The celebrated Mousehole-based naïve artist Joan Gillchrest died in 2008. Her passion for Penwith and its people is vividly expressed in this lovingly curated exhibition of oil-on-board paintings depicting the rugged, sometimes humorous Cornish fishing life of Newlyn, Mousehole, and St Ives. Pitching and rolling fishing boats, quaint coastal harbours and villages, and their local “fisherfolk” are all on show.
From 8th August to 26th September 2026, the Porthminster Gallery presents ‘Joan Gillchrest: A Passion for Penwith and its People’, a selling showcase of collectable paintings by the highly collected artist, Joan Gillchrest. Her naïve style was deeply influenced by the St Ives School, particularly the works of Alfred Wallis, Christopher Wood, and Bryan Pearce.
The exhibition is enhanced by a curated selection of works by Bryan Pearce, alongside newly handpainted ceramics by Anne Barrell. It will run for the duration of the St Ives September Festival.
All works in the exhibition are for sale, with prices ranging from £1,900 to £4,900 for framed paintings by Joan Gillchrest, and £50 to £400 for ceramics by Anne Barrell. The Own Art 0% APR purchase plan is available on all works in the show. Please enquire for further information.
