by Dee Delaney

Created on: January 21, 2011   Last Updated: January 28, 2011

St Ives is a truly magical small seaside town in Cornwall. Combining an almost unbelievably good climate with long sandy beaches, and narrow cobbled streets, it has the added charm of being a magnet for artists and full of galleries and artistic tradition.

Beautifully situated on a small peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean, the streets are crammed with picturesque little fisherman’s cottages, unusual shops and the whole place is surrounded by three beautiful sandy beaches. The slow pace of life and the endless sunshine make this a very popular tourist destination all the year round, but St Ives still manages to keep its traditions and its special ambience.

~~Artistic History : The Artists Colony~~
St Ives is famed for the beautiful quality of light that reflects off the sea, and it is this special quality that has attracted so many artists to the town for over a hundred years. The artists’ colony that still exists today was first started in 1928 by the Cornish artist Alfred Wallis who, with his friends Ben Nicholson and Christopher Wood  established a circle of the some of most progressive artists working in Britain in the 1930s.  In its time the town has also attracted artists from all over the world such as Piet Mondrian and Maurice Sumray. The special atmosphere that was created led the sculptress Barbara Hepworth to settle in the town and remain there until her death. As the artistic reputation of St Ives grew, the Tate Gallery decided to open the Tate St Ives in 1993.

~~Art Galleries~~
The St Ives website lists twenty two galleries in this tiny town. The most famous of these is undoubtedly the Tate St Ives. Built on the site of the former gasworks, the curved white building back directly onto the cliff face and towers above Porthmeor beach. Fantastic views of sea and surf, with the famously mellow light of St Ives, form a backdrop to the modern and contemporary art that hangs on the walls. The constantly changing displays seek to present art created or associated with Cornwall, in the surroundings and atmosphere in which they were created.

The Barbara Hepworth Museum must rank as second on the list of desirable artistic destinations in the town. Barbara Hepworth came to live in St Ives in 1939 and remained living and working in the Trewyn studios that now form the Barbara Hepworth museum. The Trewyn studios provided the space for her to create the enormous bronze, stone and wood sculptures that made her famous, and the garden

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