A major new art exhibition has announced the region's leading law firm, Mayo Wynne Baxter as its headline sponsors.
The Sussex Contemporary will be the UK's largest exhibition of Sussex art and artists and is taking place at the i360 on Brighton seafront in October 2022. Artwork for the exhibition will be chosen by an independent judging panel from more than 600 submissions from Sussex artists.
The judges are led by Dinah Casson, designer and founder of Casson Mann, and include Chris Kendall - collector and founder of Hidden Gallery group, Alex Leith - art journalist and editor of ROSA magazine and, Julian Bell - internationally renowned painter, author, critic and lecturer.
The judges will not only select which artworks make it into the exhibition, but they will also have the difficult task of deciding who wins three of the four prizes on offer. The fourth will be decided by a public vote.
Martin Williams, Partner at Mayo Wynne Baxter said: "Mayo Wynne Baxter have a long history of supporting the arts in the South East and we fully endorse The Sussex Contemporary's vision for promoting local talent on a much bigger stage. It is exciting that so many artists have submitted work for the exhibition, and I don't envy the judges having to choose from so many entries."
The exhibition is the brainchild of co-founder Joanna Myles, a Sussex artist, who appeared on Sky Arts' Landscape Artist of the Year in 2021, who wanted to create an opportunity to showcase the county's creative talent.
Joanna said: "It can be almost impossible for new and early-career artists to show their work in a professional exhibition. We wanted to create a platform for new, emerging and established Sussex talent to exhibit their work and promote Sussex as a destination for art tourism."
She continued: "We want to promote contemporary artistic excellence and connect Sussex artists with art collectors and art lovers. We are passionate about putting Sussex firmly on the art world map."
The Sussex landscape and coastline have inspired artists for centuries, including some of the most distinguished artists that ever lived. Picasso, Miró, Constable, Turner, Grant, Bell, Ravilious, Nash and Grayson Perry all have links with Sussex. The Sussex Contemporary hopes to be the springboard for the next wave of celebrated artistic talent.
The artists that are selected for the exhibition at the i360 will also be in the running to win several prizes worth £2,250. The main prize is the Creative Pod Prize which is worth £1,000 and is sponsored by the multi-award-winning marketing agency Creative Pod based in Crawley.
The exhibition of the selected artwork will run from 8th to 22nd October 2022 and will be free to the public to visit and view. All the work will be available for sale, and a percentage of each sale will be donated to Table Talk Foundation, a charity that supports food education and the hospitality sector in Sussex.
Ian Hart, British Airways i360's Chief Operating Officer said: "The Sussex Contemporary exhibition will provide an opportunity for artists from both established and emerging backgrounds to showcase their work. It is such a wonderful opportunity for the artists within Sussex and we are excited to host such a worthwhile event."
The exhibition is expected to draw visitors from London and across the South East.
For more information, please visit: www.mayowynnebaxter.co.uk/
