The Raft promotes Mr Thomas's Art Fair
Ad agency The Raft has teamed up with Manchester gastropub Mr Thomas's Chop House to host an exhibition and competition celebrating some of the north's best new illustration talent.
'Mr Thomas’s Art Fair – Best in the North' sees 25 pieces of work from leading art schools in Lancashire, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire go on display at the renowned Manchester eaterie.
The work has been shortlisted from 160 entries by a panel of judges including illustrator Ian Pollock, Darren Baker, the youngest artist commissioned to paint the Queen, and creative director of The Raft, Phil Howells.
One piece will be selected as overall winner and its creator will receive £500 and a Brother printer. Five students will be awarded runners-up prizes of £100.
Every piece of art in the exhibition is for sale to raise funds for the students and the North West Air Ambulance service, and the prize winners' creations will be up for auction on 1 July at a gala dinner at the venue.
To promote the event The Raft has developed a website which features all of the selected artwork. The Cheshire agency has also created a 50 page in-menu catalogue, posters and photography.
"As well as the marketing support, we've also helped introduce the students to some of the region's advertising and design industry creatives," Howells said. "It's all for a good cause and we're thrilled to be involved."
Roger Ward, owner of the Chop House, said it was a "fantastic opportunity" for the north's young creative talent to show what they can do.
He said: “From the reaction of everyone involved I can say that this is already a success and we will make sure that this will be the first of many. We want to create a new part of the annual academic year calendar and an event that becomes a regular part of the life in the city.
"Our goal is to help students start their careers and to raise funds for a really important charity. We might all need it one day."