Artwork on sale at Murmurations: Wind swept flowers by Cliff Crawford

Bexhill’s first affordable art fair

Murmurations Gallery opens up its summer calendar of events with Bexhill’s first affordable art fair. The idea is borrowed from the famous international art fair hosted globally in cities across the world, whereby artists submit works that falls under the umbrella of affordable art. It is a scheme that aims to make ownership of original art more accessible for everyone. 

The exhibition is made up from the growing number of members joining the gallery books. “Art ownership is a hard concept to sell, especially contemporary artwork,” says gallery director Joe Nguyen. “It is hard to put a value on someone’s work; on how much they have invested in years of studies and practice; and on how much time and energy in creating something which sometimes is very personal to them.”

Alex Leadbeater

Also, as a gallery owner, he says it is often difficult to sell art to the general public. “When buying art, it is not necessarily about the monetary value, it is about how a person feels about the work, how they connect to it and how the artwork fits into their lives or homes. There is a complex interplay with aesthetics, style and taste. Price should not be the main reason why someone should or should not buy art.”

Joe said that he had recently heard that the percentage of the French population that have original art in their houses is 78%, while it is only 7% in the UK. He hopes the Affordable Art Fair at Murmurations will make a little difference in art ownership here in East Sussex. The emphasis will be on buying and not browsing. Visitors are welcome to come and take a look at the large selection of artworks which are available to buy from as little as £10.

Murmurations will also hold its summer open exhibition in August and entry for submissions is now open till 17 July. For further information please go to www.murmurationsgallery.co.uk.

Affordable Art Fair: 12–31 July. Murmurations Gallery, 17a Parkhurst Rd, Bexhill TN40 1DE. Opening hours 10.30am-4.30pm, Tuesday-Sunday. All artworks are available for sale during and after the exhibition.

Geraldine Franklin

Also in: Visual Arts