Haywards Heath Art trail aims to get people into shops

Organised by the Haywards Heath Community CIC the artwork can be found in the windows of shops in The Broadway, along South Road, around the Orchards shopping centre and into Sussex Road, with special eye-catching exhibits at Victoria Park and on South Road roundabout.

The artwork specifically features Sussex artists and includes an official Olympic artist and Royal Academy exhibitors.

It is hoped that the trail will get more people into the town and looking around the shops.

Marion Wilcock, one of the organisers, said: “We were delighted with the warmth of support we received from the retailers, who embraced the idea enthusiastically. The shops include Baldwins and Broadbridges, who opened in 1935, and have traded continuously in Haywards Heath now for more than 77 years, and Street Y’s and Big Life Organics, who are both family businesses which have bravely opened in the town in the last couple of months, bucking the trend for shop closures.”

Other shops included in the trail are Waterstones, Ouh-la-la, Rockability and Theo Browns.

The exhibits include the rhino on the roundabout in South Road, wood sculptures, pencil drawings and oil paintings.

She added: “Having started the ball rolling, we are now planning further events in the town to demonstrate it is a great place to live, work and do business in. At the end of the day, whether Haywards Heath town centre survives will depend on the local community and whether they use and support their shops. Hopefully, as they walk round the town and enjoy the art, they will be reminded just what a great range of shops Haywards Heath has, and will be encouraged to use them.”

The trail runs until Saturday, March 30.

A Meet the Artists event will be held at the Old Post Office premises at The Orchards on Saturday (March 23) where some of the artists from the Art Trail will be displaying more of their work.

The event is open to the public from 11am to 4pm.