News / 15 Nov 2022
MA Creative Practice alumni auctions work for Heart Research UK
MA Creative Practice
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Louise Allen's winning submission. Image courtesy of the artist
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Louise with her winning postcard. Image courtesy of the artist
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Louise Allen with David Smedley, Chairman of the Partners at Walker Morris. Image courtesy of the artist
MA Creative Practice graduate Louise Allen has been announced as the winner of the anonymous heART project and Walker Morris collaboration that saw her work auctioned to raise vital funds for Heart Research UK.
The anonymous heART project launched in 2018 and is an innovative fundraising campaign that sees top artists and celebrities produce unique pieces anonymously to be auctioned online. All proceeds go towards helping fund vital medical research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease. These year's auction raised over £45,000 adding to over £200,000 raised by the project so far.
To celebrate the fifth anonymous heART project, the charity collaborated with Walker Morris to offer an exclusive opportunity to the students of Leeds Arts University. The students were asked to submit a concept for an A5 postcard, with an open brief that included textile, illustration, photography, music or creative writing. Louise’s collagraph was chosen by a panel of judges and she was commissioned to adapt and reprint her work to fit the postcard brief. Her work was included in the online auction alongside work by professional artists and celebrities, all of which helped Heart Research UK fundraising efforts. Louise was awarded £1000 in prize money at a special presentation evening hosted by Walker Morris.
Louise was “surprised and delighted to win” after a last-minute decision to enter her artwork. She told us:
“It was good to have an opportunity to do something positive with my artwork, I have previously contributed artwork to conservation and wildlife charities and I see this as an important part of my practice. The collagraph print was originally produced as part of my MA in creative practice and adapted and re- printed to fit the context of the bursary. It has been motivating to win and fun too, I enjoyed the presentation evening and I used some of the prize money to bid in the charity auction which is a bit of a roller coaster!”
Louise Allen, MA Creative Practice
David Smedley, Chairman of the Partners at Walker Morris and a judge for this project was impressed by all the student submissions but called Louise’s work ‘standout’.
“The quality of the work has been incredible but the piece we chose as the winner is a tremendous piece of art - a standout piece in my view - about togetherness that sends all the right messages.”
David Smedley, Chairman of the Partners, Walker Morris