The best art galleries to visit in Cornwall
Cornwall’s stunning coastline, beautiful countryside, ethereal light and wonderful people have long inspired artists, both local and from around the world. Be inspired yourself by spending the day at one of the county’s many galleries. There are plenty dotted all around, but here’s the cream of the crop to visit to immerse yourself in Cornwall’s enduring creative scene.
Best for architecture: Tate St Ives, St Ives
If your holiday cottage is in St Ives, don’t miss the town’s landmark seafront gallery. Tate St Ives tells the story of the artists who have lived and worked in Cornwall in an international context. The extension, completed in 2017, is simply breathtakingly beautiful, with its aquamarine ceramic tiles that echo the colours of Porthmeor Beach below.
Best for contemporary art: Goldfinch Fine Art, Penzance
Cornish art is alternative and different. Compared with big cities, the lack of an art scene allows people to make the work they want – it may not be cutting edge, but it’s refreshingly honest. Goldfinch Fine Art specialises in the diversity of such contemporary Cornish art, which plays an important role in Cornwall’s rich cultural heritage. Expect stone carvings from Alex Smirnoff, a painter, sculptor and musician based in far west Cornwall, and works by Darryl Warner, who is inspired by his childhood in the 1980s growing up in Cornwall’s tiny city of Truro, and his estrangement from the school system.
Best for family fun: Falmouth Art Gallery, Falmouth
Falmouth Art Gallery is a delight for children on a rainy afternoon. It runs regular workshops during term time and the school holidays, ranging from felt making, drawing, painting and crafting. Kids and grownups alike will love the vast collection of works of art and automata. It’s also free to enter! Win-win.
Best for a sunny day: Barbara Hepworth Sculpture Garden, St Ives
Included with your Tate St Ives ticket, Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden is perfect for a sunny day. Tucked behind an unassuming door in the backstreets of St Ives, wander around the artist’s coastal home, see her greenhouse workshop (which remains just as she left it), and discover the sculptures dotted around her shady garden. We’d recommend going in quieter periods, where you can explore the garden freely without the St Ives summer crowds.
Best for being outdoors: Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens, Penzance
If you’re looking for something a little different to your normal art gallery, look no further than Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens. Founded in 2012, in a beautiful sheltered valley overlooking Mount’s Bay, this 22 acre outdoor gallery is a riot of subtropical plants interspersed with fascinating sculptures by renowned artists. Among the most powerful are Black Mound by David Nash and James Turrell’s Tewlwolow Kernow (Skyspace), an underground domed chamber designed for viewing the sky above. Add woods, a stream and plenty of wild space for children to run around in and you have an excellent day out.
Best for pottery: Leach Pottery, St Ives
Pottery is enjoying a boom. The impact of Covid, and people’s desire to find an earthier, alternative way of living has led to an explosion of the craft. If you’re one of the new wave of passionate amateur potters, there’s no better place to immerse yourself than by visiting Leach Pottery in St Ives. Founded by influential artist-potter Bernard Leach in 1920, it’s become a museum celebrating his life and work, while exhibiting the work of modern-day potters. You can also watch the resident potters and apprentices at work during your visit. If you want to get your hands dirty, there are plenty of courses to choose from.
Best for cutting-edge art: Newlyn Art Gallery, Newlyn, and the Exchange, Penzance
Newlyn Art Gallery is set on a global stage but often overlooked by art lovers heading straight to Tate St Ives. Quiet and thoughtful, it has a truly local heart and actively supports the creativity and wellbeing of the wider community. The gallery exhibits rolling exhibitions by artists from Cornwall and international names and holds a range of workshops and classes for everyone. Set back from the sea on the way into a series of ancient fishing villages, it’s been bringing the best of contemporary art to Cornwall for the past 120 years. In 2007, it also launched a sister site, The Exchange in Penzance (same website), which has an extraordinary wave-like facade.
Best for local history buffs: Penlee House Gallery and Museum, Penzance
Penlee House Gallery and Museum is the place to visit if you’d like to find out more about Newlyn Art School and what drew the early St Ives artists to Cornwall. Set in parkland in the centre of Penzance, it’s a space to retreat back in time for a couple of hours and, through beautiful works of art, learn more about how the locals lived and the fisherman worked.
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