29 March 2011
Eastbourne’s award-winning art gallery is opening the doors to its second East Sussex Open this weekend showcasing the work of 36 artists from the region, including the largest painting ever exhibited at Towner.
This year’s open submission exhibition attracted hundreds of entries from artists and makers from East Sussex and the panel of judges, including artists Annika Ström and Julian Sutherland-Beatson and Towner’s exhibition curator Sanna Moore, have picked 36 exceptional applicants to have their work displayed in the gallery’s ground floor exhibition halls.
Works on display will include the largest painting ever displayed at Towner, Railway Bridge 2010, by Dale Inglis, which is an impressive 7.2 metres in length, as well as installations, sculptures, and photography.
An Eastbourne Borough Council spokesperson said “We are very excited to launch this year’s East Sussex Open and offer a fantastic platform for some of the amazing artistic talent on our doorstep. The exhibition attracted 130 entries from artists and makers keen to make the most of the exposure that Towner can offer and the chosen selection of entries proves a wonderful snapshot of the wealth of artistic brilliance in our county.
“We are delighted to present a display that showcases works of all sizes in our biggest exhibition space with several large-scale works, which compliment and engage with the semi-industrial architecture of the building. Free to visitors, I want to encourage as many people as possible to get down to Towner before 2 May and take a look at the inspiring artwork on display.”
Using the vast 668 square metre space that Towner’s large exhibition halls offer with ceilings at 4.5m high, the East Sussex Open brings together an eclectic mix of artworks showing off established, as well as emerging artists.
From a series of beautiful porcelain vessels by Tanya Gomez, which are inspired by the Sussex coastline reflecting the ever changing moments where the land meets the sea to a sculptural installation by Hermione Allsopp transforming recycled and recreated objects into new forms and compositions, gallery visitors can look forward to a real feast of diverse regional talent.
The East Sussex Open is free to members of the public and runs from 2 April – 2 May, coinciding again this year with the Eastbourne Festival, which takes place from 23 April – 15 May. As well as enjoying the works on display at Towner, culture vultures can look forward to the town coming alive with events over the next few weeks, including artists’ open houses and studios, workshops and more.
For more information on what’s on at Towner, including the current Elizabeth Magill exhibition, go to the VisitEastbourne website or call 01323 434670.
