Art exhibitions and events
A thriving artist community exists in and around Southend and for those with a keen eye for exceptional works of art the Beecroft Art Gallery in Westcliff and the Focal Point Gallery at Southend Central Library keep the town’s visitors in the picture all year round.
Whether fabulous and funky clothes from the ‘60s and ‘70s, beautiful textiles, modern illustration, or the ancient Islamic tradition of geometric art, there is something to interest everyone.
The Beecroft Art Gallery has a varied collection ranging from 17th Century Dutch paintings to contemporary works and throughout the year the Thorpe Smith Collection of paintings and prints from as early as 1803 will be on show, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see what Southend and the local area was like before the advent of photography.
Focal Point Gallery specialises in photography and media arts and here visitors will find the very best of contemporary photographic, video and digital art on display. Since its opening, Focal Point Gallery has established itself as an innovative and lively gallery with both a regional and national profile. The gallery shows approximately eight exhibitions per year that profiles both established artists and emerging talent.
Southend is also home to two major art organisations, Metal and the Pi Community Art Project. Metal, based at Chalkwell Hall in Chalkwell Park, creates the space for artists and thinkers to develop their ideas and further the philosophy of their work, whilst Pi Project is an exciting new Community Arts & Social Enterprise Project offering a range of opportunities for local people to be engaged in art projects and social enterprise. Indeed, the Pi project Drawing to Performance event will engage approximately 7,500 members of the Southend community who will perform a circle of light with a circumference of 8.42 miles.
Visitors can also discover some unique and interesting work in the numerous galleries and arts & crafts shops on offer in nearby Leigh-on-Sea, a town rich in artistic culture. The ever popular annual Leigh Art Trail will be back for its 12th year, giving visitors to Southend the opportunity to wander round galleries, studios, shops, homes, restaurants and gardens in the community where the work of around 50 artists/designer-makers will be on display.
For those artists living or working in Essex there will also be the opportunity to enter the prestigious 50th Essex Open Exhibition.
With these and many more exciting art exhibitions and events on offer why not make your next trip an inspiring one, and visit Southend and its ever-popular galleries.