Fair Ground 2026

– Sussex, Rudyard Kipling (1902)

Fair Ground is our annual exhibition of new work by Sussex artists. The title is taken from a musical stanza in Rudyard Kipling’s famous poem Sussex (1902), in which he describes the county as ‘beloved over all’. A hymn to the beauty of the place, Kipling saw his enchantment with Sussex as deeply rooted in an understanding of locality, a belief that the cottages, hedgerows, green rolling hills, seafronts, hidden coves and woodlands were all an integral part of connecting real people to their historical pasts. Each artist shown here brings their contemporary practice into conversation with generations of Sussex artists before them – a kind of visual poetry that traverses land and experience.

The artists are selected not for shared subjects, techniques or themes, but for the energy and possibilities that emerge when their distinctive practices are placed in conversation. A shared preoccupation with the landscape may reveal different ways of seeing; the exuberance of one work may sharpen the stillness of its neighbour. It’s within these surprising connections and dissonances that the exhibition finds its rhythm.

This year’s exhibition presents work by Katherine Allen, Julie Annis, Orlanda Broom, Amy Dury, Victoria Homewood, Bruce Ingram, Nils Jean, Gabriel Langlands, Rob Lyon, Roman McCullough, Fraser McQuade, Jane Merfield, Neil Morley, Jonathan Murphy, Marigold Plunkett, Rory Prout, Agnes Treherne, Rebecca Wells, Lucianna Whittle and Robin Barley-Williams.

Alongside the contemporary work, a selection of drawings, designs and ceramic pieces by the artist and designer Ann Wynn Reeves (1929-2017) will also be on display. A gifted draughtsperson, her contribution to the visual histories of Sussex – and art histories more broadly – has long been overlooked. Fair Ground offers an opportunity to bring her work back into focus, introducing audiences, and even other artists, to her captivating designs.

For sales, enquiries and appointments, please contact art@glyndebourne.com. The exhibition can be visited by non-ticket holders.