Here at Watermark, we have teamed up with a group of Harrogate-based independent retailers to promote our charity ‘giraffle’, raising funds for the Trussell Trust Food Bank in the lead-up to the festive season.

We organised this initiative in conjunction with children’s illustrator, Jane Ray, with whom we collaborated for an exhibition last month in September. Jane decorated a bespoke 5ft tall papier-mâché giraffe for us, based on the main character from the book Zeraffa Girraffa, which she illustrated for author Dianne Hofmeyr in 2014.

Just as the giraffe from the book travelled afar to get to her new home in Paris, the 3D Zeraffa is travelling around the Harrogate district throughout the months of October and November, before being raffled off to one lucky winner. So far, Zeraffa has been showcased in the windows of Catherine Smith Vintage on Cold Bath Road, Bespoke Eyewear on Royal Parade, and Westmorland Sheepskins on Montpellier Parade. Her next stop will be the Little Ripon Bookshop on Westgate, Ripon.

Liz Hawkes, Owner of Watermark Gallery said “During our Jane Ray exhibition in September. Zeraffa was a real talking point in the window of our gallery, and we had countless enquiries about buying her. I think people saw her as ray of sunshine during a somewhat challenging time. This gave us the idea of creating an ongoing artwork initiative to unite local independent retailers as well as raising money for a great local cause.” 

Tickets to enter the raffle are £5 each and all proceeds are being donated to the Trussell Trust Food Bank, Harrogate branch. Tickets can be purchased from Watermark Gallery and the winner will be drawn on Friday 18^th December 2020.