'Open Doors' auction for the House of Illustration
Monday 21st October 2013
Illustrators and celebrities lined up to help realise the dream of a home for illustration in the UK, to open in 2014
The House of Illustration, the London-based flagship centre for illustration in all its forms, celebrated a successful fundraising auction at the 20th Century Theatre in Notting Hill on 14 October. Supporters were invited to attend a unique evening of readings and live drawing, culminating in a fundraising auction.
Quentin Blake and Emma Chichester Clark were among the illustrators who took part in a Jackanory-style live drawing event, as celebrity supporters Joanna Lumley, Celia Imrie and Peter Capaldi read extracts from Lewis Carroll's 'The Hunting of the Snark', illustrated on-the-spot and displayed on a big screen.
Auction-goers were able to bid for artworks such as an original drawing by Ronald searle (donated by HOI trustee Quentin Blake). Supporters could also 'buy' a light for the planned exhibition space, making a tangible contribution to the task of opening the centre's doors next year. The gallery plans to open in summer 2014 at a site in the King's Cross Regeneration Area. For more details and to see the latest news on the project, visit www.houseofillustration.org.uk