Covid-19: Essex boy's lockdown art project raises £100k for NHS charity
BBCA 12-year-old boy's lockdown art project has raised about £100,000 for charity, after 250 artists came forward to help him.
Noah, who has hydrocephalus, epilepsy and cerebral palsy, began painting on cardboard at home in Dedham, Essex, a year ago.
His father posted on Instagram, asking artists to finish the pictures.
They were displayed in a gallery before being auctioned for the Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals Charity.
Mr Jones sent the backgrounds that his son created to the artists, who finished them and posted them back.
More than 200 pieces were then auctioned on eBay and raised more than £80,000, with the rest made up from book sales featuring the art and donations.
Noah's father Nathan Jones said they had originally hoped to raise £500 and were "absolutely stunned" by the total.
He said it was the perfect way to thank the doctors who had "played a huge part" in Noah's life.
"It smashed our expectations out of the park. We would like to say a massive thank you once again to all the artists involved," he said.
"We would also like to thank everyone for their generous bids.
"The money raised will make a huge difference to many families like ours."
Artists from the UK, Colombia, Italy, Spain, France, Sweden, Germany, the US and Australia all collaborated with Noah on the project.
The family decided to make the art into a book, called Background Bob, and the work was exhibited at Firstsite gallery in Colchester.
"We just started this as a way to pass time, but it turned into something very special," said Mr Jones.
"I feel like we have created a little piece of history over lockdown and hopefully the art is a reflection of a moment in time, that will become a bit collectable."
Nathan Jones
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