A new major art exhibition that celebrates Sussex artists will be held in October at British Airways i360 Viewing Tower located on Brighton beach. The exhibition will invite Sussex-based artists to enter their work to a panel of industry judges who will select the best pieces to showcase at the exhibition, and award prizes such as The Sussex Contemporary Prize and The People’s Choice prize.

The Sussex Contemporary Open Call, or ‘The Sussex’ for short, will be the first major art exhibition to celebrate the rich creativity in the county which has a strong heritage for art.

Joanna Myles, artist and co-founder of The Sussex, who appeared on Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2021, says: “It can be difficult for new and emerging artists to find ways to show their work. Sussex has such a vibrant art community, and we want to showcase this amazing talent.”

The exhibition of the selected work will run from 8th to 22nd October 2022 and will be free to the public to visit. All the work will be available for sale. A percentage of each sale will be donated to Table Talk Foundation, a charity that supports food education and the hospitality sector in Sussex. Over the two weeks there will also be several additional fundraising events that combine art and culinary arts.

Ian Hart, British Airways i360’s Chief Operating Officer says: “The Sussex exhibition will provide an opportunity for artists from both established and emerging backgrounds to showcase their work. We have always featured local artists in the BA i360 gift shop, so this is a fantastic event for us to further evolve that policy. It is such a wonderful opportunity for the artists within Sussex and we are excited to host such a worthwhile event.”

Artists wishing to submit their work for consideration must have been born in Sussex, studied in Sussex, or currently working in Sussex. Submissions should be submitted online at Zealous.co where all the details can be found about the open call.

The exhibition is expected to draw visitors from London and across the South East.