More than 350 artists from Lewes and beyond will display their work in houses, studios and galleries over the next two weeks as Artwave returns for its 20th year.

This year’s Artwave stretches across the Lewes district, going as far south as Seaford and Newhaven, reaching north to Newick and Chailey, east to take in Isfield and Halland, and west to Ditchling taking in more than 115 different venues.

“Artwave has reached a very good point where people are approaching us to be involved,” says co-ordinator Clare Hunt.

“There’s quite a cultural heritage in this area. We have lots of galleries and an artistic culture building up along the coast with the De La Warr Pavilion [in Bexhill] and Jerwood Gallery [in Hastings].

“For a lot of people in this area if you have a craft it is not necessarily something you will do to the scale where you have your own shop – it is more of a cottage industry.

“Artwave pulls together a lot of cultural venues in the area – Ditchling Museum is connecting with us in time for their reopening.”

Although Artwave is an open access festival, there are several featured artists in this year’s programme.

Images by Lewes-based photographer Carlotta Luke are being used to promote both the festival in the town and the vibrant community of people who make art in Lewes’s Phoenix Estate.

“She is a fine art photographer cataloguing and documenting the fine art community in the Phoenix,” says Hunt.

“We are exhibiting some of her images in the shops in Lewes and have created limited-edition cards with some of her images on them.”

Alongside the cards, which can be found in eight shops along High Street, there is also a mini exhibition of Luke’s work for The Phoenix Project in the Lewes Tourist Information Centre in High Street throughout the festival.

Luke will be giving a talk and a guided tour of the Phoenix Estate on Saturday, August 31 from 2pm.

Joining Luke that day will be another of Artwave’s featured artists, Rachel Cohen, whose contribution to Artwave is taking over Newhaven Fort.

Vessels is a fleet of more than 100 small ceramic boats inspired by the setting, architecture and stories behind the fort.

Visitors to Newhaven Fort will be able to get 50% off entry with an Artwave brochure.

“Rachel came to us looking for a venue,” says Hunt. “When Newhaven Fort was suggested she was really taken with the environment and location; she found it quite inspirational.”

Another first this year is the launch of the Lewes Art Fair tomorrow. The fair, at Lewes Town Hall, in High Street, from 10am to 5pm, has been put together by new cultural organisation Lewes Arts, which was founded in March.

“We want to bring artists together and run monthly meet-ups,” says Lewes Art Fair organiser Sarah Norris.

“It’s a platform for artists to promote their work. We have so many high quality artists in Lewes but we don’t have anything like the Towner in Eastbourne or the Jerwood Gallery. Artwave is a good way to bring them in.”

So far, more than 60 exhibitors from the South East are taking part in the Lewes Art Fair. But a very special guest from London will also be doing some live action painting.

Pete Fowler is best known for providing the album artwork for Welsh alternative rockers Super Furry Animals. The Cardiff-born artist will be creating a new art-work between 10am and 3pm tomorrow, which will then be available for sale.

There will also be the chance to view, and buy, a set of stained- glass windows by Rodmell-based artist Luke Insect, who created the poster for Brighton-based filmmaker Ben Wheatley’s latest movie A Field In England.

“This year, because this is the first event, the Lewes Art Fair is an open access event,” says Norris.

“There has been some quality control, as we want it to be a high quality exhibition.

“We have lots of paintings, prints, illustrations, textiles, glass and lots of crafts – there’s a real range of exhibitors.

“I would like to see it turn into something like Made [Brighton’s annual craft fair] which runs over three days. I will be doing a lot of research during the event to see what works, ready for next year.”

In addition to the exhibitors, the fair also includes Cabinet Of Charms by Lewes-based performance artist Helen Hockin, as seen at Ashdown Forest Visitors Centre this summer.

There will also be live magic from Jon M Armstrong in the old cloakroom at the town hall, a vintage teashop, and workshops where youngsters can learn sand-painting or make headdresses and masks.