PZArts CIC is raising funds to buy, restore, and reopen the historic Penzance School of Art as a vibrant community-owned asset.
Building a bright and exciting future, we pay respect and our thanks to those who pathed the way.
The majority of information below was gathered and compiled by local historian Peter Waverly for a special booklet commissioned by Penlee House and Penwith College (now Truro Penwith College) to celebrate 150 years of the Arts School.
Read on to learn a little bit about the buildings' story.
THE ARTS' SCHOOL INCEPTION
The Art School on Morrab Road, Penzance, is as old as the road itself, but its origins go back even further. Although the building was constructed in 1880 the inception of an Art School in Penzance happened in 1853. The first art school west of Bristol had its first meeting on September 13th of that year in rooms above Princes Street Hall . That Tuesday evening twenty students attended, Once classes were set up they were so popular that by the end of 1853 the master of the School, Henry Malcolm Geoffroi, moved Penzance School of Practical Art to larger rooms in Regent House in Voundevour Lane, where it remained until 1880. The school thrived with students winning prizes, passing art exams and competed for scholarships at the Metropolitan School. Three of Mr Geoffroi's students James Hicks, Henry White and Oliver Caldwell went on to become respected local architects. Mr Geoffroi, a progressive man, had always wanted the school to have its own building. This became possible in 1879 when local banker, Mayor and MP, Mr, C. C. Ross, gave the leasehold of a plot of land to build the Art School on, on Morrab Road which he was developing. Mr Geoffroi, his wife Lazzie, son Harry and step-daughter Fanny helped raise funds for the new building with subscriptions coming in from former students worldwide. Silvanus Trevail's Utility design was accepted and the new school build commenced in 1880.
Contractors James Julian & Sons of Truro completed the School on a budget of £1220 (that sum might restore a small window now!) The building was opened on 7th March 1881 by Mayor Francis Boase, with an exhibition of oil colours and watercolours by local artists and students. South Kensington Museum (today known as the Victoria and Albert Museum) loaned painted china, further paintings, figurines and Sevres to display in the exhibition. Over the next fourteen years the art school became the centre for art in West Cornwall with Biennial South West Art Union exhibitions held, which attracted Newlyn School artists and Sir Leslie Stephen (Virginia Woolf's father). Even Oscar Wilde graced the building with a visit and was proudly shown around the school while on a lecture tour in 1883.
In 1887 the building was joined to The Art Museum which was to build next door and an annex was added which displays the laurel crest of the Department of Science & Art. One of Mr Geoffroi's former pupils, now an architect, Henry White, drew up the plans. The art school gable end was changed to match the new museum building. After it's official opening in May 1888, two biennial Art Union exhibitions were held in 1889 and 1891, the former included work by Stanhope Forbes and Walter Langley. In December 1889 the Newlyn artist held their first ever exhibition in this great hall. In 1893 the museum was converted to the Penzance Public Library. The building continued to host art education, with a succession of different Masters.
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THE ARTS' SCHOOL POTTERY
Pottery had begun in the war years in the school. American soldiers in Penzance were looking for ways to relax when not on duty. Bouverie Hoyton, with the help of Bernard Leach set up a potter's wheel in the school in 1942. At the end of the war interest in handmade pots grew and with popularity in learning the craft, Leach created an overspill for his St Ives studio at the Art School. Leach taught a few lessons in Penzance before handing over to his son, David who later passed the educator baton to his brother Michael. The pottery classroom at he the School was opened proper in 1947 by Bernard Leach.
Although not in operation, the Leach wheel still stands in the pottery studio today.
CONTINUING THE LEGACY
In 1989 the fire brigade closed the School down until certain safety measures were implemented. The changes were made, however, patching repair work on the School has been almost continuous while lessons and exhibitions continued. Up until recently the art education was provided by the LEA, however around this time they became affiliated with Penwith College. The same range of lessons were provided by the college, hosted in the LEA owned building. In December 1995 ownership of the building was legally transferred to Penwith College and 2008 the college merged with Truro College to become Truro Penwith College. Arts and crafts part time courses continued with the interruption of the global pandemic in 2020 temporarily shutting the school. Class attendance steadily grew following its reopening.
In 2024/25 the entire education sector saw dramatic cuts in funding allocation, with a potential £630 million cut anticipated. Truro Penwith College was not immune. In its efforts to ensure continuing excellent provision remained available to its' communities, the college needed to look at where money could be saved. One of those areas was The Art School, Library and Science School buildings. Which are expensive buildings to maintain and run. With space to continue the part-time courses on the main site, the continued running of the large buildings was just not financially viable. At the end of April 2025 the college announced to staff its plan to move lessons to the main site and to sell the buildings.
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The proposed sale was seen as an opportunity by two current art school teachers, to bring the buildings into community ownership and build a thriving arts community hub for West Cornwall. Sara and Tasha set to work in researching other similar projects and formed a plan. In June 2025 they incorporated PZArts CIC and submitted a business proposal to the college in a bid to secure the buildings in an off market sale. Principal Martin Tucker shared the good news that the College would be supportive in any way they could to help this project come to life and will hold off entertaining a public sale while the CIC gathers finance.
So this is where we are at today. At the very beginning of raising funds and building the vision for the buildings on Morrab Road. An exciting new in installment in the long and rich history of the arts in Penzance and a new chapter for Penzance School of Art, The Library and The Science School.
Meet the team
We are Tasha and Sara - artist, crafters and educators...and now, co-founders of PZArts CIC (what is a CIC? Click HERE to find out more).
We have often talked of running an arts school for the community and when it was announced that the buildings on Morrab Road would be sold, at first we were saddened to hear the news....but then we saw an exciting opportunity. We formed a CIC, approached the vendors and put together a strong proposal to bring the buildings into community ownership.
