The Avenue to auction celebrity silhouettes for Wood St Mission
The Avenue, Spinningfields’ luxury retail quarter, is auctioning off its Cutting Edge public art installation of 30 corten steel celebrity silhouettes to raise vital funds for the Wood Street Mission in Manchester.
A children’s charity based in the city centre, the Wood Street Mission provides practical support to children and their families in Manchester and Salford and relies solely on donations and local support.
The 30 life-sized silhouettes, based on iconic celebrities from the fashion, music and sporting industries, were installed on The Avenue for two months, with the public invited to guess who each silhouette represented. The steel, which is the same metal used to create The Angel of the North, develops a rich red colour due to oxidisation and its exposure to the weather.
The silent auction for the likes of Roberto Mancini, George Best, Marilyn Monroe and Liam Gallagher is open until midday on September 15th. Prospective buyers can enter a bid online by going on to The Avenue website theavenuemanchester.com. There is no reserve needed and the highest bid on the closing day will win. A celebration event will be held following the auction for all the winners to come and collect their silhouettes and a certificate of ownership.
The silhouettes will take pride of place on The Avenue throughout the duration of the auction, with shoppers able to take a good look at each statue before they are sold.
Fran Goddard, Head of Communication and Events at Spinningfields said “Cutting Edge attracted a lot of attention and we’re confident that these silhouettes will be much sought after. The Wood Street Mission is a charity close to our hearts and we’re hoping to raise as much money as possible for them.”
Jan O’Connor, from Wood Street Mission, said; “With so many iconic silhouettes to choose from, there should be some real competition to win which would ultimately be fantastic for us! As we rely on donations to keep doing our work, we’re grateful to The Avenue for all their support.
“In the current economic climate, demand for our services continues to rise and support from The Avenue will help us ensure we can support every family referred to us for help. The silhouettes auction will be helping to make a real, positive difference to the lives of thousands of vulnerable children in our community.”
