FAMOUS for arts and culture, Bristol is today the site of a week-long art amnesty asking the public to hand in art they have outgrown to be donated to a local homelessness charity.

A giant pink recycling bank has been erected outside Brunel’s Old Station in Bristol, with people in the local area invited to exchange art they have grown out of love with for a ticket to the Affordable Art Fair Bristol, which runs 19 – 21 Sept.

The art collected will then be donated to St Mungo’s Broadway, a charity which supports homeless men and women to recover through emergency help off the streets, housing, health and employment programmes, and supporting people to rebuild their lives. The donated art will be used to brighten up a number of the charity’s projects.

Those donating their art will be given a ticket to the Affordable Art Fair so that they can graduate from mass-produced prints and posters and fall in love with a new sculpture, photograph or original artist’s print. All pieces at the fair are priced between £40 and £4,000, with both established names and up and coming talent showcasing their work.

Dawn Osborne-Tiller, St Mungo’s Broadway Area Manager for Bristol, said: “Our clients often come to our projects with very few possessions. When moving into new accommodation, it can be the personal things, like art, that make a place feel like a home. Thanks to the Affordable Art Fair, we will be able to add a touch of colour to our hostels in Bristol and to our Compass Centre in Stokes Croft, where people learn new skills, including art. In addition, generous support from this partnership will help us more broadly support homeless people in Bristol with housing, health and skills problems to move on with their lives.”

Luci Noel, Fair Director of Affordable Art Fair Bristol commented, “Sometimes you find your tastes have changed. Rather than throwing away art or posters you no longer display, we have put an amnesty in place so that you can put your unwanted art to good use and also get the chance to visit the fair to find a new piece to enjoy.”

The Affordable Art Fair is donating 25 per cent of proceeds from ticket sales on Charity Private View evening of the Bristol fair to St Mungo’s Broadway.

For further information visit www.affordableartfair.co.uk.

St Mungo’s Broadway helps people recover from the issues that create homelessness and rebuild their lives.

Through the Bristol Street Outreach team the charity support rough sleepers in the city, and also provides housing and support services for people with complex needs and women who have experienced domestic abuse. Their Compass Centre project provides specialist healthcare services for homeless people, and a dedicated skills and employment team support clients to access training, education, employment and volunteering opportunities.