Hastings Contemporary — formerly known as the Jerwood Gallery — is a modern art gallery on the Stade seafront, opened in 2012 in a purpose-built building clad in black ceramic tiles that deliberately echo the traditional tarred net shops nearby. The building won considerable praise for its sympathetic response to its surroundings while being entirely contemporary in form.
The gallery holds an important collection of modern British art, including works by Duncan Grant, Walter Sickert, Eric Ravilious, and other British modernists. Temporary exhibitions rotate through the main spaces and consistently attract work of national significance. The location on the Stade gives it an unusual setting for a serious contemporary art gallery — the boats and net shops are immediately outside the windows.