New location as West Sussex Art Society offer their annual exhibition

Holly Sellors, their new exhibition coordinator, confirmed the show will run from May 16-31 at the Shoreham Centre, offering around 30 artists and 120 pieces of work.

A private view will take place on the evening of Monday, May 20, from 6pm to 8pm, offering guests the chance to enjoy the artwork with light refreshments, meet the artists, and mingle with fellow art lovers. Free tickets are available.

Also as part of the exhibition, The Mark You Make group of local artists will be hosting Making A Start—a free, drop-in mark making workshop for all ages. Open from 3pm to 5pm on Saturday, May 17: “Experience where creativity begins - visitors are invited to explore mark making in a collaborative space, incorporating recycling as part of the process. Materials and media will be provided, along with a variety of inspiring resources—from beach finds to books. Whether you'd like to join in, observe, chat, or simply have a go at something new, everyone is welcome.

The eventbrite link to book tickets for the Private View (May 20, 6-8pm) and the Mark You Make workshop (May 17, 3-5pm) is https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/west-sussex-art-society-109505301651

Holly added: “This year, the Society is proud to support St Barnabas House as its chosen charity. The hospice serves the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas, helping people with life-limiting illnesses live as fully as possible. Thanks to local support, their care extends well beyond the hospice walls—nurses visit patients at home and share their expertise with GPs, care homes and hospitals. When the time comes, St Barnabas helps people die with dignity, often in the comfort of their own homes. For those with complex needs, the hospice’s inpatient unit provides a warm, compassionate environment. For more information, visit www.stbh.org.uk.”

Holly added: “West Sussex Art Society is nearly 100 years old. It began in 1929 and we meet once a month in Worthing. We have demonstrations and we have group participation and then every year we have one or two exhibitions. I was so glad to find it. I was in Mid Sussex and then moved to Worthing and I eventually found this society. It's got about 60 members, amateur and professional.

“Last week we had a meeting and it was full. It was great. It was a real buzz. We had a sculpture tutor from Northbrook College came and gave us a presentation of her work. We've also had the curator of Towner give a talk and also the curator of the Brighton Pavilion give a talk.

“It's great to be part of it because you meet people and you get the opportunity to exhibit your work as part of an exhibition which people wouldn't necessarily get the chance to do by themselves. And you also get to have so many different experiences and learn so much about arts that you don't yourself do. You also get to chat. It is a really good place to make connections with lovely creative people.

“We have just had a complete rebrand. We've got a graphic designer in our group who has just taken on the website and social media, and we have given it all a much more fresh and vibrant approach.”

As for the exhibition, the Shoreham Centre will be perfect, Holly believes, with 76 square metres of wall space and a naturally large weekly footfall: “We have got 31 participating artists which is great. Last year was 25. We have gone up, I think, because of our increasing membership. There is no theme, and we've got a huge range from abstract and modern and contemporary to landscapes and floral. We have got 31 artists and they're all very different so there will definitely be something for everyone.”