13 NSA members exhibiting at St Clare Medical Centre

For the third year running the Newlyn Society of Artists and the St Clare Medical Centre have

collaborated to bring professional contemporary art with a distinctive West Penwith flavour into

the community. The Centre is a flagship healthcare facility serving Penzance and the wider area. It

is also a community hub that lends itself to different uses, with benefits for health and well-being

beyond traditional primary care. The open spaces, plain white walls and natural sunlight provide a

fantastic setting for the artworks, which are changed annually.

Co-curators Patricia Wilson Smith and Vivian Pedley value the opportunity to show work in non-

gallery spaces and forge connections with local communities, especially those for whom access to

the arts might be limited. The exhibition reflects the strong tradition of creativity characteristic of

West Cornwall and has many benefits for visitors. It engages patients often at times of poor health

and worry, as well as enlivening and challenging staff and visitors, generating debate and

discussion. The participating artists represent a range of interests, from landscape to abstract

interpretations and social commentary. This year, for the first time, one artwork will be awarded

the ‘Partners’ Choice’ Prize. Given the success and value of this collaborative project, future plans

include encouraging exhibitions by local schools and consideration of further ways in which the

site can be used to benefit the health of the local population.

13 artists currently participating from January 2025 – January 2026 ; Viv Allbright, Noel Betowski, Susan Bleakley, Phil Booth, Julia Giles, Barbara Karn, Winnie Lyn, Janet Lynch, Vivian Pedley, Stuart Ross, Andrew Swan, Hils Tranter, Patricia Wilson Smith.