Rishi Sunak has presented a work by one of the UK’s leading landscape painters to The Station at Richmond.
After being included in The Station Gallery’s Spot on the Wall exhibition, the work will be auctioned to raise money for the popular community hub.
The oil painting of Richmond Castle by Alice Boggis-Rolfe was given to the Richmond MP by broadcaster Sky to mark the Sky Arts channel becoming free-to-view.
With Sky’s blessing, Prime Minister Mr Sunak decided to donate the painting to the Station.
He said: “I thought it most appropriate that The Station – a centre for the arts in Richmond – should benefit from Sky’s generosity and people in Richmond should have the chance to see the work too.
Richmond Castle by Alice Boggis-Rolfe
“The Station recently celebrated its 15th anniversary. It is looked after by a charity which does such an excellent job of running the centre and I hope there will be keen interest in this beautiful work by one of the UK’s leading artists.”
Chris Brown, general manager of the Richmondshire Buildings Preservation Trust which owns The Station, explained that the work was featured in the Spot on the Wall exhibition which closed this week. Now the painting will be sold by online auction for the benefit of The Station and the Trust.
Rishi Sunak places a description of the work adjacent to Richmond Castle by Alice Boggis-Rolfe at the Spot on the Wall exhibition at The Station Gallery, Richmond
Mr Brown said: “We are extremely grateful to Rishi Sunak for donating such a magnificent artwork and were delighted he could visit The Station to see it as part of our Spot on the Wall exhibition – the largest open art exhibition in Richmond.
“We will be auctioning off the piece with all proceeds from the sale going straight back into The Station and supporting other at-risk buildings in Richmondshire. The painting will be available to bid for online in due course and more details of the auction will be available shortly.”
The Station is a cinema, cafe, gallery and retail centre run by the Richmondshire Buildings Preservation Trust, the charity that purchased, restored and converted the former station.
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