Oxfordshire’s ‘OxTrail’ has announced its auction date as a catalogue of sculptures goes on sale to raise funds for the Sobell House Hospice.
This Summer over 130 oxen have decorated the county as part of the charity’s Wild in Art trail. The free-to-attend event has invited people from across the country to discover hidden ox designs in Oxford and surrounding areas.
With the art trail finishing at the end of August, the oxen will be moo-ving on to their forever homes – with 43 of the sculptures going to auction.
The auction will be held both online and in person at the Saïd Business School, Oxford, on Friday, 13 September, at 7.30pm. The sale will feature a stunning selection of life-sized ox sculptures and mini oxen, all available for online bidding.
The event will be hosted by celebrity auctioneer, Bargain Hunt’s Thomas Forrester. Those looking to attend can check out the online auction via the digital catalogue and register their interest today.
Thomas said, “I simply can’t wait to wield my gavel like an American cowboy in the mid-west driving my herd to an ox-tounding sale at auction, raising such much-needed and valuable funds for Sobell Hospice!”
Among those at auction is Children’s illustrator KorKy Paul with his “Winnie and Wilbur” inspired ox, and international artist Amanda Quellin’s design inspired by the stained glass found in Oxford’s architecture, both with starting bids at £2,500.
The much talked about BBC Radio Oxford ox is also up for auction. This sculpture features hundreds of crocheted segments stitched together, representing the ‘colourful and diverse’ communities of Oxfordshire. Starting the bids at £1,300, this special Ox is named ‘Tony’ after the artist Yarnsy’s Grandad, who was cared for at Sobell House.
And for those looking for a celebrity treat, the trail’s scribed mini ‘Postb-ox’ is also starting at £1,300 in the auction house. As part of the ‘moo-vement,’ Postb-ox features doodles and signatures from over 20 famous faces – including Dame Judi Dench, Dame Prue Leith, Ben Shephard, Radiohead and Miriam Margoyles.
Beth Marsh, Director of Fundraising from Sobell House Hospice, said: “The auction provides a fantastic opportunity to own a unique piece of art while supporting the vital work we do at the hospice. We are very excited about the sale, it’s the perfect opportunity to purchase one of the moo-jestic ox sculptures and share in the legacy of OxTrail 2024.”
Those who wish to bid on oxen in September can purchase £50 tickets, which include drinks, canapés, and entry. Alternatively, bidders can register online and place their offers ahead of the auction.
Beth added: “We give people the chance to live well in the time they have left and provide them with compassionate and dignified end of life care. Please place your bids and make an ox-tra big difference this September.”
OxTrail is Oxford’s first-ever art sculpture trail, in aid of Sobell House Hospice, and will take place for eight weeks, concluding on 30 August.
As part of the trail, Sobell House also teamed up with Oxford Brookes University to offer the OxTrail Learning Programme to engage with children across the county. To date, more than 37,580 young people have had access to these educational tools.
OxTrail is being held in partnership with Wild in Art. Cities across the world have famously brought their streets to life via Wild in Art installations, including Manchester, Sydney, Cape Town and São Paulo.
