Bottle Alley Art Market 2025
BAAM is a free public event showcasing Fine Art from curated local and national artists. It will once again fill the historic lower deck prom, bridging Hastings and St. Leonards, with more than 60 fine artists showing and selling their work. There’ll be live performances, live drawing, live music and DJs creating a unique experience in a unique heritage building. It is the longest beachside art market in the UK, spanning 500 meters of amazing art and performance all day long, overlooking the English Channel.
Now in its third year, this market has earned a reputation for supporting artists at all points in their careers. It has a particular focus on grassroots and younger artists, with a supportive offer of some free places to those in the early stages of their career, some of whom have found the experience transformative.
Working with artist and curator Lorna Hamilton Brown, the BAAM team made the difficult decisions of choosing the artists from over 180 applications. This year 70 artists will show and sell their work along the glass wall of Bottle Alley. There are artists ranging from 12 years old, an absent Ukrainian artist represented by his family, as well as live sit-down portraits by extremely accomplished portrait artists.
Among those, we are pleased to welcome back Tula Parker and Xinchu Zhang, who created a real buzz last year creating quick live pencil and ink portraits at the request of the visiting public, in line with the traditional seaside portrait sketching you find at any coastal resort during the summer.
LIVE ART, LIVE MUSIC, LIVE HISTORY
Live performance art will also be featured, like last year, from artists Jude Montague and Caroline Gregory, and some pop-up performances are expected too.
‘The Last Bastion’ (the round area nearest the Pier) will be returning as a live band, DJ and bar area, with various local bands performing. Artists Dave Reading, Shuby and Kristin Watt-Bonar will be decorating the Last Bastion with their work which will also be for sale.
This year we will be focusing on heritage, and we are extremely proud to host our local historian and academic researcher Andre Palfrey-Martin, also a radio DJ and a champion of the town’s heritage. You can find Andre in his vintage living room somewhere along the way, so sit down and have a nice cup of tea. Andre is a champion of Sidney Little, the genius architect who designed Bottle Alley.
ART ON THE PROM
Another development to this year’s event is an evolved collaboration focusing on fabrics and flags. We always mark the day with flags but this year a special installation will feature the work of Mew Welch, David Harris and ZEROH.
This is not your average craft fair. BAAM focuses on fine art and contemporary practice in a laid-back, inclusive atmosphere. If you would like to come and buy art you will support artists’ development and confidence. Soak it all in. There will be something for everyone.
Go along and support your local economy at Warrior Square, on Saturday 23 August, 10am-6pm. bottlealley.org/ [email protected] All photographs by Gatkuoth Juach (Talent accelerator)
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