ATELIER OPEN 2026
We’re once again throwing open our doors to the artists of Brighton and beyond for our fifth ATELIER OPEN – an exhibition that is open to anyone over the age of 16 to apply, and open to (almost) any subject and method. The Atelier Open is brought to you by Tutton & Young who have more than 20 years experience organising some of the best Art and Craft events in the country, including MADE London, Brighton Art Fair and MADE Brighton.
Applications are now open to exhibit at this popular summer show, which is open daily over the busiest eight weeks of the year on Brighton Seafront. Both our gallery spaces will be brimming full of artworks of all kinds with a huge variety of subjects and media. Last year we exhibited 395 artworks by 215 artists.
HOW TO APPLY:
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Read the Key Informations and Terms & Conditions below carefully and ensure your submission follows the instructions provided. Failure to do so will mean that your submission will be inadmissible and will be withdrawn from the selection process.
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Fill out the application form – APPLY HERE. You may submit up to 4 artworks. Enter all the details accurately. You can save and edit your application multiple times until the deadline. After the deadline you will no longer be able to make any further changes.
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Pay the application fee – The application fee is £12 (including VAT) per person which covers our administrative costs. The application fee is payable online (you will be provided the link in the submission form) and allows for the submission of up to 4 artworks per person. The application fee is non-refundable. Failure to pay the application fee by the submission deadline will disqualify the submission from the selection process.
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Successful applicants will be notified via email around 14 June 2026. Please ensure you check your junk folder so you don’t miss it!
Due to space limitations, it is necessary for the submissions to be selected. The selection panel will comprise of the Directors and curators at Atelier Beside The Sea (also Brighton Art Fair and Made London). Sometimes artwork is selected but we run out of space so all of an artist’s work can’t be hung initially - we do try and hang all selected work over the course of the show as pictures sell and are removed.
Application deadline: 24 May 2026, 23:59
KEY INFORMATION AND TERMS & CONDITIONS
CALL FOR ENTRIES
Submissions are welcome from all visual artists over the age of 16, residing in the UK. There are no limitations on subject.
THE GALLERY
The exhibition will be held at Atelier Beside The Sea, 164-166 Kings Road Arches, Brighton. The entire catalogue of works will also be available to view and purchase online at www.atelierbrighton.co.uk.
Atelier Beside the Sea opened its doors at the start of July 2021 and is the latest venture from Tutton and Young who have over 20 years experience organising some of the best Art and Craft events in the country including MADE LONDON, Brighton Art Fair and MADE Brighton.
Atelier Beside The Sea occupies 3 large arches comprising 2 gallery spaces, a shop specialising in work by independent artists and makers and a teaching and event space. It has a beautiful and prominent position right on Brighton beach between the piers, just to the east of the Shelter Hall food market and south of the bottom of West Street. The exhibition takes place for 8+ weeks during the busy summer holidays.
The aim of the exhibition is to show new work from a wide range of established and emerging artists in a friendly, popular commercial gallery.
KEY DATES
- Applications close: 24 May 2026, 11:59pm
- Selection announced: 14 June 2026
- Delivery of artwork (in person or via post): Friday 10 July 2026, 9:00am – 5:00pm and Saturday 11 July 2026 10am – 5pm to Atelier Beside The Sea, 165 Kings Road Arches, Brighton, BN1 1NB (please note, if delivering heavy items by car, the seafront is only open to vehicles before 11:00am, make sure you plan your journey accordingly)
- Preview party: 23 July 2026, 6:00 – 8:00pm
- Exhibition Open to the public daily: 24 July – 13 September 2026, 11:00am – 5:00pm
- Collection of unsold work: Sunday 13 & Monday 14 September 2026, 10:00am – 5:00pm
Please note, we need all artwork delivered only on the stated delivery dates. If you opt for in person collection of unsold artwork following the exhibition and fail to collect on the above days, your artwork may be subject to disposal as we do not have storage capacity, and cannot guarantee safe storage of uncollected artwork.
CONDITIONS OF ENTRY
ELIGIBILITY
- This opportunity is open to all visual artists whether professional, amateur, student or graduate who are resident in the UK.
- We ask that the work submitted has been created within the last 2 years, and not have been exhibited at a commercial or public gallery in Sussex previously.
- The work submitted must be your own work, owned by you and available for sale.
- The work must not libel anyone and not be offensive (to a reasonable person).
- Reproduction of original artwork will not be accepted (e.g. digitally printed reproductions of your traditional paintings).
- Digital prints are acceptable if the work originated wholly digitally.
- Prints of AI / LLM generated (wholly or in part) ‘artworks’ will not be accepted.
- Submissions containing AI / LLM generated (wholly or in part) text will not be accepted.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
- Please complete the entry form: Atelier OPEN 2026 Entry Form
- The deadline for application is: midnight on 24 May 2026; late entries will not be accepted.
- You can apply with up to 4 separate artworks per person.
- There will be an application fee of £12 (including VAT) per person to cover our administrative costs. This fee is non-refundable, whether your work is selected or not for exhibition.
- Works in all media and formats are acceptable so long as they are suitable and safe for public display – that is to say that they don’t pose a risk to visitors and are themselves adequately protected from damage.
- Maximum size of work 2m x 2m for wall pieces or 1.5m x 1.5m x 1.5m for free standing artwork.
- Wall hanging works must be suitable to be hung using our hanging system:
- All wall hanging works must be delivered ready to hang.
- All wall hanging works must be able to hold their own weight when hung.
- Use D-rings, attached to the frame vertically, one on each side approximately 10 cm from the top (depending on the size of the artwork this may be a smaller distance). Alternatively attach the D-rings horizontally, facing inwards with picturewire securely stretched between them.
- For artworks under 10x10 cm in size and under 500 grams you may use one D-ring attached vertically, centered to the top of the frame/artwork.
- Please present your work ‘professionally’. Frames do not need to be bespoke but should be good quality and suitable for the work and for display in a gallery. (We use Nielsen frames in house which are reasonable in price and of high quality.)
- Free standing works must be stable enough to be displayed on a horizontal surface without risk of tipping, separating or breaking to avoid damage to the work or injuries to visitors.
If you have any further questions or enquiries not answered in on this page, or in the submission form you can contact us at open@atelierbrighton.co.uk. This address is monitored daily between 11am – 5pm. Please note, this is the only channel to direct Atelier OPEN 2026 enquiries to! Enquiries sent to any other email addresses or social media accounts associated with the Gallery or its staff will not be seen. Please do not use the gallery telephone for Atelier OPEN 2026 related enquiries.
SALES OF ARTWORKS
Atelier Beside the Sea is a commercial gallery and does not receive any external funding – Sales of artists' work is how we pay for the running of the gallery seven days a week. All work submitted must be available for sale.
- For this exhibition the artist will receive 60% of the selling price after VAT for sold artwork. The gallery will receive 40% of the selling price after VAT.
- You will be asked to provide the selling price for each artwork submitted on the submission form. You will be provided with the formula to calculate this based on the amount you wish to receive upon sale.
- Payment for sold artwork/s are usually made within 30 days of the end of the exhibition.
PRIZES AND OPPORTUNITIES
- The Atelier Prize – an opportunity to work towards a showcase / exhibition at Atelier Beside The Sea in 2027
- Visitors Choice – £100 prize for the most popular work as voted by visitors to the exhibition
SELECTION PANEL
Due to limitations of space it is necessary for the submissions to be selected. The selection panel will comprise the Directors and curators at Atelier Beside The Sea (also Brighton Art Fair and Made London).
PUBLICITY & DATA
By submitting work for this exhibition, you allow Atelier Beside the Sea to use the data in your submission and agree that, if selected for the exhibition, images you have submitted of your work can be used for promotional and publicity purposes regarding the exhibition.
The copyright of all works remains the property of the artist. Any enquiries for copyright will be referred to the artist.
INVITATIONS & FLYERS
Digital invitations, flyers and a press release will be emailed to all selected artists to forward to buyers, collectors, press and any other contacts they would like to visit the exhibition in person or view online.