Brain Tumour art auction raises £80,000

More than £80,000 has been raised at an auction of art in Edinburgh.

The sale featured paintings donated by leading Scottish artists, and it was hosted by broadcaster Glenn Campbell, to help find a cure for brain tumours.

Campbell, 48, established a fundraising community, Brain Power, after he was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma – a type of brain tumour – in summer 2023.

He underwent surgery at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

All proceeds from the Brain Power Art Sale at Bonhams Edinburgh will go to the charity Brain Tumour Research to raise funds for a new Centre of Excellence at the universities of Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Jack Vettriano’s “Portrait of the Artist”, which the artist donated to the cause, was the leading lot among 40 in the sale fetching £26,000.

The sale of work by other Scots artists including Alison Watt, Barbara Rae, CBE, Adrian Wiszniewski, Peter Howson and John Lowrie Morrison also raised thousands of pounds.

Campbell said: “I am amazed and beyond delighted at how successful the Brain Power Art Sale has been.”

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.

At the Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence world-leading brain cancer experts work to find a cure for glioblastoma (GBM). This is a highly aggressive brain tumour with an average survival time of just 12-18 months.

May Matthews, Managing Director of Bonhams Scotland, waived all commission on the sale. She 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.”

Ashley McWilliams is community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, and said: “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.”