ArtWorks East Exhibition 2026
Key details
When:
Date:
Time:
12th - 27th Sep
10:00 - 16:00
Where:
Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham
Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
SatNav: IP30 9HZ
Pricing:
Free Entry
Artworks are for sale and are priced individually
26th Year of Artworks Exhibitions
With its reputation for high standards of fresh and contemporary work, Artworks East seeks to interest and inspire in a wide range of media created by 30 of East Anglia’s leading artists and has been doing so for over 25 years now.
A highlight of the East Anglian art scene, this is a great opportunity to see contemporary 2D and 3D work by 30 of East Anglia’s established and popular artists. All the exhibits are new to Artworks each year and are for sale.
A great favourite of the exhibition is the Mini Artworks Prize Draw; thirty mini artworks created by the Artworks artists will be on display during the main exhibition and the proceeds benefit their Schools Programme and a chosen East Anglian charity.
Meet the Artist
There are also daily opportunities during September to Meet The Artist at the exhibition, where one or more artists will be demonstrating how they create their work.
You can sign-up for tickets to be invited to the Private Viewing for this show by going to the Artworks East website.
The setting for the exhibition is the spectacular thatched, late medieval Blackthorpe Barn, part of the Rougham Estate.
Important information
There is plenty of free parking at Blackthorpe Barn.
Accessible parking is near the café/shop.
More parking is available slightly further down the avenue.
Please be aware that this is a rural location and paths can be muddy depending on the weather conditions.
Gallery
01/14
02/14
03/14
04/14
05/14
06/14
07/14
08/14
09/14
10/14
11/14
12/14
13/14
14/14
26th Anniversary
This September Artworks will be celebrating its 26th annual exhibition at Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham Estate near Bury St Edmunds.
The initial idea for Artworks was the inspiration of friends Katie Millard and Graham Portlock. They stood together in the beautiful 15th Century thatched barn, looked around and decided as one it was the perfect setting for an art exhibition. Then they set to, phoned artist friends and colleagues and the first exhibition was soon underway proving such a success that there was a resounding vote to exhibit the next year and so it has continued.
Over the years Artworks has also established strong ties with local schools, providing free workshops and inviting school visits which are often as surprising to the artists as to the children.
As has been the practice for 26 years, all the work exhibited is new to Artworks and ranges from colourful abstract art to exquisite botanical illustrations, dramatic landscape paintings to insightful portraiture, robust ceramics to delicate figurative work, elegant bronze sculptures to surreal constructions.
At the exhibition there will be opportunities to meet the artists and take part in the popular ‘Mini Artworks Prize draw’ which raises money for this year’s charity.
“We still have original members in the group and none of us ever dreamt, when we took part in the first exhibition at Blackthorpe Barn in 1999, that we would still be going strong years later. It’s a very exciting time and shows that people in East Anglia have a real interest and appreciation for high quality art from professional artists.
As a group, we have always encouraged the addition of new guest artists and this approach has worked well over the years. It means in addition to the new work of familiar artists there are always surprises.”
Gillian Crossley-Holland, Chair and one of the founder members of Artworks
Where to find us
Plenty of free parking on site
Please keep to the 5mph limit
Disabled access available
This is a rural location and paths can be muddy
Blackthorpe Barn is situated just south of Junction 45 of the A14, three miles east of Bury St Edmunds, in the village of Rougham.
Look out for the entrance gates to a long tree-lined avenue at the White House junction.
The Barn is down the avenue, on the right.
Related Events
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Check out our brunch special starting from today…
A zesty and filling dish of a hash brown topped with salmon mousse, poached egg, chopped chives, chilli flakes and drizzled with lemon and dill oil.
Great for al fresco dining in our courtyard or the sunken garden ☺️☀️
Available this week only so don’t miss out!
#brunchspecial #roughamestate
Have you been to Rougham Sunflowers yet?
Here are some pictures of lovely people and dogs who have had their picture taken here - can you spot yourself? It’s been wonderful to welcome so many people here already and we expect to be open for another week or two yet.
Dogs are welcome on the grass in the picnic area and in the special dog path through the sunflowers, but not in the main maze or in the sandpits or on the bale pyramids.
The sunflowers are open every day, 9am-5pm, with 9am-10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays being reserved for ticketed SEN-friendly visits.
Entry and parking are free, pay for any sunflowers you cut and take home. Bring a picnic if you like or enjoy the Roots&Co offerings of loaded bagels, topped strawberry cups, cakes, snacks, hot and cold drinks and more.
There is plenty of space to run around and play, lots of photo ops (tag us @roughamestate), games, football goals (bring your own football), sandpits and the big bales of straw to climb around on. Face painting is available (£5). Cash and card accepted everywhere.
It’s all good old-fashioned outdoor fun - great for getting the kids (and yourself!) off the screens for a while.
The postcode for the field is IP30 9HX. It’s just south of Junction 45 on the A14, to the east of Bury St Edmunds. We posted a driving directions reel a day or two ago - check that out if you want to see how to get here.
And only half a mile away is Blackthorpe Barn, the home of Roots Café and the fabulous Rougham Estate Lifestyle and Garden Shop, which is running a Summer Sale right now - so don’t forget to pop in there, maybe for a new vase for your sunflowers.
The sunflower field is only open for a few weeks a year, so come soon and don’t miss out on the essence of summer!
All the details and almost every question answered on our PYO Sunflowers webpage. Link in profile.
#roughamsunflowers #suffolkdaysout #burystedmunds #freedaysoutwithkids
Another month gone and what a month it has been….Sunshine, school holidays and plenty of al fresco dining.
In the month of July we saw the sunflowers in full bloom and harvest underway - despite the challenging weather.
Here’s to a great month and hello to the month of August 🙌
#roughamestate #GoodbyeJuly
Here’s how to find the Rougham Sunflowers
We’re about 1km from Junction 45 of the A14, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.
Open every day 9-5
With ticketed SEN-friendly hours 9-10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Free entry, free parking, no booking needed, apart from the SEN-friendly sessions.
Thousands of sunflowers as well as games, big bale pyramids, sandpits, room to run and play and enjoy being in the great outdoors.
Pay for any sunflowers you want to take home or any food and drink you want.
Bring your own picnic if you like.
Well-behaved dogs on short leads welcome in the play/picnic area and in the little dog path through the flowers but not in the main maze due to problems in previous years.
Toilets on site, including an accessible loo and baby-changing.
We’re only open for about 2-3 weeks, as long as the sunflowers last, so don’t wait to visit!
Info about evening events coming soon.
Almost every question answered on our sunflower page of our website.
Postcode IP30 9HX. Link in profile.
#suffolksunflowers #roughamsunflowers #suffolksummer
Following on from the last harvest update, now with feed barley, oilseed rape and milling rye safely in the shed, we’ve moved on to our milling wheat.
The variety is called Skyfall (yes, really, named after the Bond film). This lot is off to a Midlands flour mill to be turned into bread flour, so next time you’re buttering toast, there’s a good chance it began life right here on the Estate.
#harvest #roughamestate
Last Saturday Rougham Church was brightened by bunches of sunflowers from our field for the Rougham Sings concert in aid of My Wish Charity.
Lovely to see the flowers bringing colour and joy to the wider community as well as the families enjoying the PYO field this summer.
#sunflowers #roughamestate
As the county is hit with a drought and a hosepipe ban, it’s lovely to see our pollen-and-nectar strips still bursting with life.
The deep‑rooted plants are planted intentionally to feed bees, butterflies and insects - helping pollination and giving refuge in this tough weather.
#farmlife #roughamestate
🌻Welcome back, sunflower lovers! It’s sunflower time again🌻
Open daily - the Rougham Sunflowers are open for 2026!
Free entrance and free parking.
🎟️Open every day 9am - 5pm, with 9am-10am on Tuesdays and Thursdays reserved for ticketed SEN-friendly visits. Otherwise, no booking is needed.
🚗The field this year is south of A14, J 45 near Bury St Edmunds. It’s just over half a mile from the junction, postcode IP30 9HX.
🌻Many sunflowers are already open (the pictures here were all taken yesterday) and there are still thousands yet to open. The flowers are about chest-high due to the lack of rain and the ground is currently dry and dusty but will be muddy if it’s wet.
🧒🏻The well-loved big straw bale pyramids are back, as are the sandpits, bug hunt (£1), pedal tractors, football goals (please bring your own football) and lots of games to play, as well as picnic benches, a marquee for shade/shelter and plenty of room to run around. Toilets are also on site.
🥯Food is provided by the Roots&Co Kiosk serving filled bagels, strawberries, snacks, cakes, ice cream, hot, cold and alcoholic drinks. Card payment preferred, cash accepted.
🧺If you want to bring your own picnic you are welcome to do so.
👩🎨Face painting (£5) by the talented @faceitfaceart will be available starting from Tuesday 28th July.
🌻If you would like to take some sunflowers home with you, just pay for what you pick: £2 per stem, £8 for 5, £12 for 10 stems. Card payment preferred, cash accepted. You may want to bring gloves - the stems can be prickly.
🐕Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the picnic area on a short lead and in the special dog-path through the sunflowers. Due to problems in previous years, dogs are not allowed in the main maze.
📸Tag us in your photos - we love to see them!
And keep your eye open for details about some wonderful evening openings coming soon, with a 5k run, a sunflower painting workshop and a Sundowner evening planned.
All the details can be found on our website - link in profile or DM for the link.
🌻We are looking forward to welcoming you here!🌻
#roughamsunflowers #burystedmunds #suffolk
Tag us @RoughamEstate
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