Creative coastal art trail
Brimming with creative energy and cultural heritage, East Sussex and Kent have long drawn artists to their shores with their dramatic coastlines, ethereal light, and rolling countryside. With a myriad mix of major players on the world art scene and upcoming artist-run galleries, the area’s thriving artistic community lets local and international talent shine.
Rye
Diminutive Rye thrums with creative energy and has drawn established artists to its medieval cobbled streets for centuries, from British surrealist painter Paul Nash to Edward Burra and writer and artist E.F. Benson. Today, there’s an impressive amount of galleries per square mile. The Rye Art Gallery acts as the town’s central hub, while McCully & Crane, Ashbees, the Purdie Gallery, and Rye Pottery are all must-visit. Every September, the Rye Arts Festival rolls to town with a brilliant selection of talks and exhibits to explore.
Image credit: Davy Pittoors
To the west
Travelling west of Rye will find you a spectacular quartet of world-class art galleries in the form of the Hastings Contemporary Gallery, the De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill, the Towner Contemporary in Eastbourne, and Charleston House in Firle.
The former, overlooking the beach and having won awards for its modern architecture, Hastings Contemporary Gallery showcases a regularly changing roster of world-class art, a lively events programme for all ages, plus frequent talks and tours.
Image credit: Euan Baker
Designed by the architects Erich Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff and completed in 1935, the De La Warr Pavilion is an iconic example of Art Deco architecture and was the first steel-framed public building in the UK. Named after the 9th Earl de la Warr, who was behind the gallery’s creation, the pavilion is a dynamic cultural hub with an ever-changing programme of art and events.
Contemporary Towner Eastbourne Gallery has been a cultural catalyst in the town’s upcoming vibrant art scene. Architecturally you can’t miss it with Lothar Götz’s colourful exterior walls; inside, you’ll find a mix of excitingly curated modern art.
Charleston House was a gathering point for some of the 20th century’s most radical artists, writers, and thinkers. Today, you can explore the house, gardens, exhibitions, and events and marvel at the remarkable paintings and decorative artwork at every turn. They’ve also recently opened a well-curated sister gallery in Lewes.
Image credit: Matthew Smith at Charleston House
To the east
If you’re heading east of Rye, you’ll be spoilt with more leading art gems with the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate and Folkestone and its burgeoning art scene.
With a backdrop of the sea views that Turner so loved, Turner Contemporary is a striking vision of architecture designed by David Chipperfield. It floods natural light over the regularly changing modern exhibits. Don’t miss Anthony Gormley’s single solid cast-iron figure (from his Another Time collection of over one hundred figures) outside the front of the gallery.
Image credit: Anthony Gormley at the Turner Contemporary
Folkestone has the UK’s largest urban outdoor exhibition of contemporary art. The exhibition covers everything from Banksy’s Art Buff to two of Antony Gormley’s solid cast-iron figures and Lubaina Himid’s full-scale Jelly Mould pavilion, which looks out to sea.
Folkestone’s Creative Corner, located between the town centre and the harbour, is packed with artists’ studios and has events and exhibitions aplenty. Keep an eye out for Folkestone’s events list, which hosts things like the Creative Folkestone Triennial and the independent arts events of the Folkestone Fringe Festival.
Image credit: Creative Folkestone Artworks
Delve deeper
It’s not just the major players on the art scene in East Sussex and Kent; delve deeper, and you’ll find a plethora of small yet influential galleries. St. Leonard’s is a great place to start, with the Lucy Bell Gallery, which has shown everything from rare and unseen photographs of the Rolling Stones to Bruce Rae’s fabulous silver gelatin prints. There’s also the Hastings Art Forum, on the seafront, Stella Dore, Big Yin, and Project 78 Art Gallery.
The Sussex Guild opened 50 years ago and is dedicated to celebrating and sharing fine craftsmanship with the public. Check the events section of their website to see where you can enjoy the craft—from ceramics to printmaking. Plus, in the centre of Lewes, you can visit the Hop Gallery and the artist-run Chalk Gallery.
The VOLT gallery is another key player in the Eastbourne art world. Part of the Devonshire Collective, the gallery showcases the first solo exhibitions by emerging and underrepresented artists living in East Sussex and nationally. It also has a regularly changing collection of events.
More great art galleries in Margate include the excellent Carl Freedman Gallery on Union Crescent, the former butcher’s turned gallery The Pie Factory, and Anthony Giles, which captures the local coastline, and the Lido Stores, which features gorgeous and affordable artworks.
