ESSEX OPEN EXHIBITION
The Essex Open Art Exhibition was founded by Walter Beecroft (1885–1961) in 1957 to create a showcase for artists in Essex, giving them an opportunity to show their work on the walls of the then newly opened Beecroft Art Gallery at Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex. In 2014 the gallery moved to the former home of the Central Library on Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea. The Beecroft Art Gallery marked its 70th year in 2023 with an Essex Open Art Exhibition and the Essex Open held their 60th Event at the Beecroft Art Gallery in 2025.