Jo, our Creative Director, caught up with Julie and Mark, our Artelium Artefact Prize partners, founders, and owners of Artelium Wine Estate.

At their East Sussex Steat vineyard, you can enjoy tours and wine tastings, long lunches, and other delightful happenings. In the shop, discover vintage English wines crafted from grapes grown across the South Downs and browse their curated art collection.

What excited Artelium about a long-term collaboration with The Sussex Contemporary?  

There’s a real synergy in what we do. Both The Sussex Contemporary and Artelium celebrate human creativity and artistic endeavour. At Artelium this is expressed in the artisan nature of the wines we craft and the epitome of that is our Artefact Range. The Artelium Artefact Prize awards the winner (amongst other things) the opportunity to create the labels for our next series of Artefact Wines. Our Artefact wines are unique and produced in limited volumes; they are a playground of experimentation, celebrating the ingenuity of our winemakers. To reflect this creativity, we work with artists to create a selection of work to adorn each Artefact series. The artwork, as well as being on the labels, also becomes part of Artelium’s permanent art collection. 

Historically we have prioritised exhibiting and working with local artists and makers, realising that there is so much amazing talent on our doorstep. By collaborating with The Sussex Contemporary on The Artelium Artefact Prize, we’re opening ourselves up to discovering new local artists and makers that we might not have come across before. The exhibition is a demonstration of high-quality, innovative Sussex artists chosen by a panel of discerning arts professionals– so in many ways, we’re choosing from the cream of the crop. 

The Sussex Contemporary selects, celebrates, and promotes contemporary artistic excellence. Beyond the yearly open call exhibition, the organisation helps both established and emerging artists navigate the art world. So, partnering with The Sussex Contemporary, an organisation which bolsters and promotes Sussex artists, was a no-brainer.  

We’re so excited that The Artelium Artefact Prize will run for the next three years in collaboration with The Sussex Contemporary.  

How did you come up with The Artelium Artefact prize?  

On being approached by The Sussex Contemporary for a collaboration around this year’s exhibition, we thought this was a perfect alignment. We like working collaboratively: every year we look for a new and usually local artist to design the labels for our upcoming range of Artefact wines. How wonderful to choose from a range of diverse high-quality Sussex artists for our next three collaborations. It will ensure that we’re discovering and supporting new artists and makers, perhaps outside of our current awareness. Maybe we’ll come across a new way of making we haven’t seen before, or it will potentially stretch our creative muscles in terms of the possibilities of label design. It’s a way to keep the Artefact range fresh, innovative and exciting – reflecting the creativity of our winemakers.  

What are you looking to find in the winning piece?  

Artelium’s core ethos is: Wine, Art, Nature. Everything we do is an intersection of these three pillars of the business. Therefore, we’re especially drawn to work which either responds to natural themes or uses natural materials. Of course we’re also looking for a piece which demonstrates finesse, good handling of materials, technical skill and something that intrigues and pulls in the viewer.  

We’re also looking at each potential winner to see how their design will fit with the next range of Artefact wines. We’re thinking about how the wine will taste, what it’s qualities are, what grape varieties it’s made from. Historically, artists have been chosen for label collaborations because they will be a good fit for the wine itself: for instance, we chose The Baron Gilvan for our most recent label collaboration, because his work is vibrant, theatrical and playful, perfect for Artefacts #7,8 &9 which are bold and experimental: Motley Wild (a natural wine), Skinny Gris (an orange wine), and Cabaret Noir (made from a new grape variety).  

What’s coming up in your art calendar?  

We have a great selection of arts events coming up. We’re really excited about our upcoming exhibition ‘Terroir and Texture’ which runs from the 1st – 17th November. This mixed exhibition features the work of Sussex wood artisan Laurence Moracchini, who uses reclaimed wood to create her elegant pieces including oak taken from the Artelium estate. Laurence is joined by QEST Scholar Ella Porter, whose delicate, sculptural ceramics display textural impressions inspired by found objects and the hand of the maker. Together, these two artists come together to create a contemplative conversation between wood and clay. The preview evening is on Thursday 31st October and will feature Q&A's from Laurence & Ella, and is a chance to gather together, ending with a warming bowl of seasonal stew and a glass of Artelium wine. Book your tickets.  

Then, on Saturday 30th October, our Christmas Makers Market returns to the Artelium barn, our contemporary showcase of Sussex based craft and produce - ideal for gifting (or self-gifting). 

With a diverse range of items, from ceramics and textiles to jewellery and homeware, our Makers Market is the perfect place to immerse yourself in the creativity and craftsmanship of our talented friends and discover the stories behind each piece. We have just confirmed our final list of makers, which includes The Sussex Contemporary's own Jo Myles. 

The Artelium Makers Market will take place on Saturday 30th November from 10am - 4pm. Book a complementary ticket. 

If you’re interested in wine and the arts, as we are at Artelium, The Artelium Collective is a vibrant community with a shared passion for exceptional wine, great food and captivating contemporary art. By joining, you’ll have access to contemporary art events, private supper clubs, enjoy a discount on all Artelium offerings, and receive eighteen bottles of Artelium wine each year, delivered in three cases of six bottles – one case in early Spring (March), another in Summer (July) and the final one in Autumn (November) at a discounted price. Discover more.