Collecting and exhibiting contemporary art for almost 100 years, Towner Eastbourne sits where the coast and the South Downs meet. Towner presents exhibitions of national and international importance for audiences in Eastbourne, the UK, and beyond, showcasing the most exciting and creative developments in modern and contemporary art. Founded in 1923 as the result of a bequest by Alderman John Chisholm Towner to create ‘an art gallery for the people’, this founding ethos remains at the heart of Towner’s mission. Towner’s collection is best known for its modern British art, including the largest and most significant body of work by Eric Ravilious (1903–1942), and a growing collection of international contemporary art including works by Dineo Seshee Bopape, John Akomfrah, Lawrence Abu Hamdan, Tacita Dean, Grayson Perry and Wolfgang Tillmans. Towner is a free and welcoming community space providing places to study and relax, including a café, the Collection Library and a cinema screening a regular programme of films including new releases, documentaries, classics, family films and more. The award-winning gallery designed by Rick Mather Architects sits in Eastbourne’s cultural centre, the Devonshire Quarter. The building, which opened in April 2009, is the largest purpose-built gallery in the South East.