STAR BREWERY GALLERY
LEWES
CURRENT EXHIBITION
Next exhibition opens on Saturday 19th July
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS 2025
Emma Hames
19th July - 27th July
Tuesday-Saturday 11am-4pm | Sunday 11am-3pm | Closed Monday
Emma Hames is a musician, filmmaker and painter, born in the hills of Shropshire and later relocating to Surrey at 14. After moving to France in her twenties, she returned to England in 2016 following a near-fatal injury caused by a prescribed anti-anxiety medication.
During the nine-year recovery that followed, Emma turned to art and music to survive - and to alchemise the grief, suffering, hope, and everything in between, whilst developing her documentary film TOXSICK.
With a background in science, Emma is a largely self-taught artist. “I'm still exploring - still developing my style, my materials and formats of choice, and I hope I never stop. That state of flow, that quieting of the mind, the experience of turning imagination and emotion into something tangible is a form of aliveness I feel every time I paint or draw. To know the end result can bring meaning and joy to others is the greatest gift.”
Her latest series, 999, emerged from a serendipitous realisation: she had created 999 pieces of art - the same number as the UK emergency line she dialled over 50 times. Originals and limited-edition prints are available, with proceeds supporting the film’s production.
An exhibition showcasing John May’s extensive personal archive to present a compelling and historically significant account of Greenpeace's development, with a spotlight on Lewes as the international headquarters from 1982 to 1989
Many people are surprised to learn that the world headquarters of Greenpeace was located in Temple House here in Lewes during the 1980s. The exhibition focuses on this period of extraordinary activism and global upheaval when the office was led by the Chairman, the late David McTaggart, and the executive director John Frizell. A key moment revisited is the 1985 bombing of the original Rainbow Warrior, a defining event in Greenpeace’s history.
John May, hired to lead Greenpeace’s international publishing operations, produced many of the influential books, documents, and campaign materials that shaped the organisation’s global message. His extensive archive forms the foundation of the exhibition and includes rare photographs, documentary films, and recordings from musical fundraising events by top international artists.
In addition to its historical focus, the exhibition also highlights some of Greenpeace’s later campaigns and offers insight into the organisation’s current work across the UK and beyond. Visitors will see examples of how Greenpeace continues to campaign for climate action, biodiversity, and environmental justice.
“This is not just a retrospective,” says May. “It’s a reminder of what’s possible when people come together with courage and vision”.
Also featured in the exhibition is Paula the Polar Bear, Greenpeace’s powerful and emotive mascot, making her debut appearance in Lewes. Having traveled to major cities worldwide—including Auckland, Berlin, Washington D.C., Helsinki, and Chemnitz—Paula continues to engage audiences and highlight the urgent threats climate change poses to the Arctic and its wildlife.
A number of Greenpeace veterans from the Lewes era will be giving talks on the 2nd and 9th of August during the afternoon. Confirmed speakers include John Frizell, Martin Leeburn and Andy Stirling.
© Pedro Armestre / Greenpeace
© Tim Aubry / Greenpeace
Greenpeace International in Lewes
The archives of John May, former director of Greenpeace Books
Friday 1st-10th August
Open Tuesday-Sunday 11am-4pm (Closed Monday)
The Victorians had a penchant for using birds and beetles as fashion items, leading some species to the brink of extinction. I prefer to honour wildlife as subjects to incorporate into my oil paintings and drawings of seascapes and landscapes.
I have had over 100 exhibitions, mostly solo, across the UK and Berlin and have sold paintings worldwide, receiving regular press coverage along the way.My work has also appeared many times on TV including pastels commissioned by BBC1 for the Randall and Hopkirk Deceased remake, abstracts for ITV’s The Shell Seekers, oil paintings for the Disney Channel and BBC2’s That Mitchell and Webb Look. This is my third show at the Star Brewery, highlighting new artworks to totally absorb yourself in.
Symphony of Life
Sara Hill
Saturday 16th - Sunday 31st August
Tuesday-Sunday 11am-4pm | Closed Monday 18th | Bank Holiday Monday 25th 11am-4pm
As Time Goes By - Artwave 2025
Saturday 6th - Sunday 21st September
Wednesday-Friday 11am-4pm | Saturday-Sunday 10.30-4.30 | Closed Monday & Tuesday
Peter Messer
Lost At Home
Saturday 27th September - Sunday 5th October
Tuesday - Sunday 11am - 4pm (Closed Monday)
Lost At Home is my latest exhibition at the Star Brewery Gallery since 2023 and sees a return to my immediate surroundings. So immediate, in some cases, as to exist solely within my head in the form of dreams, imaginings and barefaced fabrication. Other pieces are of fairly straightforward things I have seen and these are the paintings that sometimes seem strangest to me.
My paintings are mostly on a domestic scale, resolutely figurative and, by implication, narrative. I paint in the historic medium of egg tempera which I prepare in the studio using egg yolk and raw pigment.
I hope that these are intent and watchful paintings which, for all their quiet ‘realism’, demonstrate that the unseen exists and has properties. It seems that I work in a world sensed by many but frequently ignored or overlooked. I hope I can help to remind them.
Nick Day
LIFE & DEATH AS IT IS
Saturday 11th October - Sunday 19th October
Tuesday - Sunday 11am - 4pm (Closed Monday)
Nick is a multi-award-winning wildlife artist & has been a professional for over 30 years - and seeks to inspire people around the world as to the value & beauty of the Natural World. He has raised money for conservation charities in the UK, USA, and Australia.
"I believe the human mammal has found it increasingly more difficult to move away from our fast evolving & more technological ‘world’, where the environment is badly damaged in our thirst for knowledge, and is neglected to the point of justification & denial. What I strive to do in my portrayal of Nature is to bring the onlooker into the subject's world using basic human instincts such as pity, without being sentimental, whilst at the same time illustrating a little of the fascinating detail that the Natural world has to offer. Also subtly lurking in the background of my work is an impending sense of impermanence, which although I am an optimist, reflects what I feel is happening today in mankind's global society.
In my forthcoming exhibition, I will be showing my latest 'Kill' series of work - showcasing studies of roadkill, window-kill, cat-kill and chemical-kill. As well as big cats, birds and other wildlife.
There will be many artists proofs, framed and unframed, on show."
Between Air and Earth
Philippa Futrell, Claire Gill, Tessa Holmes, Lorraine Singer and Jade Taylor
The group aim to bring to you an enriching experience - the essence of how they see the world between air and earth
Saturday 25th October - Sunday 2nd November
Tuesday - Sunday 11am - 4pm (Closed Monday)
Philippa Futrell
Jade Taylor
Claire Gill
Lorraine Singer
Tessa Holmes
Between Air and Earth' is an exhibition focusing on the paired back narratives formed through a sense of place. A fascination with the natural world, a passion for colour, form and shape, and a poetic interpretation is a common thread uniting the works on show. From delicate intimate details to larger more expansive perspectives, the artists each explore the notion of landscape in diverse and exciting ways. They use a variety of traditional and contemporary techniques including: digital photo montage, painting, printmaking, ceramics and mixed media.
Tony Wilson
Metamorphosis
8 November - 16 November
Tuesday - Saturday 11am-4pm | Sunday 11am-3pm (Closed Monday)
Paintings after Franz Kafka’s stories
The Trial and Metamorphosis together with a series of portraits.
A Preface by Robert Medley CBE.RA
We are in a poetic and metaphysical world. Concepts are magically endowed with tangible identities and they act out their destinies in the drama that Tony is painting for them. Some of the images can easily be referred to recognisable objects. Others more obscure, hide behind a clue, and we are invited to contribute our own solution. In this way we become involved and drawn into the pictures.
Biography
Painter, Printmaker and Writer. Founder and Principal Lecturer of Fine Art MA at Camberwell College of Arts 1987-1997
Head of Fine Art Painting & Printingmaking University of Brighton 1998-2010
Art education
1960-64 Birmingham Collage of Art and Craft
1964-66 Central Scoo of Art and Design London
Exhibited work widely here and internationally, including the Hayward Gallery, The Serpentine Gallery, The Royal Academy, Towner Gallery, Musee d' Art Moderne, Paris, Rekyjavik Iceland, Hyundai Art Gallery, Kwanhoon Gallery, Seoul South Korea.
Hidden Gallery Returns to Star Brewery Gallery!
Untouchable art in touching distance
Wednesday 26th - Sunday 30th November
Wednesday - Sunday 11am - 4pm (Closed Monday)
Following two successful exhibitions, Hidden Gallery is delighted to announce its return to Star Brewery Gallery in Lewes. From Wednesday 26th November to Sunday 30th November 2025, art enthusiasts and collectors will once again have the opportunity to experience an extraordinary selection of original works on paper by some of the most renowned artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Hidden Gallery has built its reputation on offering original and hand-signed pieces by artists such as Picasso, Chagall, Hockney, Emin, and many others. This eagerly anticipated exhibition continues our tradition of bringing world-class art to local audiences, showcasing an impressive array of prints and works on paper by household names that have shaped modern and contemporary art.
Whether you're a seasoned collector or simply curious about iconic art, this exhibition offers a unique chance to engage with original works by some of the most influential artists of our time. Each piece represents not just an artwork, but a piece of art history, available for viewing and purchase right here in Lewes.
Open daily from 11am to 4pm, this exhibition is a must-visit for anyone interested in experiencing the power and presence of original works by master artists - and you can even take one home with you! Join us at Star Brewery Gallery for what promises to be another memorable showcase of exceptional art.
We look forward to welcoming both familiar faces and new visitors to this exciting event.
STAR BREWERY GALLERY DESIGN SERVICES
Creative design for artists, makers, and professionals. We craft bespoke websites, flyers, posters, PV invitations, and more — all tailored to showcase your work and services at their best.
Alongside hosting exhibitions in our gallery, we design custom online galleries and shops that empower individuals and small businesses to present and sell their work with clarity and impact.
With over 18 years of experience in web and graphic design, Neeta Pedersen understands that great presentation — both physical and digital — is essential for connecting with your audience. We believe in the power of visual communication and collaborate closely with every client to create designs that reflect their unique style, vision, and goals.
For more information contact us:
07932 500 952
POSTER DESIGN
WEB DESIGN
ABOUT THE STAR BREWERY GALLERY
On its journey to become an artistic hub in Lewes, the old brewery building has undergone several transformations over the years. The art gallery was originally known as the Star Gallery, was renamed the Hop Gallery and then became the Star Brewery Art Gallery when it was revitalised under Neeta Pedersen, its current director.
Peter Messer 09/04/20
"Neeta Pedersen worked there for five years as an assistant to Gallery Owner, Curator and Director Angie Osborne under its spell as the Hop Gallery.
"I feel she really understood the Gallery’s ambitious attitude to the arts without losing sight of its place at the heart of the extensive local arts community.
I, and many others, were very heartened to hear that she was taking over after a short period when, under other management, it had diverged from this and had become lost to view for many of us. I feel she has all the right capacities to make the gallery a great success. In addition to her five years practical experience in the space, she is a respected and successful artist in her own right and a well known and popular member of the community."
Neeta, now the gallery’s owner, director and curator, took over in February 2020. Since then, she has worked tirelessly to enrich the town with a unique art space, where both established and emerging artists showcase a vibrant and diverse range of exhibitions.
Under Neeta’s curatorship ,visitors to the gallery have been gifted with an exciting array of work - from traditional and contemporary art, to captivating installations and exquisite craftwork. The gallery is proud to have featured original artworks by some of the most revered artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries including: Matisse, Picasso, Miró, Dali, Klimt, Tracy Emin, Man Ray, Paula Rego, Lichtenstein, Francis Bacon, Piet Mondrian, Henry Moore, David Hockney and Chagall.
The Star Brewery Gallery also hosts the annual Royal Opera House Design Challenge exhibition, featuring innovative works by students from the Art & Design Extended Diploma at East Sussex College, Lewes.
Our mission is to bring diverse exhibitions to Lewes, offering visitors the chance to experience shows that inspire and engage. We aim to curate a vibrant selection of artwork from an array of talented artists, each showcasing their unique techniques and styles.
We are proud that our exhibitions have received acclaim for showcasing the beauty of the natural world. From the elegance of trees to the captivating essence of water, we celebrate the diversity of living creatures in all their forms.
We believe that art is an important way of increasing awareness of the urgent need to take action to preserve and protect our natural environment in an age of climate change.
Neeta Pedersen
Owner and director of Star Brewery Art Gallery, Lewes
Background of the artist
Neeta Pedersen is a multimedia designer and artist whose distinctive style ranges from the highly decorative and romantic, to the stark and explicit, gaining her an international reputation.
Her painting, illustration, sculpture, digital art, and animation are a rich expression of imaginative vision - a unique perspective which she describes as having been shaped by her diverse heritage, extensive travels and studies.
Born in Mumbai of unknown parents, Neeta was adopted at the age of six months by a Danish couple from Aarhus. She left home at the age of seventeen, travelling first to Israel, then to India and Nepal. Determined to observe and absorb the culture of her origin. Later she travelled extensively around Central Europe. It was during this time that she began to see her path ahead as an artist.
She came to England and settled in Lewes where she studied for a diploma in multimedia in Brighton before attending the Total Immersion Intensive Workshop at the New York Film Academy. She also achieved a BA (Hons) in animation from the London University of Westminster.
CONTACT US
Sign up for our Newsletter: starbrewerygallery@gmail.com
ADDRESS: Star Brewery Gallery, Star Brewery, Castle Ditch Lane, (off Fisher Street) Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1YJ
EMAIL: starbrewerygallery@gmail.com
PHONE: 07932 500 952
All submission or gallery hire inquiries must be done by email.
Find Us
There is a direct train from London Victoria to Lewes and bus services from Brighton to Lewes. Catch the bus No 28 or 29 which takes you to Lewes High Street. Get off at the Lewes Crown Court and walk down Fisher Street where you will see the Star Brewery building on your left. There are two different entrances to the gallery.
The Star Brewery Gallery does not have designated parking. There are car parking facilities within the town which allows all-day parking, payment by the meter.