Penlee House Gallery & Museum

Penlee House Gallery & Museum The artistic heart of West Cornwall's history, a space to relax, explore, and discover. Open Monday - Saturday

Owned and Operated by Penzance Council
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Penlee House Gallery & Museum is set in beautiful semi-tropical gardens in the heart of Penzance. Penlee House specialises in the art, archaeology and social history of West Cornwall. The collection of Newlyn School paintings (1880-1940) is one of the world's finest, including works by Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes, Walter Langley, Harold Harvey and Laura Knight. Changing exhibitions throughout th

e year highlight the skill and craftmanship of art in West Cornwall. Check our website to find out about our current exhibition. Admissions charges apply, please see website for details. Free family trails and regular free family activities are available. The Orangery Cafe serves delicious homemade cakes, light lunches and coffees. For more information see www.penleehouse.org.uk

Join the Friends of Penlee House for a fascinating evening with Frances Haughton, daughter of artist David Haughton (192...
08/09/2026

Join the Friends of Penlee House for a fascinating evening with Frances Haughton, daughter of artist David Haughton (1924–1991), exploring his life, work and deep connection with West Penwith.

Frances’ talk coincides with the September publication of her new book, David Haughton: Art, Life and the Cornish Landscape, published by Sansom & Co. The book brings fresh material about Haughton’s Cornish years to light, including interviews with former students at the Central School of Arts and Crafts and recent archive discoveries.

📚 Signed copies of the book will be available at the meeting — card payment accepted.

📅 Tuesday 22 September | 7.30pm
📍 Queen’s Hotel, Penzance
🎟️ £7 Friends | £15 General Admission

Book now: https://friendsofpenleehouse.org.uk/events/lecture-st-just-artist-david-haughton

✨ Only 20 days left! ✨Women have played a vital role in shaping British art, yet their contributions have too often been...
07/09/2026

✨ Only 20 days left! ✨

Women have played a vital role in shaping British art, yet their contributions have too often been underrepresented, overlooked and undervalued. Making Her Mark brings these remarkable stories to the forefront.

Our countdown image celebrates that connection between past and present. Elaine Lorys, the first female certified Master Fishmonger in the UK, stands alongside Elizabeth Forbes’s Zandvoort Fishergirl — highlighting the important role women have always played in the fishing industry.

Spanning from the mid-19th century to the present day, Making Her Mark celebrates remarkable artists including Elizabeth Forbes, Laura Knight, Dod Procter, Caroline Walker, Tracey Emin and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, alongside many others.

Bringing together over 50 outstanding works by women artists, the exhibition is the result of a unique collaboration between Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum, and Kirkcaldy Galleries, part of cultural charity OnFife.

This major exhibition is part of Going Places, an Art Fund programme made possible with major support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Julia Rausing Trust.

📅 Just 20 days to go — come and discover the women who made their mark on British art.
Stevenson Newlyn Love Penzance Penzance Council Friends of Penlee House

What if your next night out involved a museum, a glass of wine… and making art?🍷✂️🖼️Join us at Penlee House after hours ...
06/09/2026

What if your next night out involved a museum, a glass of wine… and making art?🍷✂️🖼️

Join us at Penlee House after hours for a relaxed collage evening with artist Emma Saffy Wilson, inspired by our Making Her Mark exhibition.

Explore the exhibition, find something that sparks your imagination, then turn it into your own original framed collage.

No experience needed. Everything is provided, including a drink, nibbles and all your collage materials.

📅 Thursday 10 September
⏰ 6.30–8.30pm
🎟️ £30

Book via the link in our bio.
Love Penzance Penzance Council Friends of Penlee House

Today’s Art UK theme is Reflections.Our choice is Reflections, 1916 by Harold Harvey from the collection of Cyfarthfa ...
03/09/2026

Today’s Art UK theme is Reflections.

Our choice is Reflections, 1916 by Harold Harvey from the collection of Cyfarthfa Castle & Park.

This striking and intimate painting depicts Harvey’s wife, Gertrude, at their home in Newlyn. The play of light, the mirror and the quiet domestic setting create a wonderfully contemplative atmosphere — perfectly suited to today’s theme.

Gertrude was much more than a model for her husband. She went on to establish herself as an accomplished artist in her own right, exhibiting her work at the Royal Academy and becoming an important part of the artistic community in Newlyn.

🖼️Work of the Week! The Milk Cart, c.1920 by Frank Gascoigne Heath (1873–1936)The painting shows Boleigh Farm, near St B...
02/09/2026

🖼️Work of the Week!
The Milk Cart, c.1920 by Frank Gascoigne Heath (1873–1936)

The painting shows Boleigh Farm, near St Buryan, in the early 1920s. The thatched cottage on the left was occupied by an elderly lady called Lily Barregwaneth: she can be seen in her traditional bonnet by the doorway. The artist has painted his wife and children (his son, Tony, is peering through the gate) in the foreground. Each morning, milk from all the nearby farms was taken to the Trevider butter factory (now the Lamorna Pottery) for separation. On the way back, drivers would stop at Clapper Mill, Lamorna, to have a sack of corn ground, and the separated milk and corn husks were then mixed as pig swill on return to the farm.

Purchased in 2015 with funding from The Art Fund and The Friends of Penlee House.

Great events are coming up at Penlee House — and there are still tickets available!Looking for something a little differ...
02/09/2026

Great events are coming up at Penlee House — and there are still tickets available!

Looking for something a little different this September? Join us for three brilliant evenings of creativity, conversation and art.

✂️ After Hours: Sip, Snip & Create
Thursday 10 September · 6.30–8.30pm
📍 Penlee House Gallery & Museum
🎟️ £30 per person
An evening of creativity, making and a little time to unwind — with a drink in hand!

🎨 Online Talk: The Artistic Career of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
Wednesday 16 September · 7–8.30pm
💻 Online event
🎟️ £15 per person
Discover the fascinating artistic career of one of the most important figures in British modernism, from the comfort of your own home.

🖨️ After Hours: Print, Press & Create
Tuesday 22 September · 6.30–9pm
📍 Penlee House Gallery & Museum
🎟️ £30 per person
Get creative and explore the wonderful world of printmaking in a relaxed after-hours setting.

Book via this link https://penleehouse.org.uk/product-category/events/

🌧️ Well… it’s raining again! ☔So we thought we’d embrace the weather and choose a suitably soggy masterpiece for today: ...
02/09/2026

🌧️ Well… it’s raining again! ☔

So we thought we’d embrace the weather and choose a suitably soggy masterpiece for today: The Rain it Raineth Every Day by Norman Garstin.

The composition of this painting demonstrates Garstin's admiration for Japanese art, which was influencing so many artists at this time, including Whistler, whose work Garstin also admired. The title is taken from Shakespeare, where it is found both in 'Twelfth Night' and 'King Lear'.

If you’re looking for somewhere to escape the rain, Penlee House is open today from 10.00am–4.30pm. You can currently see The Rain it Raineth Every Day in Gallery 5, alongside the many other works in our collection.
Friends of Penlee House Penzance Council Love Penzance Art UK

Join one of our Volunteer Tour Guides for a short guided tour of our current exhibition, Making Her Mark: A Celebration ...
01/09/2026

Join one of our Volunteer Tour Guides for a short guided tour of our current exhibition, Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art.

Our friendly volunteer guides will share insights, stories and perspectives on selected works in the exhibition — a wonderful way to see the gallery through fresh eyes.

🕚 Tuesdays & Thursdays at 11.00 a.m.
⏱️ Tours last 30–45 minutes
🎟️ Included with Gallery admission
📍 No booking required — places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Come along, discover something new, and make your mark on your visit!

Find out more about the exhibition: https://penleehouse.org.uk/exhibition/making-her-mark-a-celebration-of-women-in-art/

📸'Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art' at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, part of Art Fund's Going Places programme © Tom Last/Art Fund 2026

Address

Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Morrab Road
Penzance
TR184HE

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+441736363625

Website

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