Banksy artwork sale gives youth club lifeline

LONDON (AP) — A cash-strapped youth group in Bristol has sold a Banksy artwork to a private collector for 403,000 British pounds ($668,000) — securing the future of the club.

The work, “Mobile Lovers,” shows a couple embracing while checking their mobile phones, their faces illuminated by the glow of the display. It first appeared on a doorway near the club, Broad Plain Working With Young People.

Club owner Dennis Stinchcombe had moved the work inside and invited the public to view it — with an optional donation. The work was later put on display at the Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery while its ownership was established.

Stinchcombe thanked Banksy at a news conference at the museum announcing the sale.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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