Waterford artists take part in mystery art sale for charity

It has been revealed that 14 Waterford artists have gone into hiding for this year’s incognito online art sale in aid of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation.

The much-loved annual event, in which the identities of the artists remain top secret and are only revealed once the art deal is done, will take place on Wednesday, May 20.

Among the Waterford artists taking part in incognito 2026 are Aislinn Celisse from Lismore, and Felix Faulkner from Cappoquin.

Funds raised during the event are life-changing for the ten Waterford families currently receiving care from the charity. 

In the decade since the sale was first inaugurated, a total of €1.4 million has been raised, supporting in-home nursing and respite care for Jack and Jill families across the country.

The service offers up to 100 hours of care a month to families caring for children, up to the age of seven, with severe learning disability often associated with complex medical needs, and operates seven days a week, with no means test, no red tape, and no waiting lists.

The brains behind incognito, curator Lucinda Hall, recalled how the novel art sale, in which artists donate anonymously, and buyers purchase expectantly, came about.

“It was actually my hairdresser who told me about the mystery art sale concept that he had come across in London. I was having dinner one evening with Jonathan Irwin, my friend and Jack and Jill Founder, and he was always on the lookout for new and innovative fundraising ideas. The rest, as they say, is history," she said.

"It’s been great to unearth so much talent over the years, particularly from people the public would never have come to know otherwise," she added.

For Deirdre Walsh, CEO of the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation, incognito has meant more children can be cared for, for longer, and that families can now receive counselling support: “Since incognito started, it has made such a real-world impact for the work that we are able to do. In those ten years, we have gone from supporting children up to the age of five years, to six years, and now to seven years. 

"Last year, for the first time, we introduced a counselling service for all families too, providing additional support. Artists tell me that it is a real badge of honour to see their art showcased, while for the art buyer, there is the thrill in securing a treasured piece of art.

"Ultimately, what both artist and art buyer delight in is what their support means for parents—time for much-needed sleep, or time for coffee with a friend, or perhaps time to take a sibling to see a movie or go to a match.

"We are so grateful to the artists for giving, and to the public for buying, as the gift of time makes a significant difference for Jack and Jill families.”