It takes a veritable perfect storm of factors for an artist to become successful enough to make what they love to do the thing that brings in a paycheck; trust me, I know. More than talent alone, it also takes some excellent marketing skills and knowing your way around the business. And while there are many, many successful working artists out there today, there are many more who classify themselves as “starving”.

One artist in London may be just that if someone finds the blank check he hid somewhere in the Milton Keynes Gallery, and he says he’s ready to face the consequences of the stunt.

Tomas Georgeson says he made out a check for $12,000 and left the “To” line blank, then stashed it somewhere in the building in an effort to bring patrons into the gallery. If someone does find it, he’ll essentially be broke, but he says it will be worth it.

“You can’t just implant culture in a city and expect it to thrive,” Georgeson says. “It seems it’s the time for culture to come to Milton Keynes.”

While some of those who are familiar with the gallery think it’s a hoax–the building is cube shaped and there aren’t many hiding places–Georgeson insists this is the real deal. The only catch? If the check hasn’t been found by March 1st, it will be collected and taken off the table.