It is no accident that St Ives is one of the few places in Britain to
have its own school of painting.  In the late 19th century the town
came to be popular with a group of well-known artists such as
Whistler who loved the purity of the light and the warmth
of the climate.  Following them were artists whose names
constitute a roll call of British art in the 20th century.
The primitive painter Alfred Wallace, the potter Bernard Leach, the
 sculptor Barbara Hepworth and painters such as Patrick Herron.

The Leach Pottery is open to visitors seven days a week in the summer, and during August and September is offering guided tours of the old pottery museum and archive exhibition, at no extra cost, each weekday at 11am.

Many excellent artists still live and work in the town drawn by it's famed Quality of Light, and it now boasts a wide range of galleries including the famous St Ives Tate which hosts ever changing exhibitions of contemporary art, and the many smaller galleries which are home to the thriving population of artists.

This is all celebrated in the a festival of music and arts in the
St Ives September Festival which runs for 2 weeks
in September each year, with exhibitions at many galleries, live music
of all sorts, poetry readings and other events.

So why not come to St Ives and indulge yourself because, don’t forget,
the young artist of today could become the great artist of the future.

Or for those interested in learning, why not visit the St Ives School of Painting website below.

St Ives School of Painting