New Exhibition Unveils the Hidden Stories of 234 Women from Cornwall

Published On: 25 March 2025Last Updated: 25 March 2025By CornishStuff

Curious to know who made the list? Visit Penryn’s new creative space to find out

A brand-new exhibition is set to open at Art Centre Penryn this Friday, celebrating the achievements and stories of 234 women from Cornwall – all nominated by the public.

Running from 28th March to 26th April 2025, Women of Cornwall will be the first exhibition at the newly opened Art Centre Penryn, a creative space in the heart of the town. The exhibition presents all the women suggested through a public call-out last year, showcasing those from history, myth and modern life.

From Surfers to Steam Ship Directors

The women being celebrated come from all walks of life – including a steam ship company director, footballer, Master fishmonger, carers, surfers and artists. Each has made a meaningful contribution to Cornwall, and their stories are now being shared through information panels, portraits and a short film produced as part of the exhibition.

As ceramic artist Katie Bunnell, who is leading the Women of Cornwall project, explained:

“The exhibition highlights some of the contributions made by this inspirational group of women, alongside the portraits created in community workshops. For me at least, the women suggested through the public engagement process bear witness to the lives of women of Cornwall and what we value about them. They are exhibited to be acknowledged and to inspire others to act, create and champion women from all sectors.”

50 Women to Be Chosen for Ceramic Tribute

As the next step in the project, an advisory panel will select 50 of the 234 women to be commemorated through a special collaboration with Katie Bunnell. These 50 women will be honoured through a new collection of ceramic plates that will be created by a group of celebrated artists and permanently housed onsite at Art Centre Penryn.

This stage of the project is being carried out with the support of Hypatia Trust, Kresen Kernow, Black Voices Cornwall, Access Cornwall and others. It’s designed to reflect what people in Cornwall today value, rather than being a ‘top 50’.

Megan Beck, Director of Art Centre Penryn, said:

“I loved reading about all the amazing women who were being suggested week on week through the public call-out. Now seeing them all together is both moving and inspiring and we’re excited for people to visit the exhibition and explore for themselves.”

A New Chapter for Penryn

The Women of Cornwall exhibition is the first to be held in the newly redeveloped Art Centre Penryn. Formerly the Penryn Methodist Church and School Room, the space has been transformed thanks to funding from Cornwall Council’s Community Levelling Up Programme, which is part of the Good Growth Programme delivering the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Additional support came from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, The UK Government and The Architectural Heritage Fund.

The exhibition will open to the public on Friday 28th March and run until 26th April, with opening times Thursday to Saturday, 10am – 4pm. For more details and directions, visit www.artcentrepenryn.org.