Paintings donated by leading Scottish artists including Jack Vettriano, Alison Watt and John Lowrie Morrison are to be sold at an auction hosted by broadcaster Glenn Campbell to raise money for a new Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence.
Glenn, 48, was sadly diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma – a type of brain tumour, in summer 2023 during a hospital stay after falling off his bike in East Lothian.
The BBC Scotland journalist and broadcaster underwent surgery at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
The online auction, Brain Power; Art Sale in Support of Brain Tumour Research, will take place at Bonhams, Melville Crescent from 2-12 August.
All proceeds will go to the charity Brain Tumour Research, which is working to raise the funds needed to establish the Centre of Excellence at laboratories at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow.
Leading the 40 lots will be Vettriano’s Portrait of the Artist , which is expected to fetch £5,000 – £7,000.
A landscape titled Wee Peat Stacks, South Uist, by John Lowrie Morrison, (who is commonly known as Jolomo), is valued at £2,000 – £3,000, while a still life, Vintage Coffee Pot and Sunflowers, by Glenn Scouller could fetch £1,500 – £2,500.
Work by other leading Scottish artists including Victoria Crowe, Alison Watt, Frances Walker, Barbara Rae, CBE, RA, FRSE and Adrian Wiszniewski will also feature .
The works will be on display at Bonhams’ showrooms for the duration of the sale.
Glenn said: “It was a big shock to be told I had a life-limiting condition. When I was told that brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40, I knew I wanted to help change these grim statistics.
“That’s why I created the fundraising community, Brain Power, to raise money to research this devastating disease.
“It seems to me, the more scientific brain power we can train on this problem, the more likely the experts are to make breakthroughs in treatment and their search for a cure.
“I liked the idea of having an art sale because there can be few better illustrations of the power and creativity of the human brain than the visual arts.”
More than 1,000 people in Scotland are diagnosed with a brain tumour every year. Of those, 433 people are diagnosed with a high-grade brain tumour.
The Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence will see world-leading brain cancer experts work to find a cure for glioblastoma (GBM), a highly aggressive brain tumour with a devastatingly short average survival time of 12-18 months.
May Matthews, Managing Director of Bonhams Scotland, said: “We are thrilled to be supporting Brain Tumour Research. As the only national charity in the UK focused on finding a cure for all types of brain tumours, its work is critical to funding medical research and raising awareness.
“The sale includes some remarkable works donated by many prestigious and award-winning Scottish artists from Jack Vettriano and Victoria Crowe to Alison Watt and John Lowrie Morrison. This is a wonderful opportunity to buy some outstanding paintings for a very good cause.”
Ashley McWilliams, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are delighted Bonhams is joining forces with Glenn to support us in our drive to find a cure for brain tumours.
“With one in three people knowing someone affected by a brain tumour, Glenn’s story is, sadly, not unique.
“Brain tumours kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer. We’re determined to change that, but we can’t do it alone. Together we will find a cure.”
Brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age.
According to Brain Tumour Research, only 12% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years, compared with an average of 54% across all cancers.
The charity funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.
The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.
Click here to donate to Glenn Campbell’s Brain Power page for Brain Tumour Research
