The Secret Art Show is out in the open in York from Sunday (From York Press)

The Secret Art Show is out in the open in York from Sunday

3:36pm Wednesday 3rd November 2010 in Exhibitions

Organised by Multiple Sclerosis Trust founder Jill Holt, the exhibition at City Screen, York, aims to raise £10,000 for the trust by offering you the chance to buy a mini-masterpiece for only £45.

More than 600 original works will be for sale, including work by celebrated international artists, right through to those not usually known for their artistic abilities, such as the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, and Leeds playwright Alan Bennett.

All pieces in The Secret Art Show measure 12cm by 12cm – in essence the size of a CD case – and are being sold anonymously to raise funds for the charity.

Each is signed on the back and only at the end of the three-week show, when received by its new owner, will the identity of the artist be revealed.

Multiple Sclerosis affects more than 100,000 people in the UK, and many of the Secret Art contributing artists have experienced how dramatically it can impact upon lives. These include cartoonist Neil Kerber, best known for his off-the-wall and acerbic cartoons in Private Eye and The Mirror, who says: “My best friend was diagnosed with MS about three years ago. He’s doing okay, but obviously this is something close to my heart. It’s an honour for me to help in any way. I really hope the pictures I send in will help.”

Themes, styles and media will be wide ranging – oils, watercolours, acrylics, abstract, landscape, still-life, jewellery, photography, quilt work, whatever – and contributors will include The Wrinklies’ creator, Wally Jex, Ray Richardson and Mackenzie Thorpe.

Taking part too will be Emerson Mays; Chris Wood; Sally Sheinman; Rob Kessler; cartoonist Jamie Charteris; Scarborough photographer Sarahphotogirl; and 90-year-old York artist David Fowkes. Art groups and an adult watercolour school have taken on the show as a project too.

“We also have support from people affected by MS in their family or who have friends with MS, and a number of people with MS have contributed piece to the show,” says publicist Jane Redfern.

The driving force behind the Secret Arts Show has been event organiser Jill Holt, from York, who set up the Multiple Sclerosis Trust in 1993 to fund applied research and provide support to those diagnosed with MS. “At that time there was a negative portrayal of MS and the available information on the disease was very poor,” she says.

Among the trust’s patrons is television presenter and interior designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, who has contributed a piece to the City Screen exhibition. “I’m participating because I think initiatives to raise awareness that involve creativity like this always provide an added dimension to fund-raising,” he says.

Public viewing will run from Sunday to next Saturday; sale times will be 9am to 5pm on November 14 and 11am to 5pm from November 15 to 28.

On the sale days, sales will be on a strictly first-come, first-served basis, so potential buyers are advised to arrive early.

After November 14, outside the sale times, you can purchase artwork by contacting Jill Holt on 07979 725216. Payment by cash or cheque will be much appreciated.

The show has been timed for the run-up to Christmas to “offer a unique gift opportunity while benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Trust”. To find out more about the trust, visit mstrust.org.uk, phone 01462 476700 or send an email to info@mstrust.org.uk.

Full details on the show can be found at mstrust.org.uk/secretartshow.

Snapshot profile of Secret Art Show organiser Jill Holt Jill’s mother and aunt both had Multiple Sclerosis. In 1993, Jill and her friend Christine Jones, who has MS, set up the Multiple Sclerosis Trust, although Jill’s involvement in the MS charity field stretches back 35 years.

The trust was set up to provide practical and positive support for people with Multiple Sclerosis, and since its inception, it has made a substantial impact, providing publications for sufferers, educational courses for MS health professionals and funding research into disease management.

The trust has been at the forefront of promoting the key role of MS nurses and works hard to ensure that everyone with MS has access to an MS specialist nurse.