GALLERY OF THE MONTH
cornwall contemporary Since 2006, Cornwall Contemporary has held a prominent place in Penzance’s artistic community, and whilst it may be welcoming its 15th year in unusual circumstances, this renowned gallery is still providing leading, contemporary art worldwide from its West Cornwall hub. Residing at the top of Penzance town’s iconic Chapel Street, well-established gallery Cornwall Contemporary has been leading the way for the town’s artistic development since its opening 15 years ago. Opened by Sarah BrittainMansbridge, Cornwall Contemporary has long been bringing the paintings and sculptural work of Cornish artists to audiences from global locations. “2020 was indeed a very strange and unprecedented year,” explains Gallery Director, Sarah Brittain-Mansbridge, “but we have been delighted to still be in regular touch with our artists and customers and have actually been fortunate to sell and ship out many paintings in this time. I’ve sent work out to Singapore, USA, Germany, and in fact n 60 |
My
I have just finished wrapping a painting that is due to be sent to Australia. Our paintings have certainly done more travelling than we have this past year!” A large, spacious gallery comprising of three floors, a typical year sees the gallery holding a wide variety of exhibitions, focus shows and capsule collections. It’s a space that often captures the attention of visitors alone, with gorgeous views from the top floor window and plenty of space for tranquil viewing. “When I was looking for a gallery space to buy all those years ago, I didn’t want a white box,” says Sarah, “I wanted something with character and people always respond really well to it.” Despite the challenges over the last year, the gallery has still been striving
| Volume 2 Issue 64 | February - March 2021
to offer unique, captivating art whilst helping the wider community. In place of busy preview nights and bustling days with eager art explorers, collectors and enthusiasts gracing Cornwall Contemporary’s walls, Sarah instead welcomed thousands of visitors online for a host of specially curated exhibitions, “Working from home was certainly a different experience, but I really wanted to continue to support all my artists and of course, like everybody in the country, I felt a huge amount of gratitude towards the NHS and all our key workers, so I decided to stage an online charity exhibition, where a percentage of sales were donated to NHS charities. “I was completely blown away by the amount of encouragement from our
