While writing How to Start an Art Collection, Partnership Editions founder Georgia Spray visited the Lewes home of friends Charlie Collins and Matt Harris. Their Georgian cottage stands out for its deep community roots and unpretentious approach to curation and living with art - from accidentally acquiring a former 1920s art gallery through a serendipitous house swap, to building an ever-evolving collection that champions emerging local Sussex artists alongside everyday treasures, and showing how original art can thrive in a bustling home with three young sons.
“‘There is so much creativity in these hills!’ says Charlie. ‘It’s unbelievable how many artists and makers there are, so it’s fun to explore the talents working in this area and to try and build a collection that’s part of the fabric of where we live.’”
By involving their children in collecting and displaying pieces without preciousness, Charlie and Matt demonstrate that living alongside art in a busy family home is a joyful, ongoing act of creation.
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Photography by Elena Bazu
