Open Exhibition 2026
Kennaway House
Tuesday 27th October - Saturday 7th November.
Open from 10:30 - 16:30 daily
Kennaway House, Coburg Road, Sidmouth EX10 8NG
Free admission
LIGHT IN THE WEST
A NEW PUBLICATION BY THE SOUTH WEST ACADEMY
When the South West Academy came into being over twenty years ago, those who were first involved recognised that its formation gave more than a passing nod to an illustrious legacy bequeathed by the art and artists of the South West who went before. Along with celebrating the first two decades of SWAc, the artists featured in this book were asked to touch upon the continuing influences the region has had on them and their work.
The result is a book that brings to the reader over 400 works by seventy of the most prominent artists working in the region today, painters, sculptors, photographers and printmakers among them. These Academicians describe, in their own words, the ‘sense of place’ they have found in the West Country, in its history, its people and its landscapes – and how this, in turn, is reflected in their work. Founding Academician, Alan Cotton, provides a fascinating introduction to the book in which he relates the impetus behind the early years, involving such illustrious names as Sir Peter Blake, Mary Fedden and Ken Howard.
Light in the West is £24.99 (£5.00 postage and packing).
DARTMOOR - New Horizons
A NEW PUBLICATION BY THE SOUTH WEST ACADEMY
Today Devon is fortunate in being home to so many individuals, groups and societies involved directly in making art. Alongside and supporting these artists are galleries, both public and private, that provide opportunities for exhibiting and selling work while annual exhibitions such as Delamore Arts allow thousands of visitors to see and purchase the newest offering from a wide range of practitioners. Foremost among the established organisations solely dedicated to the region’s artistic community is The South West Academy of Fine & Applied Arts, at the time of writing (in 2025) celebrating the twenty-fifth year since its founding. A London exhibition held at the Royal Watercolour Society Gallery and a Dartmoor-based exhibition are part of that celebration along with this publication, all made possible through the Phoebe Wortley-Talbot Trust as described at the end of this book.
Dartmoor - New Horizons is £20 (£5.00 postage and packing).
If you would like to support the educational work of the Academy please consider a donation.
The SWAc education project 2025 has focussed on Sidmouth as our main base so with the very well known Donkey Sanctuary and links to the Jurrasic coast, it was decided to purchase some life-size miniature donkeys and ask local business to sponsor them.
Then, in collaboration with local schools, designs for each of the donkeys were drawn up and young people painted the donkeys using these designs. This was possible due to the involvement of our educational consultant Nic George.
The Donkey’s were then displayed on the lawn outside Kennaway House throughout the SWAc Annual Open Exhibition where they delighted passers-by and visitors to the Open Exhibition.
After the Exhibition, the Donkey’s went home with their respective sponsors.
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