Opposite the crumbling wreck of Brighton’s old West Pier stretch the cream alcoves of the regency squares. Once grand twenties buildings, many have since been living out their days as hotels for weekend visitors. Nestled amongst these salty B & B’s, however, a new space is coming to life.

Artist Residence is a hotel and gallery where artists can stay and create pieces in return for board. It currently has six rooms decorated by artists from around the world. The soon-to-open daytime cafe sits to one side of the gallery and a walled garden behind for evening events in summer.

Artist Residence

Owner Justin Salisbury has plans to extent the gallery to include a stage for multi-media projects and larger installations, and plans to install an external spiral staircase in the walled terrace garden to lead up to the artist’s studios.

‘We want a relaxed and creative feel to the place’ says Salisbury. ‘The idea is that it’s a step above a hostel, and it ties in with the economic climate,’ he says, referencing the residency scheme. Artist Residence gives young artists the chance to display their work in a professional space, and the two week turnover of the gallery space offers a chance for new talent to be shown.

Mel Sheppard's room

There is a room by Mel Sheppard, whose work decorates the loos of renowned Victorian beach front venue the Concorde, as well as one by well known street artist Hutch. ‘We want the rooms to be artist inspired, rather than a themed hotel’, says Salisbury.

I head up to see a room in progress, by Maria Slovakova, who has painted walls from Bratislava to New York, and says of the space: ‘It’s got great light here. I didn’t want to make the room too busy.’ The figure of a girl graces a wall, next to bumblebees and flowers.

Lovely view from one of the rooms

Manager Megan Barlow-Pay likens the place to a Brighton version of Shakespeare & Co in Paris, which as well as being a bookshop, is a place for artists to relax and be supported in a bohemian part of the city. Paintings on the stairs lead the eye upwards, and even the clean white walls of the gallery have a warm feel. Barlow-Pay says she wants the space to be less sterile than some galleries, with the walls displaying a patch work of new pieces.

The downstairs gallery is set up in a bright and informal way. The current exhibition ‘Printmakers’ features colourful 3D cotton fish by Erica Yim Ha Tsui hanging from the ceiling, as well as detailed drawings from Alison Shurville.

Lizzie Simner

Exciting news! Glovebox is currently planning an exhibition to be held in Artist Residence’s gallery space during September. More details to follow…