The gala marked a long-awaited return to events after a difficult eighteen months in which most fundraising events were cancelled for both Make-A-Wish UK and Art of Wishes. ‘A Night at the Museum’ – aptly named given the location of the Natural History Museum in London – saw the art world – gallerists, collectors, artists, auctioneers and designers – come together to raise money to grant children’s wishes. Greeted with a champagne reception, the dinner was accompanied by performances from The Ember Trio and the cast of the West End musical The Lion King.
Of course, the main event was the incredible art auction, headed by Sotheby’s auctioneer Oli Barker. The auction involved a number of prestigious artists, such as Jenny Saville, Peter Doig and Georg Baselitz, along with work from many smaller up-and-coming artists, such as Ghanaian painter Otis Kwame Kye Quaicoe.
A specially commissioned NFT by artist Brendan Dawes was also auctioned at the gala; the first of its kind for our charitable initiative. The work, entitled 15,000 Wishes, commemorates the 15,000 wishes Make-A-Wish UK has managed to grant to children living with critical illnesses over the years.
The live auction managed to raise over £3.5 million, an astonishing amount that will be used to grant nearly 2000 children’s wishes.