Penwith Society of Arts

The Penwith Society was formed in St. Ives in 1948 as a tribute to Borlase Smart, who had died in 1947, and who for many years had been the mediator between the modernistic and traditional artists and craftsmen of the St. Ives Society of Artists. Herbert Read was elected President of the new society and Leonard Fuller its Chairman. Members included some of the breakaway Crypt Group, Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson and Peter Lanyon, and an exhibition gallery was established at the Public Hall in St. Ives. Despite continued differences between the modernists and traditionalists – which at times led to resignations, including those of Peter Lanyon, Sven Berlin and Bryan Wynter – the Society flourished throughout the 1950’s, organizing three exhibitions a year. With support from the Arts Council of Great Britain, it moved to larger premises and in the 1960’s an expansion scheme was begun which included exhibition galleries and workshops. By the 1970’s extensive facilities had been established, but with the death of Barbara Hepworth and architect and designer Marcus Brumwell, the Arts Council withdrew its support. The Society has since operated through the Penwith Society of Artists. Other early members included John Wells, Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and Denis Mitchell.

For the first ten years of its existence, the Society displayed its member's work in rented premises in Fore Street, St. Ives and its seasonal exhibitions became a national showplace for contemporary painting, sculpture and crafts. In 1960, the present site, in Back Road West, then a pilchard-packing factory, was acquired and converted into a gallery, with artists’ studios above. In 1970 adjacent property became available, and the artist members, assisted by Barbara Hepworth, sought funds to create the present group of galleries, studios and workshops. To take on the task of maintaining its buildings and workshops, to arrange the programme of exhibitions and execute the gallery business a limited company known as Penwith Galleries Ltd was created. This is now a management body and a public charity.

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