Sheffield arts charity The Art House gets creative to secure future

But shutting its doors due to the coronvirus lockdown has left The Art House in a “precarious position” - and without support, it risks having to close permanently. However, it won’t go out without a fight, and this week will launch an online auction, selling off 50 pieces of art that have been donated by artists who have a connection with the charity.

They include Pete McKee, whose huge Muriel painting covers one of the Art House’s walls at its city centre home, and Joe Scarborough, who is famous for capturing scenes of everyday life in South Yorkshire in a vibrant and humorous way.

The auction will go some way to making up for the money the charity would have raised through its cafe, room and exhibition space hire and commercial classes.

Arts programme manager Lisa Parkes said: “We don’t have massive reserve of money, so closing our doors and not having any income is really worrying. The longer this goes on, there is a real risk for us.”

The Art House has continued to support its wellbeing participants by providing activities, video tutorials and even giving out its cafe recipes, and has set up a Facebook group, The Big Art Lockdown, where people can share their creative projects and take part in daily challenges.

Staff have been working hard to secure small grants to keep the charity ticking over, but it is hoped the auction, which could bring in as much as £4,000, will make a big difference.

“We are trying to everything we can to raise money,” Ms Parkes said. “Most of our staff have been furloughed, and those who remain are either checking in on people or leading creative projects on Zoom or Facebook.

“We are hoping to develop more wellbeing projects remotely, but for this we need our staff, and to be able to pay them.

“People have been so generous in donating to the auction, they are so supportive of what we do. A lot of the artists use the Art House or have done in the past, and believe that it is important to Sheffield and the wider arts community. I am hoping that when people bid, they will be thinking that they are not just securing as a piece of art, but helping support a charity.”

Other artists who have donated included Karin Hessenberg, Coralie Turpin, Lyn Hodnett, James Green and Sheffield-based floral artist Veronique Oodian.

Ms Oodian, who is also a tutor at The Art House, said: “It would be a real shame for this wonderful art activities space to close down and no longer give access to artistic practice to so many people who really need it.”

Details of the auction, which is expected to run from Saturday to Wednesday, will be released on The Art House’s social media this week.

History of charity

The Art House offers art and well-being programmes to marginalised groups, including people with autism, brain injuries and dementia.

Among its classes are pottery, painting and drawing techniques, which help people to gain confidence and new skills.

It is based at St Matthews House on Beckfields in the city centre, which was built 150 years ago to provide a school and social welfare for people living in poverty,

The Art House charity was established in 2011 and spent four years raising the £1.5m needed to refurbish the dilapidated building. Opening in 2015, it provide a bespoke building to house the social enterprise, which has helped hundreds of people so far.