MEET THE MEMBER – Porthminster Gallery
In early 2000, David Durham, Director and Curator of what would later become Porthminster Gallery, and his partner Dee Bray-Calvert, a former performing arts tutor, established their first fine art gallery in the historic city of York. Operating from an early medieval, timber-framed first-floor space on Goodramgate, they realised their “vision of a small and intimate gallery space” with the opening of The Adze Gallery.
Following two successful years, the pair decided to take “a gamble” and “relocate to a much bigger and costlier high-street space with a large walled yard backing onto the city wall”. This distinctive outdoor area was later transformed into a dedicated sculpture garden, formally opened by the then Culture Secretary, Lord Chris Smith, “who we knew and was kind enough to give up his busy schedule in London for us”, Dee recalled.
In 2002, they expanded further by establishing Minster Fine Art in a converted medieval-Georgian townhouse and former convent near York Minster. The gallery showcased contemporary British painting and ceramics by leading northern and British artists in “characterful furnished period rooms looking out onto the Minster’s south face”.
For four years, the couple ran both York galleries concurrently, presenting an ambitious programme of exhibitions that earned a reputation for thoughtful curation and high-quality contemporary British art. David’s longstanding interest in the St Ives Movement was reflected in a series of landmark exhibitions developed through regular visits to artists’ studios in the Southwest. These included shows featuring Sandra Blow RA, Trevor Bell RA and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham CBE, alongside Matthew Lanyon, Ralph Freeman and Margaret Lovell RWA.
Images: (left) Sandra Blow, Revolve, (right) Trevor Bell, Gurnard Cut
Among the most memorable exhibitions was a two-person show pairing Sandra Blow with her former student David Hockney, which Dee described as a “triumph”. Characteristically modest, Sandra later reflected on her celebrated former pupil, saying, “I didn’t teach him anything really, he was already fully formed as an artist before he came to me.”
After seven years in York, the business relocated to St Ives at the end of 2006. In April 2007, it launched its inaugural exhibition, New Beginnings, under the name Porthminster Gallery. Since then, the gallery has occupied several locations within St Ives, including Fernlea Terrace and Westcotts Quay, before moving in 2020 to its current site between Fore Street and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Gardens. Dee describes the move from York to St Ives as a defining moment in their careers as gallerists. It enabled them to deepen their commitment to Cornish art and the legacy of the St Ives modernist movement.
While the St Ives art scene has evolved significantly in recent decades, increasingly catering to the growing number of tourists and day-trippers, “many of whom are sadly unaware of the town’s great art heritage”, Dee explained, the gallery has remained steadfast in its commitment to promoting the artists of the St Ives modernist movement. Through an ever-changing programme of exhibitions and a carefully curated stock of collectable works, Porthminster Gallery continues to champion this rich artistic legacy.
Image: Porthminster Gallery Interior
From the outset, David and Dee have focused on abstract and semi-abstract art grounded in strong technical skill and artistic understanding. This approach has led them to exhibit “contemporary and modern British artists’ works of excellence”. Dee believes the gallery’s key point of difference lies in presenting contemporary artists, including emerging talent, alongside major twentieth-century figures in order to “reveal often surprising connections, and to add context to their work”. Since 2000, across all iterations of their galleries, they have represented more than 90 British artists and delivered a progressive programme of over 160 curated exhibitions.
Creating a welcoming environment has always been central to the gallery’s ethos. Dee, David and the wider team work hard to ensure that visitors receive “a friendly greeting to everyone, and the assurance of professional knowledge and advice”. Alongside acquiring unique works by collectable British artists and makers, visitors are encouraged to leave with a deeper appreciation and understanding of a diverse range of artistic practices.
Image: Dee and David outside Porthminster Gallery
In 2004, Dee and David joined the Own Art scheme through their York galleries during the scheme’s inaugural year. More than two decades later, their continued participation has helped countless people purchase their first original artwork and begin collecting art. Through their consistent promotion of Own Art across all galleries and exhibitions, they have made collecting more accessible to a wider audience.
As Dee explains, “being able to offer Own Art has helped us make original art more accessible to our customers, whatever their age or circumstances”. She also notes that the scheme enables contemporary artists to “access a buying audience through that might otherwise have been unreachable without the scheme and ensures they receive payment quickly”.
Image: Barbara Hepworth, Penwith Portfolio Moon Landscape
Both Dee and David, as former arts lecturers, regard original art as essential to “one’s sense of humanity, especially in an increasingly A.I. and social media-driven world”. Dee believes that owning a handmade object or original painting offers something increasingly valuable in contemporary life. As she puts it, such work “reminds us of our inherent creativity and can ground us to feelings, places, or memories”.
For them, accessibility extends beyond affordability and finance options. Art spaces themselves must be welcoming and approachable, encouraging people who may not typically visit galleries to step inside and discover something meaningful. Over 25 years, the pair have carefully cultivated a gallery practice that is both approachable and professional, inviting visitors of all backgrounds to engage with art in a supportive environment. “In an industry that grows more digitised and virtual by the minute”, Dee said, “we remain proudly committed to our physical gallery space where real human interaction, both with the art and with friendly and helpful staff, is nurtured.”
Image: Trevor Price, Let’s go and Live by the Ocean
This year marks 25 successful years in business for the award-winning gallerists, a milestone they are celebrating with a special mix of exhibitions featuring paintings, sculpture, prints and ceramics by many of the artists they have represented over the years. Earlier this year, from March to May, Porthminster Gallery presented a solo exhibition of new and rare prints by St Ives master printmaker Trevor Price, titled Let’s Go and Live by the Ocean. The exhibition followed the success of their 2025 show, Trevor Price: Romantic Atlantic, which featured new work by the artist that “distils the raw beauty and shifting light of the Cornish coast.”
From 1 June to 1 August 2026, the gallery is presenting a collection of newly acquired beach-inspired paintings and woodcut prints by gallery favourite Nick Bodimeade. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to view and acquire sought-after semi-abstract works from Bodimeade’s acclaimed Beach series. The artist has been represented exclusively in Cornwall by Porthminster Gallery since 2009.
Image: Nick Bodimeade Showcase
The gallery’s next major exhibition, running from 8 August to 26 September 2026, is Joan Gillchrest: A Passion for Penwith and its People. This selling exhibition celebrates the work of the renowned Mousehole-based artist Joan Gillchrest (1918–2008), whose distinctive naïve style was shaped by the influence of St Ives Movement artists. “Gillchrest’s oil paintings vividly capture the humour, character and rhythms of Cornish harbour life”, Dee remarks. Complementing the exhibition will be new collections of hand-painted maritime ceramics by Anne Barrell and nostalgic mixed-media works crafted from vintage books, beeswax and ink drawings by Ann Winder-Boyle. Running throughout the St Ives September Festival, all works in the exhibition will be available to purchase using Own Art.
Looking ahead, Dee remains optimistic about the future of both Porthminster Gallery and Cornwall’s creative community. Reflecting on the next quarter century, she expressed the hope that “in the interest of the community, we live in the hope that there will be a revived interest in, and awareness of, the historic, and evolving St Ives art scene, with a new wave of buyers and collectors.”
Image: Bryan Pearce, Belladonna Lilies
Discover Porthminster Gallery for yourself:
Visit their website: www.porthminstergallery.co.uk
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Porthminster Gallery
22 Fore Street, St Ives, Cornwall, TR26 1HE
hello@porthminstergallery.co.uk
+44(0)1736 795888
All images courtesy of Porthminster Gallery