TATE ST IVES

Tate St Ives, the little sister of London's Tate, was opened by Prince Charles in June 1993. The high-quality collection features works by local artists, including Ben Nicholson and Barbara Hepworth. Also on view are temporary exhibitions by contemporary artists, with works regularly borrowed from the London headquarters. The museum has several floors, and the galleries are lit by bay windows overlooking the beach and sea. The building itself is well worth a visit. Inside, each room focuses on a specific theme. Like London's Tate Modern, Tate St Ives focuses on education. For example, it perfectly links the artists of St Ives with the rest of the English art scene and international artists such as Mondrian, Matisse and Braque. The detailed scenography draws interesting parallels and links St Ives to major artistic and historical periods. In the end, all these artists were friends: Hepworth helped Mondrian settle in London. Many also came to Cornwall and fell in love with the landscape of this enchanting region. Don't miss the paintings by Alfred Wallis, Cornish fisherman and artist. We love this naive, authentic art. Many artists have been inspired by this fisherman painter to return to a certain form of simplicity in art. The Tate St Ives is a truly beautiful artistic stop-off in the heart of this city of art and culture.