Just to let everybody know that IAL friend Stik has managed to raise £35,000 for the Magpie Social Centre in Bristol through the sale of a street art piece, entitled ‘Magpie’.

Stik had originally painted the piece on the wall of the building occupied by the Centre in 2009. The Centre is a community arts space, hosting various community and art workshops and events. It was recently evicted from its former base where it had been squatting for the past decade, hence its urgent need for funds to enable it to continue its work in another location. Stik generously came to its rescue, with the sale at Phillips far exceeding the estimated sale price.

As Stik explained in his recent talk at the IAL seminar at Boodle Hatfield, he will only officially authenticate a work of street art where the proceeds raised will go directly back to the community for which it was created. This policy is intended by Stik to prevent situations such as that discussed in our blog last year, involving unauthorised offers for sale of sections of a piece of community street art which had been cut from the original.

For the Magpie Social Centre, news of the sale will certainly provide a huge boost and a very welcome early Christmas present. Nice to end the year with a heart-warming story for the festive season. We wish the Centre the best of luck in their search for new premises in the New Year.

Photograph shows Stik (second from left) and the Magpie Collective at Phillips December 2016 ‘New Now’ Auction, London, with artwork, ‘Magpie’ (photograph – Stik)