Towner
Devonshire Park
College Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4JJ
England
Website
Towner website
Telephone
General Enquiries
01323 434660
Front Desk / Event Bookings
01323 434670
Venue Hire / Membership
01323 434682
Fax
01323 434699
Towner is the award-winning contemporary art museum for South
East England.
We present major exhibitions of UK and international contemporary
art – and as a museum, we also have a nationally significant collection of art
from across the ages. The Towner Collection is best known for its modern British art, in particular the work of Eric Ravilious.
We put you - the visitor - at the heart of what we do. Our staff are always happy to stop and talk with you!
We are recognised for our award winning development and activity programmes, including a variety of events for all ages (many of which are free - including our family drop-in sessions at weekends and school holidays).
Venue Type:
Gallery, Museum
Additional info
Towner has a gift shop and cafe bar with balcony and stunning views over the South Downs.
Towner is accessible to all - please visit our website to see how we can help meet your access requirements.
We offer free tours of the building and galleries at 11.30am each day. You can also book a group tour for 10 or more people at a time convenient for you, for £2 per person. More in-depth Collection Store tours take place on the last consecutive Saturday and Sunday of every month.
Devonshire Park
College Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4JJ
England
Website
Towner website
Telephone
General Enquiries
01323 434660
Front Desk / Event Bookings
01323 434670
Venue Hire / Membership
01323 434682
Fax
01323 434699
An internationally renowned collection of around 4000 historical, modern and contemporary works. The Towner Collection is best known for its modern British art – including the broadest body of work by Eric Ravilious (1903-1942), and works by Duncan Grant, Vanessa Bell and other artists of the Bloomsbury Group (who were notable conscientious objectors).
The Towner Collection also has strengths in landscapes, abstract works and a growing strand of international contemporary art.
Collection details
Archives, Decorative and Applied Art, Fine Art, Film and Media, Design
Key artists and exhibits
- Eric Ravilious - extensive holdings - watercolours (including Cuckmere Haven, Downs in Winter), woodcuts & ceramics
- Duncan Grant - Berwick Church designs
- Vanessa Bell - Berwick Church designs
- 20th century British artists including Christopher Wood; Edward Bawden; Henry Moore; Paul Nash; Victor Pasmore; Alfred Wallis; David Bomberg
- William Nicholson - Judd's Farm
- William Gear - various holdings
- Picasso etchings
- International contemporary artists including Julian Opie; Olafur Eliasson; Tacita Dean; Anya Gallaccio; Wolfgang Tillmans; Grayson Perry
- Olafur Eliassion - The Forked Forest Path
- Tacita Dean - The Green Ray
- Wolfgang Tillmans - End of Land I
- Grayson Perry - Map of Nowhere
- Anya Gallaccio - Preserve
- Historic artists - Albrecht Durer; Joseph Wright of Derby; Thomas Sydney Cooper; Joseph van Aken; Thomas Jones
Collections services
- Specialist publications on collections available
- Public access to stores available
- Public access available to collections information
- General guide to collections available
- Object study facilities available (enquire in advance)
Devonshire Park
College Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4JJ
England
Website
Towner website
Telephone
General Enquiries
01323 434660
Front Desk / Event Bookings
01323 434670
Venue Hire / Membership
01323 434682
Fax
01323 434699
Gibson / Martelli (igloo) – VISITOR
Inspired by the artists’ travels to the snowy mountains of the Canadian Rockies and developed during research at the Banff Arts Centre, VISITOR investigates the experience of place: real and invented panoramas illustrate the beauty and strangeness of the natural world.
Vermilion Lake is a full-size replica of a trappers’ cabin, which houses an interactive virtual environment. where the bears are sleeping is a film depicting monochromatic imagery of glaciers, forests and frozen landscapes.
Suitable for
- Any age
Website
http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/exhibition/igloo-visitor/
New Eyes: Six artists explore the collection and reflect on the creative process
Through Towner’s partnership with Bluemonkeynet, an artist network based in Eastbourne, six artists have been given the unique opportunity to get to know our collection and curate an exhibition at Towner.
A painter, a printmaker, a sculptor, a photographer, a ceramicist and an installation artist, the group reflects the breadth of contemporary artistic
practice locally. Inspired by the Marcel Proust quote, they followed their own voyage of discovery to create a diverse display that leads the visitor on a journey into the collection, its artists and their processes.
The exhibition includes etchings by Picasso, teacup designs and woodblocks by Eric Ravilious and a film piece by Tacita Dean, whose work is currently on display in Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall.
Also on display are works by founder of the British pop art movement Eduardo
Paolozzi, Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry, ceramics by Quentin Bell and
much more.
The works on show range from painting and printmaking to ceramics and
photography – all selected from Towner’s internationally renowned permanent
collection.
Suitable for
- Any age
Website
Devonshire Park
College Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4JJ
England
Website
Towner website
Telephone
General Enquiries
01323 434660
Front Desk / Event Bookings
01323 434670
Venue Hire / Membership
01323 434682
Fax
01323 434699
Rhythmix music workshops
These workshops are open to all 11 – 18 yr olds with moderate learning disabilities, who have a SEN statement (and are therefore entitled to Short Breaks).
Participants will be able to experiment with a range of instruments. They will have the chance to use ”Inclusive Tech” – trigger pads and software designed with people with disabilities in mind.
Inspired by Towner's exhibitions, the group will create their own original music and songs. They will also make a recording of their work to take home.
Tuesday 14 February 2.30 – 4.30pm
Wednesday 15 February 2.30 – 4.30pm
Thursday 16 February 10.30am – 12.30pm
Suitable for
- 11-13
- 14-15
- 16-17
Where
Towner
Admission
£3 per session (young people can attend 1, 2 or all 3 sessions – booking essential)
Website
http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/event/rhythmix-music-workshops/
Half term workshops - Make a Lake!
Inspired by the VISITOR exhibition, your child will construct a 3D world, starting with a small lake. The scene will be captured as an animation as it grows!
With artist Lulu Allison.
Signed consent forms are required for every child. If you are able, please print
and complete the form on Towner's website and bring it with you on the day.
10.30am – 12.30pm 5 – 7 year olds
2pm – 4pm 8 – 11 year olds
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
When
10:30am-4pm
Where
Art Box, Towner (first floor)
Admission
£4 per child (booking essential)
Website
VISITOR family day
Taking inspiration from VISITOR, join artists Jason Hall and Louise Bristow to make fluorescent cabins and canoes.
Add your creations to a magical ultra-violet lit panorama of a frozen landscape, and watch them glow!
This is a free drop-in event suitable for all ages.
Suitable for
- Any age
When
11am-3pm
Where
Exhibition Hall, Towner (ground floor)
Collection Store tours
Towner has a renowned collection of around 4,000 historic, modern and contemporary works. When not on display, artworks are stored in our state of the art Collection Store.
Led by an experienced gallery assistant, this is a unique opportunity to view the Towner Collection behind the scenes, and learn about how an art collection is stored and conserved.
Saturday 25 & Sunday 26 February 3 - 4pm
Suitable for
- 16-17
- 18+
When
3-4pm
Where
Collection Store, Towner (first floor)
Admission
Admission £5, Concessions £4 (OAP, student, and unemployed)
Towner members 25% discount.
Website
http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/event/collection-store-tours-2/
VISITOR talk and walk
Towner’s exhibition curator Sanna Moore gives a talk and walk of our current exhibition VISITOR by artist duo igloo.
Although this is a free event, spaces are limited so booking is advised.
Suitable for
- Any age
When
12:30-1:30pm
Open Ended
An exploration of our collection for people with memory problems and their carers – developed jointly between Towner and Sussex Partnership Foundation NHS Trust.
Open Ended was inspired by a similar project at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. This groundbreaking initiative provides participants with facilitated access to our unique collection, giving them a new way to relate to the world through art.
Open Ended takes place on the first Tuesday morning of every month. The price includes tea or coffee on arrival.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
10am-12pm
Where
Collection Store, Towner (first floor)
Admission
£4 / £3 concessions (Group 10+, Jobseekers, Over 60s, People with disabilities, students, Towner members)
Website
Easter Holiday workshops - Your Dishy!
Look at yourself through New Eyes…
Make your own identity map on a ceramic plate using photo montage and drawing – in the style of Grayson Perry!
With artist Hannah Coxeter.
Please bring images and magazines to help inspire your design.
Signed consent forms are required for every child. If you are able, please print
and complete the form on Towner’s website and bring it with you on the day.
10.30am – 12.30pm 5 – 7 year olds
2pm – 4pm 8 – 11 year olds
When
10:30am-4pm
Where
Art Box, Towner (first floor)
Admission
£4 per child (booking essential)
A Second Coming: a modern British art study morning
Study morning with Dr Julian Freeman.
During the later twentieth century the Towner Art Gallery gained something of a cult status, as successive curators cannily exploited the re-emergence of what was known as ‘Modern British’ – British art of the approximate period 1880-1960.
Dr Julian Freeman will examine the reappearance of some of the most formidable art ever produced in Britain, its public rejection, and the intriguing story of Towner’s remarkable art collection.
Tea & coffee included in the admission cost.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
10am-1pm
Where
Junction Box, Towner (second floor)
Admission
£25
Website
New Eyes family day
Towner's current collection display is inspired by Marcel Proust’s view that we should look at familiar places through New Eyes.
Use camera lenses, binoculars, magnifying glasses, spectacles, goggles and more to explore and reflect on the building and the New Eyes display.
With artists Ed Boxall and Ella Burns.
Free drop-in event for all ages.
Suitable for
- Any age
When
11am-3pm
Where
Art Box, Towner (first floor)
Footsteps of Ravilious - guided walk with Andy Friend
On this guided walk, led by author and Ravilious expert Andy Friend, you will explore Eric Ravilious’s love of the South Downs, and the landscape and locations which inspired him, with a stop off at the Ram in Firle for a pub lunch.
Please note the price does not include pub lunch – you may also bring a packed
lunch to eat outside if you prefer.
Please be aware that this activity does involve some uphill walking on hilly terrain.
Make sure you bring water, appropriate footwear, sun cream and wet weather clothing.
Booking is essential.
Suitable for
- 18+
- 16-17
When
9:45am-4pm
Admission
£40 per person (price includes tour bus)
Website
http://www.townereastbourne.org.uk/event/footsteps-of-ravilious/
Devonshire Park
College Road
Eastbourne
East Sussex
BN21 4JJ
England
Website
Towner website
Telephone
General Enquiries
01323 434660
Front Desk / Event Bookings
01323 434670
Venue Hire / Membership
01323 434682
Fax
01323 434699
Getting there
There are excellent public transport links to Towner, including direct rail links from London, Brighton and the rest of the South East.
Towner is a 10 minute walk (or 5 minute taxi ride) from the station. Follow Gildredge Road to the end, then cross over South Street and Furness Road to College Road. Towner is situated at the end of the road on the left, at the junction between College and Carlisle Roads.
Driving from London, take the A23 from London, A27 to Eastbourne and then A2270 towards the town centre & seafront. At the roundabout on Upperton Road (which the A2270 turns into), take the second exit on to Grove Road. At the end of Grove Road take a left down South Street; turn right and immediately left on to College Road. Towner is at the end of College Road.
See our website for rail and bus links.
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