Group sets up an artists’ hub in Worthing

Lumi Ghita, Hala Sabet, Sarah Sepe, Laurence Olver and Nicola Ferrie

The Worthing Art Studios was set up in King Edward Close by Sarah Sepe, Barry Williams and Laurence Olver as a way for artists to come together and work on and sell pieces of art.

It follows the Artists’ Open Shop in the Guildbourne Centre, which Sarah was also behind and ran as a pop-up shop 18 months ago.

Sarah said the aim of the art studios was to provide a network for artists who wanted to become professional but were uncertain of what it entailed.

Sarah said: “It’s for artists who perhaps work at home at the moment but are thinking about making the next step to try to become professionl.

“We’ve got students from Northbrook here and a lot of us have studied art and have perhaps outgrown doing art in the kitchen.

“But it’s not just a closed door with 12 artists. We’re really keen to develop networking for artists.

“There are so many artists in Worthing, partly because of courses at Northbrook, and it’s a way of keeping in contact with people and making a few contacts, maybe to do exhibitions together.

“Together, as a group, we are braver than as individuals.”

Last Saturday and Sunday, the group of artists held an open weekend as a way of letting people know the studios were open.

Sarah said: “It went really well. We had people around and they were interested in what we were doing.

“The idea behind the event was to get on people’s radar and from a networking point of view it was very successful.”

The open weekend was also held as a precursor to the Worthing Arts Trail, which takes place on the weekends of June 22 and 23, June 29 and 30 and July 6 and 7.

During the trail, a number of houses and businesses will open so that artists can share their work.

And the trail is not the only event Worthing Art Studios will be involved in.

On Sunday, May 19, Northbrook lecturer and Brighton-based artist Geoff Hands will give a talk at the studios.

The studios will also hold a breakfast club at Worthing Museum on June 11 from 9am to 10am.

For further details, visit www.worthingartstudios.com