This interview covers:
As Owner and Director of Kellie Miller Arts, Kellie knows her limits. She can only represent so many artists – and for years, that constraint sat with her. So instead of accepting it, she threw the doors open. What began as a pop-up gallery in Brighton’s Lanes has grown into a distinctive cultural space, and this year Kellie did something she’d long dreamed of: invited 59 artists and 85 works in, and let the artistic talent of Sussex speak for itself.
Kellie is pragmatic, generous, and believes that art belongs in everyone’s life. This same instinct that drives her monthly column championing female artists, her KMA Awards supporting young creatives, and the daily rhythm of a business she runs from strategy to staffing, all while maintaining her own practice.
Kellie shares with us what it really takes to run a gallery where no two days look the same, why arts education is one of the most quietly urgent issues of our time, and what it means to treat a gallery space as a canvas in its own right.
Visit The Kellie Miller Arts Open Call Exhibition
The exhibition brings together artists’ works in the South East, set to the backdrop of an important historic space to the Sussex community.
14th February – 30th March 2026
From the Kiln to the Gallery Floor
I have been an artist for over 30 years, having studied at Camberwell, then Brighton University focusing on mixed media. Initially I focused on ceramics and then moved on to painting. My work is collected across the world and I have traveled extensively to research and share my art.
In 2013 I embarked on a pop-up gallery project in the Brighton Lanes, seeking to share my art and the art of other artists I knew with the community. By the end of this run, I felt this was something I was good at and so I could contribute something special with this space. Kellie Miller Arts Gallery was born.
Since then we have moved to a larger premises in the North Laine of Brighton, in the cultural quarter alongside the Brighton Dome, Pavilion and Theatre Royal. This new space has afforded us greater opportunities, and it has always been a dream of mine to host an Open Call exhibition which would allow me to share this historic space with the wider artistic community of Sussex. Additionally, I can only represent so many artists, so this opportunity allows me to work with and expose my audience to a wider variety of pieces.
What It Takes To Run a Gallery
I am the Owner and Director of the gallery. I oversee the entire operation, from strategy, accounts, marketing, artwork, staffing and more. As an entrepreneur and business owner it falls on you to ensure the whole business runs smoothly, so I am in constant communication with my team to make sure nothing is missed.
I am also responsible for selecting and curating all of the artwork you see in the gallery from our artists, ensuring it is of the highest quality for our audience, and also works they would be interested in seeing from us. This also involves some research as we like to keep things fresh and are always on the lookout for new artists to fit into our programme.
Meditation First, Everything Else Second
I am a big believer in starting my day gently with meditation, as I feel this provides the focus and clarity I need to tackle a busy and varied day. If I can, I also like to incorporate some gentle movement. My husband and I have recently been learning QiGong on YouTube which we are really enjoying. I will also admit to switching off by watching different TV series on Netflix and YouTube, and I love watching Question Time or debates, to hear other people’s perspectives.
Paying Artists is The Backbone of Why We Exist
My days will vary quite a lot. As a business owner, my job is multi-faceted so no two days look alike. The most important thing is to have regular check-ins with my team, who I trust to take care of the gallery on the ground. Following that I am checking in on our artists, making sure they are doing well and their creative practices are flourishing. I am also responsible for paying them when there has been a sale, which brings me a lot of joy to do. It is the backbone of why we exist.
I write a monthly column about female artists for Dynamic Women’s Business Magazine, and also write our biweekly newsletters to our audience. Beyond that I am always networking, looking for new opportunities for the business to develop and grow. And somewhere in there I fit in my own artistic practice as well!
We Should All Have Art In Our Lives
I believe strongly in the power of creativity, which is why I have always championed young people and creative practice, either through my KMA Awards or through community advocacy. Creativity is the backbone of human innovation and without it we would not be where we are today as a society.
Art should also be approachable while still being beautiful. Beauty can take many forms, but it is important that people want to be surrounded by it everyday.
A Creative Arts Education Is Crucial
Programmes are being eroded daily and it is seen as not as important as STEM, when really a creative education helps with problem solving in these crucial academic fields. It also enhances accessibility of all arts, making everyone feel involved and helping to foster understanding of different cultures of viewpoints.
It Gives Me Joy To Support Artists
I love using my creative powers to plan our programme and curate artworks in our space. The space is the canvas and the artwork is the paint. It gives me joy to support artists and to bring their work to a wider audience. Equally, I love connecting people with these artworks and helping them bring beauty and creativity into their lives through art. When all of these things come together, it gives me the greatest joy and really fuels what I do.
The Dream of an Open Exhibition, Finally Realised
We’re so excited with how the exhibition has turned out. It is a great celebration of the Sussex art community, featuring 59 artists and 85 works in a broad variety of mediums and themes. We’re delighted by the response from our audience and the new people we have met as a result.
Zealous provided us with the ability to take submissions, including the large variety of information we desired in order to vet the work and ultimately onboard the final selected works.
This was the first of what we hope are regular Open Calls, so it was important to us to find a platform that could manage our needs.
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The Opportunity Makers Series
Kellie is one of a growing number of opportunity makers we’re proud to spotlight. From Isabel H Langtry putting money directly into sculptors’ pockets through the London Sculpture Prize, to Ross Poole shifting power back to artists with the Secret Coast Prize for Fine Art, to Judy Holm opening doors for the next generation of climate creatives; these are the people building the opportunities they wish had existed. We’re highlighting them because they deserve to be seen.
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Carmela Vienna
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Kellie Miller?
Kellie Miller is an artist and entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience, trained at Camberwell and Brighton University in mixed media. She is the Owner and Director of Kellie Miller Arts Gallery in Brighton and Hove. As well as running the gallery, Kellie writes a monthly column on female artists for Dynamic Women’s Business Magazine and champions artists through her KMA Awards.
What is the Kellie Miller Arts Open Exhibition?
The Kellie Miller Arts Open Exhibition is the gallery’s first open call exhibition, held at Kellie Miller Arts at 3 Church Street, Brighton. Featuring 59 artists and 85 works across a broad variety of mediums and themes, it is a celebration of the wider Sussex artistic community and the first of what the gallery hopes will become a regular programme of open exhibitions.
Why did Kellie Miller Arts launch an Open Exhibition?
Kellie Miller Arts launched its first Open Exhibition to fulfil a long-held ambition: to throw open the doors of the gallery’s historic Brighton space to the wider Sussex artistic community. As Kellie can only directly represent a limited number of artists, the Open Exhibition allows the gallery to work with and expose audiences to a broader variety of work and voices, championing the belief that art should be approachable, beautiful, and present in everyday life.
How did Kellie Miller Arts manage their Open Exhibition submissions?
Kellie Miller Arts used Zealous to manage submissions for the Open Exhibition. Zealous provided the tools needed to handle a large volume of entries, collect the detailed information required to vet the work, and ultimately onboard the final selected pieces. The platform was central to making the gallery’s first open call a success, and Kellie Miller Arts hopes to build on this for future open exhibitions.
Who is Zealous?
Zealous is an award management platform that helps organisations run creative competitions and open calls. For the Kellie Miller Arts Open Exhibition, Zealous provided the tools to manage submissions efficiently, and collect the detailed information needed to carefully vet each entry.
With the inaugural exhibition now a success, Kellie Miller Arts hopes to run more exhibitions like this in the future.
