art in st ives

"Creative heavyweights from JMW Turner to Sir Terry Frost have drawn inspiration from the vibrant colours and spectacular scenery of this beautiful coastal region."

The famously clear light in St Ives has captivated generations of artists over the centuries.

Creative heavyweights from JMW Turner to Sir Terry Frost have drawn inspiration from the vibrant colours and spectacular scenery of this beautiful coastal region.

While Turner and Whistler were early visitors to the area, it was from the 1920s onwards that the St Ives arts scene really took off, galvanised by influential modernists like Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth, Naum Gabo, Peter Lanyon, Patrick Heron and Roger Hilton, all now synonymous with the town. The potter Bernard Leach worked here from 1920, establishing a ceramic tradition that has also influenced successive generations of ceramicists across the globe.

Today, the creative tradition in St Ives is a strong as ever. The town still has a thriving colony of artists, and the streets are brimming with independent galleries, artists’ studios and craft workshops. In September, art lovers flock to St Ives for the annual Arts Festival – a celebration of all things creative with music, film and theatre performances, art exhibitions, poetry readings and more. Many artists open their studios to the public during the festival.