Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and the Artists of St Ives

Our spring season presents two exhibitions respectively exploring the work of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and her peers.

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham: Inspirational Journeys 

This art exhibition explores the work of Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, a prominent member of the St Ives group and one of Britain’s most significant 20th century artists.

Focusing on one of Britain’s most significant twentieth-century artists and her trips to Europe, this exhibition explores the effect these journeys – to Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Lanzarote and the Orkneys – had on Wilhelmina Barns-Graham’s practice. The works in this exhibition highlight the importance that new perspectives had on Barns-Graham. Made over a 50 year period, they range from detailed figurative depictions of specific landscapes to bold and colourful abstract paintings. The theme of the show is particularly timely and foregrounds a positive relationship with Europe and the inspiration found through travel and cultural exchange. This exhibition was curated by the Wilhelmina Barns-Graham Trust.

St Ives: Movements in Art and Life

Discover how in 1939 St Ives became a temporary home to some of Britain’s most forward-thinking abstract artists fleeing the dangers of the Second World War.

This exhibition explores the creative inspiration offered by the harbour town in West Cornwall, its surrounding landscape and its people to a generation of artists whose lives and careers were impacted by mid-twentieth-century conflict. Curated by Rachel Rose Smith, artists include Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, Sandra Blow, Terry Frost, Barbara Hepworth, Patrick Heron, Peter Lanyon, Margaret Mellis, Ben Nicholson (pictured), Victor Pasmore and more.