Brighton’s Artists Open Houses festival has been throwing open doors across the city for 45 years. This May, Proud Studios is shining a light on the queer artists doing it – the painters, printmakers, photographers, ceramicists, and makers who are part of this extraordinary city-wide celebration of creativity.
Making a living as an artist is hard. Making a living as a queer artist, in a political climate that increasingly treats our existence as a debate, is harder still. The work on show across these Open Houses matters – not just as art, but as an act of visibility and staying power.
Queer Open Houses is a guide to finding that work. Use it to plan your May weekends, discover artists you don’t yet know, and spend your money where it counts.
Every listing links directly to the artist or their Open House details. No gatekeeping, no curatorial agenda – just queer art, open doors, and a city that’s still worth showing up for.
Make It • Adam & Dan
The Great Pottery Throwdown finalist Adam Johnson returns with Make It, 11 Rugby Road with Dan (and Egg the pug). Across 7 days they’ll have 5 rooms of art and craft to explore, along with the sculpture filled garden and the studio space where all the ceramics get made.
Free Listings For Queer Artists
Queer Open Houses is a guide to finding Queer artists. Every listing is FREE and links directly to the artist or their Open House details. No gatekeeping, no curatorial agenda – just queer art, open doors, and a city that’s still worth showing up for.
Boogaloo Stu: Fragrant Follies
Wild Iris Perfumerie, 33 North Rd, Brighton, BN1 1YB
Boogaloo Stu offers a twist on traditional ceramics at Wild Iris Perfumerie, bringing gloriously colourful ceramics and playful dioramas, where characterful vases chat, ooze personality, and even receive their own perfectly matched spritz of fragrance.
Mackenzie S. Clowes & Artists
9 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3WA
Mackenzie is sharing his Queens Road studio space with Pearl Bates and Dominic McGuire each weekend and bank holiday in May. A queer, working class Australian, his is interested in exploring what is familiar and what is hidden, in particular urban dystopias.
Tony Mentel
The Adelaide Salon
27 Adelaide Crescent, Hove, BN3 2JH
The Adelaide Salon presents Male Gaze, an exhibition of artworks by Tony Mentel exploring intersections of queer history through the languages of needlework, tapestry and ceramics.
Drawing on craft traditions and religious iconography, mediums historically coded as feminine, to question authorship, labour and inherited ideas of masculinity.
Alej ez love life love art!
Flat 5, 16 Brunswick Sq, Hove, BN3 1EH
The artist behind this year’s AOH cover, Alej has a studio in the North Laine. Throughout the festival, you can see Modern Bathers and other new prints in this series at Alez Ez’s own Open House (address above), his beautiful classic landscapes will be at The Old Market, and at The Flamingo House. Plus, Alej Ez will be showing his new Dragons series at the Royal Pavilion.
The Brighton Box Gallery
21 Dukes Lane, Brighton, BN1 1BG
Nestled in the heart of Brighton’s vibrant Dukes Lane, The Brighton Box is more than just an art gallery – it’s a creative hub dedicated to showcasing the incredible talent of emerging local artists. This year they have an additional space opposite the main gallery.
Free Listings For Queer Artists
Queer Open Houses is a guide to finding Queer artists. Every listing is FREE and links directly to the artist or their Open House details. No gatekeeping, no curatorial agenda – just queer art, open doors, and a city that’s still worth showing up for.
Nether Regions
59a Clyde Road, Brighton, BN1 4NN
Nether Regions returns for May 2026! After being named runner-up in last year’s Brighton Fringe/AOH Exhibition Award, our subterranean pop-up gallery is back to showcase vibrant work by talented local artists. Discover original artworks, jewellery, prints, textiles, and more. New for 2026: get creative in hands-on workshops led by our artists!
Sea Shucksmith Mixed media / Ellie Michael Printmaking / Keziah Furini Drawing / Roisin o’Hare Jewellery / Wednesday’s Child Painting / WonkyCatArt Mixed media
Free Listings For Queer Artists
Queer Open Houses is a guide to finding Queer artists. Every listing is FREE and links directly to the artist or their Open House details. No gatekeeping, no curatorial agenda – just queer art, open doors, and a city that’s still worth showing up for.
Pierre Monnerville
The Brighton Box Gallery
21 Dukes Lane, Brighton, BN1 1BG
Pierre is a Brighton-based photographer born in Paris, shaped by a childhood between France and Martinique. Drawn to photography at fifteen by Mapplethorpe’s work, he is influenced by Duane Michals and Jim French. He makes portraits that sit somewhere between art and eroticism – and sees no reason to resolve that tension. What interests him most is what people share beneath the surface: loneliness, longing, the need to be seen.
Shanni Collins
Arthouse by the Postbox
198 Hollingdean Terrace, Brighton, BN1 7HE
Shanni Collins Painter and illustrator (artist in residence), Dan Miller Stained glass artist, Henrietta Fernandez Jewellery design, Lucy Muirhead Birth artist, Georgi Gilpin Ceramics, James Pike Photographer and many more.
Ruth Summers
Blue Skies Glass Studio
18 Eley Crescent, Rottingdean, BN2 7FE
Ruth Summers is a glass artist who has been designing and creating bespoke traditional and contemporary stained glass commissions since 1998, creating glass pieces that reflect her love for nature. Each artwork is a unique expression of this, with the aim of bringing a touch of colour, inspiration and joy into our lives.
Artually by David Ryan
The Flamingo House and Garden
Basement entrance, 14a Wilbury Road, Brighton and Hove, BN3 3JN
Artually by David Ryan a queer artist based in Hove produces watercolor / prints and much more. Showing at he Flamingo House who celebrates its 10th anniversary since becoming an Artist Open House. An established creative workshop space and private home-gallery nestled in central Hove, the Flamingo House proudly presents an enticing selection of work by 19 artists and makers. Including Queer artists such as Artually by David Ryan, Alej Ez (AOH Cover Artist) & Steve Yeates Sculptures.
Dan Swan
The Brighton Box Gallery
21 Dukes Lane, Brighton, BN1 1BG
Dan Swan is a queer fine artist based in Brighton who specialises in the human figure, fashion illustration, pet portraits and more. As well as The Brighton Box Gallery, he also exhibits in the Bulldog on St James’s Street.
Free Listings For Queer Artists
Queer Open Houses is a guide to finding Queer artists. Every listing is FREE and links directly to the artist or their Open House details. No gatekeeping, no curatorial agenda – just queer art, open doors, and a city that’s still worth showing up for.