On this thrilling bus ride, as we speed over the hills, I catch a glimpse of an oxbow lake – not something that usually catches my attention. However, the sharp curves of the meandering river as it meets the sea at Cuckmere Haven demand my full focus. It’s no wonder this breathtaking view has been captured in paintings by the renowned Eric Ravilious and even featured in Hollywood films.
The Sussex Art Shuttle, officially known as the “Sussex Modern,” is a new service that transports visitors between various artistic destinations in Sussex. The bus takes passengers from Eastbourne’s Towner Gallery, to the Seven Sisters Visitor Centre near Seaford, the charming villages of Alfriston and Litlington, Charleston (the former home of artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant), and the new Charleston gallery in Lewes.
Launched by the business consortium Sussex Modern, this initiative runs until December 17th and aligns with the opening of the Turner prize exhibition on September 28th at the Towner Gallery, a highlight of their centenary celebrations. According to Joe Hill, the CEO of Towner Gallery, visitors who arrive by train in Eastbourne also want to experience the beautiful countryside. The Sussex Downs, being one of England’s newest national parks, offers a stunning connection between nature and cultural heritage.
The region has long been a magnet for artists, from the famous Bloomsbury group to the likes of Eric Ravilious, Peggy Angus, and Grayson Perry. At just £2.50 for a hop-on, hop-off ticket, the 16-seater minibus provides great value and runs four times a day from Friday to Sunday. Nathaniel Hepburn, the director of Charleston, adds that over 98% of their visitors currently arrive by car, so this service aims to reduce that figure. Impressively, the bus is operated by volunteer drivers from a local organization called Cuckmere Buses.
Before we embark on our journey, Hill takes me through the serene galleries of Towner, which are currently closed in preparation for the Turner prize exhibition. The four shortlisted artists, Jesse Darling, Ghislaine Leung, Rory Pilgrim, and Barbara Walker, work across various media, including film, drawing, performance, and sculpture. The gallery’s geometric exterior, designed by Lothar Götz, amazes me before we hop on the vibrantly colored minibus. As we ascend into the national park, Hill and Hepburn share their enthusiasm for the area’s rich history of attracting artists, from the Bloomsbury group to Peggy Angus and Grayson Perry. The ecological diversity of the chalk grassland also captivates Hill, who points out that it’s as rich in life as the rainforest.
Our first stop is the medieval village of Alfriston, where we disembark near the market cross, one of only two remaining in Sussex. We make our way to Much Ado, a charming bookshop with two floors and a delightful “book bower” in the back garden, filled with affordable volumes. Nash Robbins and Cate Olsen, the owners who moved to Alfriston from Massachusetts 20 years ago, show me framed drawings by Vanessa Bell and rare Victorian scrapbooks.
Although I could spend hours here, the call for lunch beckons. We head to The Star, originally built in 1345 as a religious hostel. We don’t have time to visit the nearby Rathfinney vineyard, but I manage to try their highly regarded pale pink sparkling wine – dry with a hint of fruitiness. The menu at The Star features enticing dishes such as smoked haddock croquettes, beetroot carpaccio, and chicken Milanese.
Next on the itinerary is isolated Charleston, the farmhouse where the Bloomsbury group congregated. Two new exhibitions will open on September 23rd to coincide with the Turner prize. One showcases the work of the British-born South Asian artist Osman Yousefzada, while the other displays rarely seen early drawings by Hockney.
Our final stop is Lewes, where a striking new Charleston arts space recently opened in a former council office building. Alongside a free exhibition by contemporary artist Jonathan Baldock, the main exhibition, titled “Bring No Clothes: Bloomsbury and Fashion,” explores the influence and legacy of the Bloomsbury group on today’s fashion. It features paintings, letters, personal items, and clothing belonging to EM Forster, John Maynard Keynes, Vanessa Bell, Virginia Woolf, Lady Ottoline Morrell, and Duncan Grant, alongside catwalk creations by Dior, Burberry, Erdem, and Fendi.
Curated by fashion writer Charlie Porter, the exhibition is both engaging and educational, with enlightening captions. Porter mentions that he wanted to create a show that connected the past with the future, particularly highlighting the welcoming home East Sussex offers to the queer, non-binary, and trans communities.
As the day draws to a close, the last bus of the day awaits us. During the hour-long return to Eastbourne, I gaze at sheep grazing along the steep winding roads until the sea comes into full view outside Eastbourne.
The resort is abuzz with an autumn of art-related events, including Eastbourne Alive, featuring public artworks and interventions by twelve artists. At the design-led Port Hotel, where I’m staying, the minimalist sea-view bar hosts an exhibition displaying prints from the Turner sponsor, King & McGaw’s collection. The prints include works by former Turner prize artists such as Howard Hodgkin, Patrick Caulfield, and Fiona Rae.
Eastbourne’s palm-lined seafront and backstreets offer a plethora of high-quality dining options, more than I remember from previous visits. As the hotel doesn’t serve dinner, my partner and I indulge in delectable dishes of crispy-skinned mackerel fillets and tender local steak at the bustling Skylark restaurant in the picturesque Little Chelsea area. Little Chelsea is also home to cafes, the record shop-cum-bar Vinyl Frontier, the live venue Printers Playhouse, and the secondhand bookshop Camilla’s, complete with a pet parrot. Nearby, you’ll find the local taproom Beerarama and the acclaimed artisan bakery, To The Rise.
What lies ahead for the Art Bus? The hope is that this temporary service will pave the way for a permanent one. The Towner is also using this project as an opportunity to trial a cultural education center called Black Robin Farm in the South Downs, set to open in 2025 with funding from the levelling up fund. Hill explains that the uphill walk to the center will take around 30 minutes, making the bus an essential part of providing a visitor-friendly experience and testing if there is enough interest.
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