Save Penzance School of Art

Reclaiming the Legacy: A Renaissance for Penzance School of Art

Securing a permanent home for professional Fine Art education in West Cornwall.

At justlife.art CIC, we are not merely saving a building; we are securing the future of a dedicated Art School. Established in 2022, our organization is lived-experience led and built upon a proven proof of concept for high-caliber Fine Art instruction. Our mission is to acquire and restore the iconic Penzance School of Art on Morrab Road, establishing it as a community-owned institution dedicated to the pursuit of artistic excellence.

An Elite Faculty & Professional Leadership

Our school is defined by its commitment to the highest standards of technical skill. We are led by a faculty of practicing artists at the top of their field, including members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Contemporary British Portrait Painters.

By establishing our permanent base in these historic buildings, we will provide a rigorous academic progression:

  • Restoring Essential Provision: We will fill the gap created by recent funding cuts to local art education, ensuring foundational Fine Art courses remain accessible to the community.

  • Professional Masterclasses: We will continue our prestigious short courses led by our elite faculty of world-class portrait and figurative painters.

  • The Diploma Programme: We are building toward the launch of two-year Diplomas in Portraiture and Figurative Painting, cementing the school’s reputation as a national center for contemporary and technical mastery.

A Legacy 170 Years in the Making

We are the modern successors to a tradition of Fine Art excellence that began in 1853. As the first art school west of Bristol, these halls have served as a sanctuary for brilliance for generations:

  • A Gathering of Legends: The school’s history is inextricably linked with the Newlyn School pioneers, Stanhope Forbes, and visits from figures such as Oscar Wilde.

  • The Leach Connection: In 1942, the world-renowned Bernard Leach established the pottery studio here—a tradition of discipline and form still represented by the historic Leach wheel housed within the school today.

  • Architectural Significance: Designed by Silvanus Trevail, the building was originally funded by the global subscriptions of artists and students—a legacy of collective support we are revitalizing today. You can find out more about the history and legacy of Penzance School of Art here.

The Challenge We Face

In April 2025, significant funding cuts across the education sector led to the announcement that these historic buildings would be sold. justlife.art CIC has intervened to prevent this landmark from being lost to private development, ensuring it remains what it was always intended to be: a place of rigorous study and practice.

Our plan involves an initial community-funded acquisition, followed by a formal restoration of the Art School, Library, and Science School for the use of future generations.

Help Us Secure the Future

We are at the start of this journey and we need your support to hold the key. Every donation helps us return these buildings to their true purpose: the study of Fine Art.

The Vendors, Truro and Penwith College, have given us just 13 weeks to raise the true market valuation of £450k, after which they will place the Art School on the open market where it will be bought by developers.

Donate via our Crowdfunder

Donate by BACS Transfer:

Account Name: JUSTLIFEART CIC

Account No: 45332975.

Sort Code: 52-41-31

Together, we can ensure the Penzance School of Art remains a beacon of artistic mastery for the next 150 years.

OUR VISION: NATIONAL EXCELLENCE, LOCAL SOUL

We aren't just saving a building; we are reviving a powerhouse of technical mastery and soulful expression. Our goal is to return Penzance to its rightful place on the national map by offering:

  • Master-Led Diplomas: Elite training in Portraiture, Figurative Painting, Life Drawing, and Ceramic Sculpture, taught by a faculty of RPs (Royal Society of Portrait Painters), CBPP (Contemporary British Portrait Painters), and distinguished HE educators.

  • The Foundation of Art: Reclaiming the "lost" adult education sector by providing vital access-level courses in the fundamental building blocks of drawing, painting and sculpture.

  • Art as Transformation: We believe in the power of the "personal to the impersonal." We are developing our curriculum to integrates archetypal consciousness and identity work - art as a tool for radical internal and external change.

  • A Creative Ecosystem: We will provide low-cost studios for students, staff, and volunteers, alongside a community studio available for hire, ensuring the school remains a working, breathing engine of local industry.

Radically Inclusive. Lived-Experience Led.

We believe that the highest levels of artistic excellence should be accessible to all. As a lived-experience led organisation, we are committed to radical inclusivity. By securing these buildings, we ensure that the next generation of artists—regardless of background—has a home that offers both professional rigor and a supportive, transformative community.