Latest News

En Plein Air Painting Day with Karl Terry & Tom Marsh

Sunday August 9th 10am - 4pm

Join En Plein Air Gallery Artists Karl Terry and Tom Marsh for a painting Day at Rye Harbour.

Space are limited

Book here 

Go behind the scenes of British art history! Join Nigel Oxley and the curator for an exclusive afternoon talk as he shares firsthand stories from working alongside abstract pioneer Victor Pasmore. He’ll be bringing original Pasmore etchings to uncover the hidden technical links connecting masters like Elisabeth Frink and John Piper. Perfect for art collectors and the curious alike!

Sat July 18th 2pm - 4pm 

Spaces are limited Book tickets HERE 

The Art of British Printmaking brings together a varied selection of contemporary printmaking, featuring work by Norman Ackroyd alongside fellow artists. Celebrating technical skill and expressive range, the exhibition highlights printmaking’s enduring ability to capture landscape, light, and atmosphere.

Join us for the preview from 11am - 1pm

RSVP to save your spot and glass of wine

RSVP here

We are running a special screening of the "Uncertain Boundaries" film about Russell Burden's arts residency at Lossenham in the studio at 4pm, on Saturday 20th June with an introduction by film maker Kit Warren.

Tickets £12.00 (including refreshments)

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En Plein Air Artist Open Call | Summer Competition 2026

Attention all artists! We invite you to take part in the thrilling En Plein Air Competition display your beautiful outdoor artwork at Rye Art Gallery! Seize the opportunity to win a fantastic prizes Get inspired and unleash your creativity!

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Deadline : July 17th

Apply online via our website 

Terry & The Marsh Players 

This coming Friday June 5th from 2pm 

Soak up the tunes start the weekend early

Tickets £5 purchase online or donate to the gallery 

Buy Tickets 

Archaeology and the power of art Lossenham walk about with prominent Kent Archaeologist Andrew Richardson, Lossenham Artist in Residence Russel Burden & Curator of Rye Art Gallery Julian Day
Date: Saturday 6th June
Lossenham Estate
Time 11.30 - 4pm
Price: 25.00 (include refreshments)

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Our Fine Arts & Auction on Promises preview page is now live, so you can preview some of the lots that will be available. Please but your ticket via our website. Tickets are just £6 and include a complimentary glass of wine. 

Art Auction

Join us on the 28th of May for the Fine Arts Auction & Auction of Promises in the historic Tudor Room at The Mermaid Inn.  An elegant evening dedicated to preserving our local heritage and supporting the future of the arts.

Tickets are just £6 and includea. glass of wine. 

Full details here

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the RSA Spring Group Show Preview! It  was a vibrant celebration of local talent, filled with insightful conversations and a fantastic turnout that truly brought the gallery to life. For those who couldn't make it to the opening, don't worry there is still plenty of time to experience this diverse collection of works. The exhibition will remain open to the public and run until May 5th, offering a perfect opportunity to explore the curated selection at your own pace.

Mary Elizabeth Sapsworth was born in Hackney London on 2nd January 1871 to George Sapsworth, a leather merchant, and Elizabeth Deur. In 1898 she married fellow artist Howard Gull Stormont (1859-1935). The marriage was against the wishes of her parents as they believed it was unfitting for Mary to marry someone who was her senior and a practicing artist. Howard and Mary eventually eloped to Rye where they married at St Mary’s Church. They settled at Ypres Studio on Ockman Lane.

Read the full article by Isabelle Manser on the Curators Blog

Natasha’s oil paintings stem from her fascination with the landscape surrounding her home in Weald, Kent. There is a bond we form seemingly subconsciously through small moments that connect us to the land that surrounds us. Whether it be through memory, seasonal rituals, or other inhabitants, these connections are special and only possible through getting to know the language of the landscape, spending time with it. It is this deep connection and sensitivity towards Natasha’s home that she hopes to convey within her work, painting is not just the scenery, but the language of the landscape.

Read more on the Curators blog

Uncertain Boundaries | Russell Burden

A Lossenham Residency A Film by Kit Warren

Rye Art Gallery is proud to be showing the creative works undertaken as part of the Lossenham Project.  Featuring Art, Music, Film & History drawn from the materials inspired and found in the Lossenham Landscape.

Read more on the Curators blog

The eagerly awaited return of Rye Society of Artists Annual Spring Exhibition presents a fresh selection of new work by its members and united artists, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary practice across painting, printmaking, ceramics, and mixed media. RSA is celebrating their 75th anniversary, the show marks the beginning of spring at the gallery.

Opening March 21st - May 5th 

RSVP Here

We are pleased to announce our forthcoming exhibition Stillness After, featuring new work by Nick Archer and A Lincoln Taber. This thoughtful and atmospheric exhibition explores themes of Nature, Childhood, Memory, Loss and Self. Across painting and landscape, the exhibition reflects on interventions in familiar yet unsettling environments, shown alongside memories and traces of fading existence. Together, the works invite a quiet but powerful contemplation of presence, absence, and the emotional weight carried by place.

Join us for a preview of Stillness After on Feb 7th at 11am, RSVP here

John Piper C.H (1903-1992) | Seaweed and Lichen, South Cornwall 1943

Oil on canvas board

A darkly beautiful landscape from John Piper in context 1943 was such a tumultuous time for Great Britain. Piper was an official war artist, here he depicts a bare beach between sea rocks and sky. A brooding painting with an uncomfortable intensity. The darkness of colour too emphasises the natural textures with grey blue shingle set against the dark greens of seaweed and the warmth of golden brown sands.

A dramatic painting which captures our British coast in adversity and under threat!

The work is on loan to Rye Art Gallery from the Kowitz Family Art Collection and will be featured in the studio alongside other selected paintings by John Piper that we have in our permanent collection at the gallery.

Artist Christopher James has been named the winner of the British Art Prize 2025.  His work is also currently available to view at Rye Art Gallery in East Sussex, where several of his paintings are on display. Based in East Sussex, he has an established exhibition history, including shows with the Society of Botanical Artists at Mall Galleries, London. At the SBA Annual Exhibition in 2023, he received the Exhibiting Excellence Award.

His work has been recognised by the Royal Academy on multiple occasions. Two of his paintings were selected for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2024, while an earlier piece was shown at the Summer Exhibition in 2023 and shortlisted for the British Art Prize 2022. His painting of a greenfinch was also shortlisted for the British Art Prize 2021, in association with Artists & Illustrators magazine.

Melvyn Evans’ latest collection, now on display at Rye Art Gallery, showcases his bold, characterful interpretation of the British coastline and rural landscape. Known for his striking use of line, texture, and simplified form, Evans brings a fresh immediacy to familiar scenes, capturing both the stillness and quiet drama of place. This new body of work highlights his mastery of printmaking and drawing, offering viewers a compelling blend of tradition and contemporary expression.

See more here 

Diana Low (1911 - 1975) was a well-known painter in oils and pastels as well as a talented printmaker. Her compositions mainly landscapes, Sussex beach Scenes included figurative subjects and still life had a unique and distinctive colour palette.

Continue reading

We are pleased to present Artists in Focus a captivating exhibition uniting the work of distinguished and contemporary artists whose practices are guided by close observation, imaginative vision, and a deep connection to place.

This curated selection highlights the richly narrative paintings of Emma Turpin, Louis Turpin, Melvyn Evans, Mick Rooney, Matt Hardman, and Richard Adams, showcased alongside pieces by additional gallery artists and works drawn from our permanent collection.