Fifty Women Selected for New Art Exhibition Celebrating Cornwall’s Female Figures

A celebration of female power, past and present, with a Cornish twist

Art Centre Penryn has revealed the 50 remarkable women who will feature in a new permanent art collection of ceramic plates, following a public call-out in 2024 that drew in hundreds of nominations.

The women selected span centuries, careers and causes. From internationally renowned artists to grassroots campaigners, the final 50 reflect the strength, creativity and influence of women connected to Cornwall.

From suffragettes to surfers

The chosen names include household figures such as sculptor Barbara Hepworth, writer Daphne du Maurier and double Olympic gold medallist Helen Glover. But they’re joined by equally inspiring yet lesser-known stories: from Charlotte Banfield, a World Para Surfing Champion from Falmouth, to Annie Williams, a suffragette born in Feock who was imprisoned for her activism in the early 1900s.

There’s also the incredible tale of Mary Kelynack, a fish hawker who walked from Newlyn to London in 1851 at the age of 75, attracting national attention and even meeting Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Celebrating Cornwall’s women today

The collection will also spotlight women changing Cornwall today, such as Dina Holder from The Women’s Centre Cornwall, Joyte Brown of Black Voices Cornwall, and Maren Hallenga, who co-founded breast cancer charity CoppaFeel! with her twin sister Kris after a stage 4 diagnosis at just 23.

Other contemporary names include singer and musicologist Angeline Morrison, artist potter Linda Styles, and environmental activist Emily Stevenson.

The women were selected from 234 public nominations exhibited earlier this year at Art Centre Penryn and Kresen Kernow, with the help of an advisory panel including representatives from Hypatia Trust, Black Voices Cornwall, Kresen Kernow and Access Cornwall.

Not a ‘top 50’

Megan Beck, Director of Art Centre Penryn, explained:

“This isn’t a ‘top 50’ but simply a snapshot in time. We could have selected so many of the 234 women and we’re grateful to everyone who made a suggestion and took the time to contribute to the project.”

Ceramic artist Katie Bunnell, who is leading the Women of Cornwall project, added:

“Selecting 50 women from the 234 has been an incredibly challenging task. The different perspectives of the advisory group were immensely helpful, enabling us to create what we hope is a broad and inspirational group.”

Cornwall’s own Dawn French is included

Dawn French, comedian, Chancellor of Falmouth University and Patron of Morrab Library in Penzance, is among those selected. She said:

“Wowee, I’m as chuffed as a chough to be included alongside such tip top women. What bounty Cornwall offers!”

Next steps: plates and a tour

The project, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, will now move into the production phase. Art Centre Penryn is raising funds to commission a group of artists to create the 50 ceramic plates.

Katie said:

“We’ll be working with a mix of fine and ceramic artists and anticipate a variety of creative approaches. We’re really excited to see how the artists will respond to these women and develop imagery that represents them and their work.”

The plates are expected to be created in 2026 and will tour venues across Cornwall before finding their permanent home at Art Centre Penryn.

For updates, visit www.artcentrepenryn.org/womenofcornwall or follow @womenofcornwall on Instagram.

Full list of the 50 Women of Cornwall

Visit the full list and read about each woman’s story at www.artcentrepenryn.org/womenofcornwall.