The Art of Chichester: 60 Years of Creativity explores the arts, culture and heritage of Chichester city centre and the district from 1962, when Chichester Festival Theatre opened, to the present day, embracing professional and amateur work across all art forms.
Curated by David Elliott, the exhibition tells the story of how the arts have put Chichester and surrounding areas on the map, including:
The exhibition forms a key part of Culture Spark 2022 - an exciting season of events, performances, live entertainment and community projects being held to mark a momentous year of culture in Chichester District, including: 60 years of Chichester Festival Theatre; 40 years of Pallant House Gallery; 30 years of Chichester International Film Festival; 10 years of The Novium Museum and the Festival of Chichester, and 200 years of the Chichester Canal Trust.
The exhibition has been made possible thanks to an Arts Council England Project Grant of £37,000, which will also enable an exciting programme of community and public engagement activities. These will include a series of art workshops for children led by practicing artists during the school summer holidays, a series of creative family days and a lecture series for adults.
An accompanying book written by exhibition curator David Elliott, also entitled 'The Art of Chichester: 60 Years of Creativity' will be available to purchase from The Novium Museum's shop - both in store and online: Shop
The Art of Chichester is open from Saturday, 25 June and will run until 25 February 2023. Admission is free, with donations gratefully received.