Your chance to own original artwork by Australian Artists at ‘Art for Epilepsy’ online auction

More than 160 prominent and emerging artists from across Australia have donated original artworks featuring the colour purple to the online ‘Art for Epilepsy’ auction, open from 14 February to 26 March 26 2017. With pieces listed from $40 up to $6,000 in this year’s ‘Art for Epilepsy’ online auction, there is something to suit every budget.

Close to 200 artworks are up for auction, including beautiful water colours, vibrant abstracts, and intricate illustrations. The charity auction opened for bidding at 9am on 14 February 2017 and to date, has raised almost $30,000 for Epilepsy Action Australia. The online auction will close at 9pm on International Epilepsy Awareness Day (Purple Day), 26 March 2017.

To tie in with the colour purple, the internationally recognised colour for epilepsy, artists have been asked to feature a shade of purple in their artworks in some way.

Celebrated Sydney artist, Mia Oatley, is an ambassador for Epilepsy Action Australia, the charity behind the auction.

“I’ve lived with epilepsy myself for over 20 years, and understand the difficulties that people affected by epilepsy face every day. It’s so important that we share our stories and help to break down some of those really frustrating misconceptions about the condition,” said Mia. “As an artist, I’m also really excited that the auction provides exposure to some of the bright up-and-coming stars of our vibrant Australian art community.”

“Art for Epilepsy is a fantastic opportunity to get to know some new Aussie artists, and for people to start or add to their art collection,“ she said.

There are currently 250,000 people affected by epilepsy across the country who are in need of specialist services.

Epilepsy Action is the largest provider of education and support services to children and adults with epilepsy across Australia. Funds raised from the auction will go towards supporting Epilepsy Action’s programs such as: Ted-E-Bear Connection, MyEpilepsyKey and Online Academy. The charity’s mission is to enable people living with epilepsy to unlock their true potential, better manage their condition, and to ultimately lead happier lives.

The inaugural Art for Epilepsy auction held in February 2016 featured just over 60 artworks by 55 artists. The initiative was considered to be an outstanding success, raising over $20,000. In 2017 Epilepsy Action hopes to build on that success and smash the previous fundraising target, allowing a greater number of Australians impacted by epilepsy to be supported to lead an optimal life.

CEO of Epilepsy Action, Carol Ireland, says Art for Epilepsy plays an important role in helping the charity to raise enough funds to do that effectively.

“Epilepsy is the world’s most common serious brain condition, however, community awareness and understanding of the condition remains frustratingly low. Our aim is to raise awareness of the impact of this often debilitating condition, and to support people living with epilepsy to lead optimal lives.”

“We have such an incredible collection of artworks up for auction this year by some amazingly talented artists. We really encourage the community to jump online and get involved in this unique campaign!”

Anyone interested in checking out the auction should visit the website: www.ArtForEpilepsy.com.au