Wow! What a wonderful result. The auction for the Mali in the City event was held last Thursday with an amazing display of painted elephants and generosity from bidders. The whole event raised over $450,000 which will go towards the conservation efforts of the Melbourne Zoo. My elephants sold for $5,500 and $9,000 so I’m pretty happy with a total $14,500 being raised for the zoo by the two elephants I painted. I have been contacted by one of the buyers and the other is known by a friend so I’m also really happy to hear that they have both gone to good homes.

The event has been a wonderful experience and I’m so glad to have participated. I met a bunch of great artists and worked on art with a cause that I am passionate about. The entire event was so well organised by the friendly zoo staff and I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

I’m thankful to the zoo for approaching me about the project and for hosting the project, the fellow artists with their encouragement and support, the buyers with their generosity and the two sponsors of my elephants Deakin University and Vic Super for making it possible.

If you’re new to these posts and have no idea what this about, check out the information on Melbourne Zoo’s website. Also be sure to check out the wonderful work they are doing to fight extinction locally and abroad.

I’ll now leave you with a couple of photos from the night:

Prints of each Mali were available for purchase. These particular prints though, were given to the winners of the auctions.

Amazing body art at the event!

People being greeted by zoo staff and Bromley’s painted Mali.

The packed “auction house”!

The crowd waiting for the auction to start.