Hastings artists to honour Victorian painter Marianne North

Born in Hastings Old Town in 1830, Marianne was the daughter of Frederick North, the Liberal MP for Hastings. She was a talented artist and, with her father, she set off to tour the world, painting detailed pictures of exotic flora and fauna. The artist, who died in 1890, eventually financed and established a gallery of her work at Kew Gardens which still inspires and fascinates visitors today.

To honour her legacy on her birthday, 24 October, 10 artists have been invited to showcase their work at Alexandra Park Greenhouse, giving a creative nod to Marianne’s work. Their work will be for sale at the exhibition which will be open from 2pm to 7pm. Admission to the greenhouse, off St Helens Road, is free.

Contributing artists will include Kate Delany (correct), Annie Soudain (correct), Agata Read (correct) and Grant Braithwaite (correct).

Kate, who works at East Sussex College, has previously staged exhibitions at Rye’s Red Door Alchemist Gallery and at Alexandra Park Greenhouse. Her work was on show at The Crown, Hastings Old Town, last month as part of the Coastal Currents arts festival 2024.

Annie Soudain was born near Dover and spent her early years in Truro, Cornwall. A retired art teacher, she studied art in Brighton and Canterbury, and she now lives in Hastings.

Blob: The greenhouse can be hired for exhibitions, talks, social events and workshops. Contact [email protected] for details.