The event's flagship exhibition is being held in the Fermoy Gallery, off Lynn's King Street.

Colourful oil paintings by the celebrated American-born artist Alfred Cohen include pictures exploring the impact of light on water, including coastal scenes from Norfolk and Suffolk.

They will be on show along with Shakespearean works by Norfolk-based sculptor Susan Bacon, which were originally shown at the Globe Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon, as part of a 400th anniversary project.

The exhibition is open daily at the Fermoy Gallery, Monday to Saturday (July 18-30) from 10am-4pm and entry is free.

Cohen lived and painted at Wighton, near Wells, until his death in 2001. His wife, Diana, still runs a gallery in the village's former schoolhouse.

Colourful coastal scenes of Southwold, Cromer, Wells and London's Docklands will be on display in Lynn.

At a private viewing today Mr Cohen's wife Diana said: 'It looks really good. They've hung the paintings so each one's hanging next to one it relates to, so the whole thing flows nicely.'

The exhibition includes eight of Cohen's works which have been donated to the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, at the University of East Anglia, by the Alfred Cohen Foundation.

Paul Zuckerman, chairman of the Sainsbury Centre, said: 'We're very happy to support the King's Lynn Festival, this is the second year we've done something to help.

'Alfred Cohen was someone I knew really well, who was a wonderful, serious painter.' Festival chair Alison Croose said: 'The visual arts offer is important to the whole festival. The exhibition has some of Alfred Cohen's works which were given to the Sainsbury Centre, they haven't even been seen in Norwich yet, so to give us them first because of their link with north Norfolk is really nice.' She added ticket sales for the two-week festival of arts, music, drama and film looked set to break last year's record-breaking box office.

The festival features a performance by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Lynn Corn Exchange last night.

On Monday, award-winning folk band Lau will be playing at the Guildhall, while the Town Hall features a Contemporary Consort with composer Toby Young.

Highlights include Lesley Garrett at the Corn Exchange on Sunday, July 24; Ronnie Scott's All Stars on Friday, July 29 and the Czech National Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, July 30.

To book or for more listings, click here.

www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk.