In March 1946 a group of local artists met together in a cafe in  Eastbourne and from that meeting they founded the Eastbourne Arts Club.   Mr Frank Williamson and his wife, together with 10 other members, started what is now with 180+ members the  Society of  Eastbourne Artists, the largest Art Society in the Eastbourne Area.

The first Exhibition was staged at the Friends’ Meeting House; the weather was atrocious, and Eastbourne was experiencing some of the worst storms for years.  Paintings were displayed without frames, so when the wind blew the entrance doors open, a frequent occurrence, it was chaos and paintings had to be salvaged and redisplayed

For many years meetings and Exhibitions were held at the Towner Art Gallery but since its closure the Society’s activities and Exhibitions have been based at the Lansdowne Hotel, King Edward’s Parade, Eastbourne.

Exhibitions give our members an opportunity to display and sell their work.  The variety of subjects, mediums and techniques used culminate in presenting some of the largest Art Shows in the area. 

The  Society’s aim is to encourage all those who have an interest in painting, sculpture, or ceramics, to promote Eastbourne as a recognised centre for the visual arts and encourage greater   participation in them.  Membership of the Society of  Eastbourne Artists is open to all who have an interest in art.