship to keep the arts going”.

Now the Company of Arts Scholars is raising funds to support many crucial educational initiatives in the arts, including:

• The Tate Collective Training Programme – an intensive introduction to careers in the arts
• Future support for postgraduate internships at The Tate
• The Lord Mayor’s Cultural Scholarships – internships for London sixth formers in a wide range of galleries and institutions
• An annual travel bursary for arts based undergraduates
• An annual restoration/conservation prize for students at West Dean College in Sussex
• Other initiatives and opportunities for education and careers in the arts
The Company of Arts Scholars, Dealers and Collectors is a registered charity with members involved in the study, curation, trading or collecting of decorative art. Funding education in these fields is one of the Company’s key objectives.
The Arts Scholars’ Charity Auction will be held at Sotheby’s on 22 September with Loyd Grossman as its Patron and Sotheby’s European Chairman, Henry Wyndham, on the rostrum.
The auction is a perfect opportunity to buy very special gifts for the person who has everything, including exclusive arts-related experiences and private holidays, art and antiques and more. The many lots include:
• private tours of the newly restored Strawberry Hill, the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg and the Rothschild gardens at Exbury
• exclusive holidays in Barbados, Puglia, Venice, Portugal and the St James’s Club in Antigua
• a range of exciting internships for young people in the arts world, including Waddesdon Manor
• 18th and 19th century silver, ceramics, jewellery and furniture
• paintings, watercolours and prints by Paul Sandby, Munn, Ken Howard, Cecil Beaton and others
300+ guests are expected to enjoy the champagne and cocktails at Sotheby’s and bid for lots that money cannot buy. Tickets will be priced at £50 per head.

Auction patron Loyd Grossman, broadcaster and heritage champion, said: “The United Kingdom is a world centre for art scholarship, trade and collecting. Indeed our art expertise is one of our great national assets and in order to secure these skills for future generations, it is vital to provide training and opportunity for young people. This auction represents a great opportunity for those in the Arts world to provide support for the public arts in these challenging times.”

For further information visit www.artsscholars.org