The Art of Fundraising

Recent visitors may have noticed a striking painting on display near the Box Office, promoting our online auction which supports this year’s Christmas Appeal for The Courtyard.

This beautiful canvas was painted by the talented young artist Molly Bythell who first came onto The Courtyard’s radar when she enquired about helping as a marketing /fundraising volunteer. Her family had recently moved to Herefordshire and she’d graduated with an impressive First Class Honours degree in Fine Art from Newcastle University.

Since then, Molly has been very busy: participating in h.Art week, showing at DKP Gallery Hereford, hosting Available, a solo exhibition at The Craft Gallery Hereford, and very excitingly, having pieces exhibited in ‘FBA Futures’ at the Mall Galleries London, opposite Buckingham Palace. In July, Molly also took part in PoARTry, a collaboration of art and poetry in Ledbury.

Molly’s focus is ‘woman without limits’: manipulating the figure to allow it freedom and pleasure, rather than being subject to the male gaze. Her collection of joyous paintings explore women today, allowing viewers to experience female paintings from a female perspective.

‘When Molly came in for a chat, she showed me some of her work and I instantly fell in love with it. Her work is vibrant, bursting with life, honest and very current. She also focuses on something I am passionate about: the empowerment of women in a patriarchal society… I can’t help feeling she could be a future star of the art world,’

‘So when Molly offered to donate a piece of her latest work for the online auction, I was really touched. We hope it will raise a good amount towards the Appeal which supports our community arts projects and the venue itself.’

If you’d like to bid for Molly’s art work in our auction, head to www.jumblebee.co.uk/courtyardchristmasappeal2018 and to see more of her work, visit  www.mollybythell.com