Falmouth Art Gallery Announces New Acquisitions

Falmouth Art Gallery has expanded its public art collection with several notable acquisitions over the past year, adding works that reflect both Cornwall’s artistic heritage and contemporary creative practice.

The Gallery said the new additions highlight its commitment to building a collection that represents a diverse range of artists and art forms. The works have been secured thanks to the generosity of private donors and funding support from external sources.

Jacob Moss, Collections Manager at Falmouth Art Gallery, said:
“These acquisitions represent not just a broadening of our Collection, but a commitment to showcasing diverse narratives and creative practices. There are works which look to the past and represent aspects of the history of Falmouth and Cornwall but also those which reflect the present and future through the lens of contemporary, active artists. Together, they reflect the eclectic spirit of the Collection, and we hope they will move, inspire and engage both our local community and visitors to Falmouth.”

Contemporary Work from Georgia Gendall

Among the new additions is The Worm Forgives the Plough (2024), a short film by Cornwall based artist Georgia Gendall. The film was originally commissioned for the Gallery’s 2024 exhibition Ammeth, which explored farming in Cornwall.

The film features the St Keverne Brass Band performing a score by Seamas Carey. Alongside the film, the Gallery has also acquired an original oil pastel drawing and a suite of risograph prints celebrating the Worm Charming championship, which Georgia established in 2022.

Printmaking and Works on Paper

Another addition is Playing Place (2024), an etching on handmade paper by local artist Ben Sanderson. The work featured in the Gallery’s Out of Paper exhibition.

The four plate photopolymer etching was created in collaboration with master printmaker Simon Marsh and debuted at the University of Warwick’s Mead Gallery. It is Ben’s first piece to enter the Gallery’s print collection, which is widely regarded as one of the most important collections of works on paper in public ownership outside London.

📷Mary Winifred Freeman The Shop on the Quay, 1889 Falmouth Art Gallery Collection; supported by The Arts Society Falmouth.

Celebrating Eric Mellon

The Gallery has also received Mermaid of Zennor (1994), a woodcut print by Eric James Mellon. The work was gifted by the artist’s daughter and son in law to mark the centenary of Eric’s birth.

Inspired by the Cornish legend of the Mermaid of Zennor, the print features intertwined figures and the Porthleven clocktower. It will be displayed in the Gallery’s Collections Corner in November as part of a rotating display that highlights a different artist each month.

Historic and Modern Additions

A further addition is The Unquiet Offering (1995), an oil painting by Maurice Sumray. The work depicts a Jewish elder and a younger male figure and joins the collection nearly thirty years after the Gallery hosted a retrospective exhibition of Maurice’s work.

Visitors can see the painting in the current one room Collections Display, which runs until 4th July 2026.

The Gallery has also received Horse, Cow and Sheep Skulls (1991), an oil painting by Caeria Strong, gifted by the artist’s daughter Rebecca Tabram. It is the first work by Caeria to enter a public collection and will appear in the second rotation of the one room Collections Display from 8th July to 31st December 2026.

A Glimpse of Falmouth’s Past

The most recent acquisition is Shop on the Quay (1889), a watercolour by Mary Winifred Freeman. The painting shows the interior of a busy grocer’s shop, capturing the interaction between a shopkeeper and a customer.

The artwork was originally exhibited in 1889 at the Institute of Painters in Watercolours. Falmouth Art Gallery thanked The Arts Society Falmouth for its contribution towards the cost of acquiring the piece.

The Gallery is inviting visitors to explore the new additions as part of its Collections Display, continuing its aim of making art accessible to the community and visitors to Falmouth.

📷Maurice Sumray The Unquiet Offering, 1995 Oil on canvas Falmouth Art Gallery Collection; Presented by Mr. John Humphreys © Falmouth Art Gallery