Last week, Enter Gallery hosted an evening with Martlets Hospice where artists selected for the 2023 Shaun by the Sea Art Trail were paired with their sponsors.
The wonderfully-warm event was a chance for the selected artists to mingle with each other, and the businesses supporting the trail, and to admire the handiwork of Sarah Arnett – who has already adorned her Shaun with her Regency-style designs.
In today’s blog, we chat to Martlets and to a couple of the chosen artists to discover what being involved with the charity and with one of the most high-profile art events in Brighton means to them.
The Perfect Match
On the night, artists whose work had been chosen for the Art Trail were invited to the gallery to meet the businesses that would be sponsoring each of their unique designs.
Enter Gallery's MD, Celeste Payne, spoke on the night about Enter Gallery’s ethos around making art accessible to all. Given the Art Trail will see works of art placed around the city, it’s the perfect event for bringing art to the masses.
One local artist who has been selected for the trail is Enter Gallery favourite, Sara Pope, who spoke on the evening about her artistic style, and how her signature lips will be incorporated onto her Shaun the Sheep design.
We had a chat with Sara, whose Shaun is sponsored by local firm, Plus Accounting, about her involvement in the Art Trail and she revealed:
‘I’m thrilled to be involved in the Shaun By the Sea initiative, and grateful to Plus Accounting for choosing my design. This is a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the richly diverse communities of Brighton and Hove, bring people together in the spirit of joy and connection, and above all raise money to support the vital work of local charity, Martlets.’
Regency Shaun
To give the artists a glimpse at what their Shaun’s will look like once they are complete, Regency Shaun was on display in the gallery.
This completed sheep has been designed by Enter Gallery artist, Sarah Arnett, and is adorned with the elaborate Regency-style designs that define her flamboyant oeuvre.
We spoke to Sarah about Regency Shaun and she reveals:
“I am so proud to be part of the Martlets Art Trail journey. It’s such an amazing way to be involved with a great charity and so much fun. Each character I have worked with over the years has been a different challenge, and Shaun is such an iconic character to play with!”
“Regency Shaun is inspired by a statue of a beautiful elephant on display in the Royal Pavilion. I love the ceremonial jewellery and decoration on the statue and decided that Shaun should be dressed up for his launch night into the wonderful world of Brighton!”
Shaun by the Sea
Speaking about evening, Susi, who is Head of Partnerships and Philanthropy at Martlets, told us:
"All the feedback from sponsors and artists has been super positive. It was such a lovely venue. A really simple but effective evening that showed a lot of love."
The Shaun by the Sea Art Trail launches in September, when each of the 40 individually-designed sculptures will be placed around Brighton and Hove.
For now, it’s time for the artists to go away and work on their designs. We can’t wait for Autumn, when we see our city taken over by this fantastic exhibition of public art.
