Save Penzance School of Art

Reclaiming the Legacy: Save Penzance School of Art.

We have an extraordinary, once in a generation opportunity, to save a sanctuary of British art history

In April 2025, severe sector-wide cuts threatened to permanently close the Iconic Penzance School of Art on Morrab Road. To prevent these historic halls from being lost to private development justlife.art CIC has stepped in to ensure it remains what it was always intended to be: a place of rigorous study and practice..

The building’s owners have given us until 15th August 2026 to raise the true market valuation of £450k. Our plan involves an initial community and major donor funded acquisition to secure the keys, followed by a phased, long-term journey to restore and regenerate these pillars of our community for future generations.

We need your help to hold the key.

How you can help us today

Every single donation helps us return these buildings help us return them to their true purpose: the rigorous study and practice of Fine Art.

Donate via our Crowdfunder

Donate by BACS Transfer:
Account Name: JUSTLIFEART CIC
Account No: 45332975.
Sort Code: 52-41-31.

Benefit Art Auction

We are also hosting an online art auction to help raise vital funds for the acquisition, and have been overwhelmed by the incredible generosity of our contributing artists. This exclusive collection features stunning works from members of the Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP), the Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP) - including our own brilliant faculty - alongside highly respected local artists who are representative of our expansion into broader figurative and expressive directions.

The works in this auction are truly impressive and offer a rare opportunity to own exceptional art. Every bid you place directly protects our historic school, secures its future, and keeps creative education for all alive in West Cornwall. Explore the gallery, find a piece you love, and raise your paddles to save this vital community treasure.

Reclaiming the Legacy: A Renaissance for Penzance School of Art

A Legacy 170 Years in the Making

We are the modern successors to a tradition of Fine Art excellence that began in these buildings built in 1880. 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. Then modernists such as Peter Lanyon and Sir Terry Frost were students here with Barbara Hepworth also teaching at one point.

  • 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 revitalising today. You can find out more about the history and legacy of Penzance School of Art here.

Our Vision: National Excellence, Local Soul

We aren’t just saving historic buildings; we are building a vibrant, permanent home for creative mastery and community connection. Our school bridges the gap between elite artistic tradition and local accessibility. By blending rigorous technical instruction with open community resources, we are establishing a national centre for contemporary art that remains deeply rooted in local soul.

An Elite Faculty & Professional Leadership

Our institution is defined by an unyielding commitment to the highest standards of technical skill, critical art theory, and the contextualisation of art within contemporary and historical practice.

We are led by a faculty of highly successful, practicing artists at the absolute top of their fields. Our educators include celebrated multidisciplinary creators and premier figurative painters, featuring award-winning artists and members of prestigious organizations like the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Contemporary British Portrait Painters. Under their leadership, we transform passion into professional mastery. 

Our Programmes & Core Provisions

By establishing our permanent base in our historic home, we are proud to offer a rigorous academic progression and deeply impactful community initiatives:

Restoring Essential Provision: We are stepped in to fill the gaps left by recent funding cuts to local LEA-funded art education, ensuring foundational Fine Art courses remain accessible to our community.

Professional Masterclasses: We continue to host our prestigious, high-level short courses led directly by our world-class faculty of figurative painters and multidisciplinary experts.

The Diploma Programme: We are actively building toward the launch of our flagship two-year Diploma in Figurative Painting, cementing our reputation as a national hub for technical excellence.

The Ceramics Studio: We are expanding our scope to employ renowned, specialist fine art ceramicists to deliver masterclass short courses, restart regular access-level ceramics, and pave the way for a future diploma-level course.

Community Studio: We offer a fully equipped, large-scale community studio available for hire at highly reasonable rates. This space is designed for local community organisations, art establishments, and independent artists to host their own creative sessions. 

Affordable Artist Studios: To cultivate long-term local talent, we provide essential, low-cost art studios for lease. These are reserved for students attending our diploma courses, recent art graduates, and early-to-mid-career artists living locally.