Events at Penwith Gallery
Address
Penwith Gallery Back Road West St. Ives Cornwall TR26 1NL
Contact
Penwith Gallery Archive Collection featuring drawings by Sven Berlin
The Penwith Gallery’s ‘Hepworth Room’ is home to unique exhibitions from our own Penwith Gallery Archive Collection, artistic luminaries of the 20th Century and loaned works from ‘Friends of The Penwith’ as well as pop up educational shows. Along with our varied exhibitions of artworks The Hepworth Room also displays treasures from our paper archive of both The Penwith Society and Penwith Galleries Ltd. On permanent display in The Hepworth Room is our pride and joy, Barbara Hepworth’s sculpture ‘Magic Stone’, John Milne’s sculpture ‘Wave Form’ and a wonderful 8ft photograph of Barbara by Peter Kinnear.
Specific past shows include ‘Jeff Harris and friends’ in conjunction with The Belgrave Gallery and an exclusive ‘Cornel Lucas’ photography exhibition. This year we will be continuing to host exclusive exhibitions with renowned photographer Brian Seed in July and as a special Christmas time treat, an exhibition of Christmas cards by the sculptor Denis Mitchell in November. We will also be hosting a joint exhibition of artist and author Tom Cross with The Belgrave Gallery in October.
Main Gallery: Members Autumn Exhibition
A diverse exhibition of sculptures, ceramics, paintings, drawings, and prints from the Members of The Penwith Society of Arts, St Ives, Cornwall.
Lanyon Gallery: Then and Now | Six Corsham Alumni Philip Halstead, Harriet Halstead, Dorrie King, Michael Monk, Jackie Pope, and Carole Vincent.
This exhibition brings together work by the six of us, whom at various times between 1960 and 1975, studied at Bath Academy of Art. Looking back, it is easy to spot our younger selves in what we do now. We hope to celebrate the connection between our current practice and that forged fifty, and in some cases, sixty years, ago.
We remember our years at Corsham as halcyon days where we learnt how to ‘think’, to understand the importance of experimentation, of critique and discussion, gaining as much from our peers as from our tutors. There was an encouragement to develop a personal voice and to search for validity in one’s work. Apart from our studies, there were picnics in Capability Brown’s park in Corsham Court, river swims, film nights, and a vibrant students’ union. We were less than 400 students altogether, a close-knit community. Bath Academy of Art had been established in 1946 in the small rural market town of Corsham under the direction of the educational visionary Clifford Ellis. In partnership with Lord Methuen he created a special environment for the study of art. Modelled on the Bauhaus, Ellis engaged teaching staff who were themselves practising artists and the Principal, Michael Finn, previously of Falmouth School of Art, continued this tradition in 1972.
Generous individual studio accommodation was provided over three sites in rural Wiltshire and there was an extensive library situated in the historic Corsham Court. We realise how extraordinarily fortunate we were to have first rate darkrooms, a range of specialist print studios, a warehouse-sized workshop with facilities for joinery, stone carving, fibreglass and welding, all of which were supported by specialist technicians. Amongst the tutors and visiting lecturers were Gillian Ayres, Colin Crumplin, Graham Day, Robyn Denny, John Ernest, Terry Frost, Dave Harding, Adrian Heath, Howard Hodgkin, Malcolm Hughes, Michael Kidner, Peter Kinley, Malcom Ross-White, Stephen Russ, Michael Simpson, William Scott, and many more both established and up and coming artists.
Apart from Carole Vincent, who died in 2019, this exhibition combines work from our student days with our current practice.
We all recognise the liberating education encountered at Bath Academy. There didn’t seem to be a Corsham house style, we were encouraged to find our own voices, take risks, and challenge conventions whilst being true to ourselves.
Studio Gallery: Stephanie Sandercock | Imaginary Pathways
“Our memories and daydreams take us down the garden path.. whispering ‘what if this’ and ‘if only that’. Our imaginary pathways unfold over time, stretching and shrinking, appearing then fading, like ever changing ripples and undulating waves in a never-ending ocean.
The only constant is our connection to our inner self. The internal voice, our companion from when we begin to speak to when we draw our last breath. This voice is our own and stories we tell ourselves, our internal roadmaps, are the most powerful of all.
To be in touch with our inner compass, our intuition guiding us along the pathway home, is the quest. Making art takes me towards that. What keeps my cork floating is letting go of everything that pulls me under. For me, to be out in nature’s beauty, especially by the coastal rocks at Gwithian and then to be in my studio playing with textures and paint… that’s what life’s about! To unleash the creative spirit within and to let it be itself. It’s a journey in which I am the observer and the obsession, engaged and detached, the spark of an idea and the disciplined craftsman, sanding and polishing each piece of work.
Creating art is a balancing act and throwing out imaginary pathways like invisible ropes helps me find my middle path, where I can lean in and move forward.
I created these paintings for my love of nature’s textures, especially the coastal rocks, and to feel a deep connection to something within me where I feel alive and truly free.”
– Stephanie Sandercock.
Studio Gallery: Jane Hedges, Duff Pearce & Ian Middleton | RHYTHM and RHYME
An exhibition of Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture by Jane Hedges, Duff Pearce, and Ian Middleton shows three very individual approaches to creative endeavour and expression.
Although their work and approaches appear very different, common preoccupations and concerns are evident and friendship and mutual respect have maintained the dialogue and interest in each other’s work.
They have established close working relationships since the 1980s and have shown together periodically.
Lanyon Gallery: RAISE THE ROOF – PENWITH GALLERY FUNDRAISER
We have recently had a survey done on the gallery roofs after noticing some sizeable roof damage, and they are in desperate need of repair.
Members, Associates and staff have all come together to donate pieces of work for an October fundraising extravaganza in order to keep our beloved gallery open and thriving.
The exhibition will run from 4th October to 4th November and we will have a big fundraising party to open the exhibition!
Hepworth Room: Porthia Prints | The Denis Mitchell portfolio
Preview: Friday 4h October 17:30 onwards, all welcome! On show now, until 30th November 2024.
Your weekly dose of Cornish cheer!
When you can’t be in your favourite place all the time, catch up on the latest stories, upcoming events, holiday ideas, and offers with a newsletter straight to your inbox. Terms and Conditions / GDPR compliance: by providing personally identifiable information Visit Cornwall will use it to provide you with ongoing information about their products and services. No one from Visit Cornwall will rent, sell or lease this personally identifiable information to other companies or individuals.
Stay connected
Find us on socials and stay connected with the Cornwall you love.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads and to analyse our traffic. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website. (Privacy Policy)