Vision
Sussex has a rich heritage when it comes to art and artists.
The rolling Downs and breath-taking coastline have inspired artists for centuries, including some of the most celebrated artists that ever lived. Picasso, Miró, Man Ray, Moore, Constable, Turner, Burra, Grant, Bell, Beardsley, Ravilious, Nash, and Grayson Perry all have links with Sussex.
Sussex continues to provide inspiration and a home to some amazing emerging talent, and we wanted to create a new addition to the art calendar that specifically showcases the amazing creativity that the county has.
Our vision is simple but is also ambitious. We want to celebrate and promote the fantastic artistic creativity of Sussex-linked artists. That can be artists born here (but may have since moved away), studied here, or currently live or work here.
Sussex has a growing, vibrant arts scene, and we want to showcase its best to the world.
We initially came up with the idea of our annual exhibition - The Sussex - to provide artists with a platform to show their work to a bigger audience. The Sussex has become a major exhibition in the arts calendar and we continue to encourage artists of all abilities working in any medium to get involved.
We don’t take the stance that art is for the cultural elite, art is for everyone so we also want our exhibitions to be free to visit too. It’s really important to us that in every event and exhibition we do, everybody wins. Suppliers get paid, sponsors get a return, we cover our costs and most of all; art lovers get to see some amazing Sussex art, and Sussex artists get exposure and a chance to sell their art.
“Creativity is contagious, pass it on” – Albert Einstein
But, that’s not all.
We found that the artists we worked with were brilliant at creating amazing work but, not all had the knowledge to make the most of that talent commercially. In 2024, Jo introduced a series of workshops and talks called the Business of Art covering topics as diverse as ‘how to price your work’, ‘preparing for art festivals’, ‘diversifying your income’, and ‘building meaningful newsletters’ to name just a few.
Producing exceptional art is one thing, making money from it is quite another another.
Our Mission
To celebrate Sussex art and support Sussex artists
Celebrate Sussex contemporary artistic excellence through exhibitions and events.
Support new, emerging and established Sussex talent in the business of being an artist.
Host an international-standard annual exhibition that encourages art tourism to Sussex.
Connect artists, collectors, suppliers and venues.
Engage with Sussex schools, colleges and universities to prepare the next generation of artists
Our Founder & Director
Joanna Myles - Creative Director
Joanna (Jo) is an international artist working from Sussex, UK.
Her work can be found in galleries across the UK & USA as well as in key publications. Working from her garden studio as well as BIP, an artist-led print studio in Brighton, and a pottery studio in Ditchling. Jo has a rich background in the creative industries having worked for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Duffer of St George, Warehouse, and Laura Ashley.
Featured on Sky Arts in 2021.
Shortlisted for the Glyndebourne Tour Art 2021.
Hung in the Turner Contemporary Open 2022.
Jo is becoming an artist of interest, highly collectible and accessible.
She co-founded Sussex Contemporary Ltd in 2021 with a manifesto and mission to provide supportive platforms for Sussex Linked artists, Jo is the Creative Director of the company which hosts major open op-calls across the county. As part of her ongoing commitment to sharing knowledge and experience, Jo has developed and is delivering a series of talks and workshops about the business side of art offering practical and useful information to artists and creatives.
2022 Saw Jo joined Heritage Crafts and the Crafts Council as a maker of the endangered craft of textiles and wallpaper printing, one of only 7 makers globally using this heritage craft.
In September 2023 Jo was appointed as a Trustee of the Ditchling Museum of Art + Crafts.
Her most recent appointment in 2024 is as an Industry Advisor sitting on the Board of Arts and Media at the University of Brighton.
In August 2024 Jo stepped into the position of Interim Chair of the Board of Trustees at Ditchling Museum of Arts + Crafts. She is delighted to be further supporting the CEO Stephanie Fuller and the team at DMAC.
Working with thousands of creatives since 2021 Jo is a huge advocate of creating new platforms and spaces to showcase the excellent talent here in Sussex and across the UK/