Brighton’s Arty: Art with heart

A year after we launched Brighton’s Arty, we decided to put our new creative contacts to good use and hold a charity art auction. Now, with absolutely no experience of event planning, and if we’d applied a bit more sense and less irrational enthusiasm, we would have chosen a small, intimate venue with a hand-picked audience. Did we heck. We booked an enormous hall in the Hilton Hotel, registered the event in the Fringe Festival and sold tickets (or not). Our ‘celebrity’ auctioneer dropped out at the last minute, the date coincided with a major footie match, and was the hottest Saturday evening in May. It should have been a disaster. But do you know what? Because of help from friends and family, and the overwhelming generosity of the artists who donated their work – then turned up to support us – we pulled it off, and Rockinghorse was quids in.
Life_is_sweet_in_Brighton

So I’m never surprised to discover what big hearts Brighton’s artists have. And I’m delighted to feature the captivating images of award-winning fine art photographer Nicole Carman, who’s based in Hove. Through the combination of traditional photographic techniques and digital processes, Nicole captures the vibrant spirit of Brighton. And anyone who buys one of her Brighton prints or canvases in the run up to Christmas will be helping local charity The Starr Trust, which supports young people in the BN postcode area (starrtrust.com). Nicole is offering a 10% discount on her prints to anyone who mentions The Starr Trust, and is also donating 10% to this fantastic local charity. So go to brightonandhovephotos.com now!

Don’t miss: At the Adastra Hall, Hassocks, the Attic Art Club is exhibiting work by its 29 artists including 90-year-old Rosalie Sinclair Smith. From 7-9 November.
www.artymagazines.com