Over the last few months, Martlets’ Shaun by the Sea Trail has been delighting the people of Brighton with their models of beloved Aardman character, Shaun the Sheep.

The trail saw over 40 statues designed by contemporary artists placed around Brighton, and over 70 mini statues designed by local schools, nurseries and community groups placed in businesses around the city, including Enter Gallery!

 

 

Last week, Martlets hosted the final event of the trail - an auction of each of the statues, where bidders battled it out to own their own piece of Brighton history and to help keep the charity caring.

In today’s blog, we’re delighted to reveal the enormous success of the event, including how much each of the statues designed by Enter Gallery artists raised.

 

 

Going, Going, Gone

Following an incredible Farewell Weekend that saw 7,000 people flocking to the Brighton Centre to see the entire herd on display one last time, the time had arrived to auction off the Shaun statues.

Almost 300 people gathered at Brighton’s Corn Exchange to partake in the bidding, with some people travelling from as far afield as Northumberland to secure their statues!

Martlets Ambassador, Fatboy Slim, kicked off the party with a DJ set that got everyone in the mood to put their hands in the air.    

 

Top Bidders

Every Shaun up for auction sold on the night. Some of the biggest hitters included Tina Davies’ Shaun of the Rewilding going for £24,000, and Bloom, Faye Bridgwater’s celebration of all things floral, making the highest amount at an impressive £25,000. 

 

Another highlight of the auction was a book bench featuring a little Shaun entitled Gratitude. This lot was introduced by Martlets patient, Marc Valentine, who features in the charity’s award-winning film, Marc’s Story. The outpouring of love in the room was palpable, and as a bid for £10,000 came in, auctioneer Charles Hanson encouraged audience members to dig deep to match-fund this up to £20,000. Gratitude has been donated back to Martlets where it will be placed in the gardens of their newly-reopened Hospice in Hove.  

You’ll also be pleased to hear that the couple who travelled all the way from Northumberland didn’t do so in vain! They managed to secure the Classic Shaun statue for £8,000. 

 

Enter Gallery Artists

Statues designed by Enter Gallery artists also raised a fantastic amount. Local artist, Sarah Arnett had two statues in the trail, Golden Fleece and Regency Shaun, both of which sold for £7,000 and £6,200 respectively.

 

RYCA’s homage to Biggie Smalls and all things hip hop, Notorious Shaun brought in £4,200, and Boogaloo Stu’s Le Mouton du Pays de Merveille (The Sheep of Wonderland) raised £4,000. Finally, Sara Pope’s lippie-covered Shaun le Sheep went for £6,000.

 

 

Baa-Rilliant

And with that, 2023’s Shaun by the Sea trail is no more! Income from the trail combined with a remarkable £385,800 raised from sculpture sales brings the total funds raised to over £750,000. Speaking of the auction results, Martlets CEO Claire Irving commented: 


“I am blown away by the incredible atmosphere of love and generosity that surrounded Martlets at our Shaun by the Sea auction. Each of our Shaun’s was much loved and decorated beautifully by our artists.

To feel and see the energy in the room and to raise such an incredible amount from our supporters is something I will never forget.  On behalf of everyone who needs our care and support, I want to say a huge thank you.” 

Enter Gallery are very happy to have played a small role in supporting such an excellent cause and we can’t wait to see what Martlets come up with next!