Art exhibitions and galleries to visit this summer

Goodwood Art Foundation, near Chichester

Summer Programme, 2nd May until 1st November 2026

Opens: Thursday to Monday: 9am - 5pm, Tuesday/Wednesday: Closed

A West Sussex cultural destination, Goodwood Art Foundation’s exciting Summer Programme for 2026 displays works by Nancy Holt, Eva Rothschild, Yayoi Kusama, Lee Ufan, Polly Apfelbaum, and Helio Oiticica within the stunning 70-acre site set amongst the trees. Each artist pushes boundaries in a different gallery, outdoor space or restaurant, through earthworks, sculpture, tapestry, ceramics, and large-scale outdoor installations. The pieces displayed by the Art Foundation subvert expectations in the most thought-provoking way and encourage new perspectives on the outside world. 

Lunch spot: The Art Foundation’s restaurant, 24, offers delicious small plates using seasonal and foraged ingredients and organic produce from Goodwood’s Home Farm, which are artworks in themselves.

Pallant House Gallery, Chichester city centre

British Landscapes: A Sense of Place, 30th May until 1st November 2026

Opens: Tuesday to Saturday: 10am – 5pm, Sunday/Bank Holidays: 10am – 4pm. Closed on Mondays. Last entry is an hour before closing

British Landscapes: A Sense of Place is a gorgeous exhibition in this stunning gallery, featuring works from 60 artists including Thomas Gainsborough and Barbara Hepworth. The art collection reveals how each has explored representations of British landscapes across the 18th to the 20th centuries as expressions of memory, identity and emotion. From quiet country lanes to industrial cityscapes, visitors are invited to experience how Britain has been lived in, remembered and reimagined through a fascinating exploration of our own sense of place. 

Tea stop: Pallant Café offers lunch and tea and has a delightful courtyard with leafy shade for hot summer days. Chichester huge array of cafes and restaurants are on your doorstep including: Joanna’s Boutique Tea Room, Boston Tea Party and The Ivy to mention just a few of many.

Glowing + Alive runs from 13th February until 15th November 2026Cathedral
Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday: 9am - 5pm, Sunday: 12.30pm - 2.30pm

A monthly programme of curated 45-minute Art and Textile Tours has begun at the UK cultural destination that is Chichester Cathedral, exploring the modern reimagining of sacred art via the cathedral’s religious art and textile heritage. The tours are part of the Glowing + Alive events celebrating the 60th anniversary of John Piper’s contemporary and, at the time, controversial High Altar Tapestry. Visitors will engage directly with the internationally significant artworks exhibited by the artistically innovative cathedral, including John Piper’s tapestry, as well as pieces by Hans Feibusch, Graham Sutherland and Marc Chagall. 

Also: The Art of Chichester Cathedral Guided Tour (pre-booking required): 10.30am monthly from 29th April until 25th Nov

Coffee stop: Chichester Cathedral is well placed to find somewhere to eat. There is something to suit everyone depending on your preferences: the Fat Fig, Cloisters Kitchen and Garden, Ghost at the Feast and much more.

50th Retrospective Exhibition, 7th July until 2nd August 2026

Opens: Tuesday to Saturday: 10am - 4.30pm, Sunday: 12pm - 4pm, Monday: Closed

Oxmarket Contemporary turns 50 this July and will be running a 4-week retrospective exhibition featuring many of the artists they have showcased in the gallery over that time. Established and emerging artists will contribute to celebrate the rich creative history and enduring community that has been fostered by and contributed to the success and identity of the Oxmarket since its inception. The 50th Retrospective showcases the diversity of artists they have championed, and will include painting, sculpture, printmaking, ceramics, photography, textiles and mixed media.

Lunch stop: Purchases on North Street is a treat for lunch or dinner, and Robin’s Nest Coffee Shop serves ethically-sourced speciality coffee and delicious local homemade produce.

Paula Rego: Visions of English Literature, 22nd May until 6th September 2026 

Wednesday to Saturday: 10am – 5pm, Sunday: 12pm - 4pm, Monday/Tuesday: Closed

Paula Rego was one of the great printmakers and storytellers of our time and took inspiration from a range of literary sources such as fairy tales, nursery rhymes, literary classics and folklore. This summer exhibition draws upon three of Paula’s major printmaking works: Nursery Rhymes, Peter Pan and Jane Eyre, backed by personal artefacts, to illustrate her striking and unexpected portrayal of these well-known stories.

Lunch stop: Pop into the on-site Hungry Guest café after you have finished browsing the gallery. Alternatively, Cherry’s Deli has delicious treats nearby in Petworth.

Expressions in Blue, 23^rd May until 27^th September 2026

Open daily, 10am – 5pm

The National Trust’s Petworth House is home this summer to a striking exhibition of monumental porcelain by Felicity Aylieff, comprising a collection of monoliths and vases expressively painted in (mostly) blue and white. This body of work is hand thrown in China and assembled on a colossal scale – over 5 metres high in some cases! Inspired by the Chinese porcelain on permanent display in Petworth House, the enormous vessels complement their setting inside and out, and will surprise and delight both young and old.

Coffee break: the National Trust cafe at Petworth House is on your doorstep and will not disappoint.

If you want to engage with some of the art events taking place in Chichester this summer, a good way to start is by downloading a map from Chichester’s Business Improvement District website. The organisation has devised a Family Art Trail taking in the brilliant artistic endeavours on offer in the town and recognising the many anniversaries being celebrated this summer. A map will be available imminently to download from the BID website, with a prize for the winner. The trail includes Chichester Cathedral and its celebration of 60 years of the Piper Tapestry, Pallant House and the Edward Polozzi sculptures in the courtyard garden celebrating 20 years of the extension, Oxmarket Gallery which celebrates its 50 years with 50 individually decorated oxen (available for sale), a painting of carousel horses at Artisan Gallery, not to mention GraffitiStreet Gallery on West Street which has on display an aluminium version of The Watchdog by Joachim. There is also a street art version of the work in East Pallant, and a striking Girl with Balloon reinvention of the Banksy original. 

Lunch stop: Chichester has so many good places to stop for a coffee or lunch as you wander.

Discover more amazing art throughout West Sussex - in addition to the world class exhibitions this summer you'll find a huge variety of permanent displays and art trails available throughout the year. 

Prepare to be awed by the significant art collection at the National Trust’s Petworth House, a leading cultural destination which includes paintings by Van Dyke, Turner and Reynolds amongst many others.

Selsey Seal Art Trail is an entertaining tour around town as you look out for hand painted seals decorated by local student artists. Each has a QR code which will tell you a little of the history of Selsey while you are there. A great one to do with kids.

Chichester Street Art Trail is fun exploring for both children and adults - a self-guided trail leads you on a tour around the pretty cobbled backstreets of Chichester as you look for a vibrant mix of outdoor works of art dotted about the town.