Get your culture fix at Tate St Ives

The Tate was built on the site of a former gasworks looking out over Porthmeor Beach. Architects David Shalev and Eldred Evans were chosen to erect the new building that would conserve the structure and spirit of the former gasworks. They worked around the rotunda to make it into the museum’s main gallery and other galleries were modelled on the shapes and sizes of local artists’ studios. The museum opened in 1993. In 2017, the museum reopened after being closed for two years to allow for construction of an extension which was designed by Jamie Fobert and nearly doubled the size of the museum. The new addition mirrors the coastline’s natural forms and includes a gallery sunk into the cliffs. The new batisse also highlights the work of local artists, by adding ceramic tiles as a reference to ceramicist Bernard Leach and by being brushed in shades of greens and yellows to reflect Cornwall’s uniquely tempestuous weather and allowing the building to seamlessly merge with the coastline and ocean.

The Tate is home to an impressive collection of pieces that are sure to capture the imagination of anyone, from the most well informed art connoisseur to any curious novice.

Some of our favourite artworks in the museum are of course those inspired by the town of St Ives itself. Keep an eye out for Island Sheds, St Ives No. 1 (1940) by Wilhemina Barns-Graham which depicts an early response to St Ives and gives a glimpse into the town’s history of coast guards keeping an eye out for smugglers. Ben Nicholson’s series on St Ives’ Harbour (1939-45) is a fascinating move away from the artist’s more usual abstract white reliefs into a return to landscape paintings, which his art dealers suggested would be easier to sell. That said, the series are still fascinating studies of objects and space and allow for reflections on how the artist chooses to structure these elements.

Curved Form (Trevalgan) (1956) is one of the many sculptures by Barbara Hepworth that features amongst the museum’s collection. This particular one, like much of her other works, responds to the nature around her and the shapes of Cornwall’s coastal landscape. This piece was inspired by standing along Trevalgan Hill, which she described as: “where the land of Cornwall ends and the cliffs divide as they touch the sea facing west. At this point, the setting sun across the Atlantic, where the sky and sea blend with hills and rocks, the forms seem to enfold the watcher and lift him towards the sky.”

Some other collection highlights also include pieces by British Constructivist Artist Marlow Moss (1889-1958), artworks by founding father of British Minimalism in sculpture and painting Bob Law (1934-2004) and by Alfred Wallis (1855-1942), a British fisherman and artist who became known for his landscape paintings. 

The Museum also puts on some exquisite temporary exhibitions so be sure to check ahead of time what’s on during your visit. 

In 1980, the Tate group acquired and started to manage the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Gardens. The museum was once the sculptor’s studio from when she purchased it in 1949 until her death in 1975. The artist said that her studio “was a sort of magic” and the space feels calming, the perfect harbour of peace to nurture creativity and imagination. The adjacent gardens are lush and full of the sculptor’s work. 

Set in a typical St Ives stone house, the studio remains virtually untouched to this day and provides a fascinating insight into Hepworth’s artistic process and the immeasurable scope of her imagination. 

A short five minute walk from the main Tate museums, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and sculpture Gardens is well worth a visit during your stay in Cornwall. 

• The Museum and the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Gardens are both open daily from 10am to 5:20pm. 
• Entry tickets to the Museum cost £10,50 and £9,50 for concessions and include access to temporary exhibitions. Advanced online booking is not mandatory but strongly recommended as tickets are limited. 
• Entry tickets to the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Gardens cost £7 and £6 for concessions. Advanced online booking is very much encouraged. 
• Tate St Ives has a top floor café with ocean views and a seasonal menu, perfect for a snack break! 
• Tate St Ives offers lockers at the museum entrance which cost £1 to use, baby changing facilities on the third floor and various accessibility measures. 

By car: 

• St Ives is about a 20 minute drive from the A30.  
• While parking is available at the Museum, it can get crowded rather quickly, and finding a space can often leave visitors further away. 

On foot: 

• The museum is within walking distance of St Ives town centre and Porthmeor Beach, both making for wonderful walks. 

By bus: 

• Local buses are always in operation to and from St Ives and are easy to navigate. 

By train: 

• Local trains operate consistently to St Ives from London Paddington via Reading, Exeter, Plymouth, Bodmin, Truro, St Erth and Penzance. 

• The Museum offers many activities to do as a family such as Toddle Tate, a monthly sensory workshop for under 5s, various artistic activities an workshops and some itineraries and ready-made trails to help kids have their own special adventures while visiting the museum. 
• Exhibitions are ever-changing so be sure to check ahead of time if your visit coincides with exhibition dates.