FOLLOWING a call out for suggestions in 2024 that resulted in hundreds of women, past and present, real and fictional, being nominated by the public, Art Centre Penryn has now announced the brilliant women who will be represented in a new permanent art collection of 50 ceramic plates.

The aim was to select a diverse group of women, from across ages and backgrounds, representing a wide range of careers, activism and volunteering roles, and celebrate and highlight their achievements. These incredible women span the worlds of sport, the arts, science, agriculture, mental health, politics and everyday life.

There are well-known names alongside unsung heroes and Art Centre Penryn hopes that everyone will be able to find inspiration among this impressive group that include Barbara Hepworth, Daphne du Maurier, Helen Glover, Charlotte Banfield, Tamsin Wilton, Annie Williams, Madame Hawke and Mary Kelynack.

Women of Cornwall also celebrates important work by women in the county today. This includees Dina Holder from The Women’s Centre Cornwall, the co-founder of Black Voices Cornwall Joyte Brown and Maren Hallenga who, with her twin sister Kris, set up the charity CoppaFeel!

The full list of women can be found at: www.artcentrepenryn.org/womenofcornwall

Women of Cornwall is run by Art Centre Penryn in collaboration with ceramic artist Katie Bunnell. The women to feature on the 50 plates come from an inspirational group of 234 women, nominated by the public and featured in an exhibition earlier this year at Art Centre Penryn and Kresen Kernow.

An advisory panel, including representatives from Hypatia Trust, Kresen Kernow, Black Voices Cornwall and Access Cornwall, worked with Art Centre Penryn on the difficult task of selecting the women to be featured.

Megan Beck, director of Art Centre Penryn, said: “This isn’t a ‘top 50’ but simply a snapshot in time. We could have selected so many of the 234 women and we’re grateful to everyone who made a suggestion and took the time to contribute to the project. The stories are as inspirational as they are moving, and it was really difficult to select the 50.”

Ceramic artist Katie said: “Selecting 50 women from the 234 has been an incredibly challenging task. The different perspectives of the advisory group were immensely helpful, enabling us to create what we hope is a broad and inspirational group.”

Dawn French, a great champion of all things Cornish and one of the selected women, said: “Wowee, I’m as chuffed as a chough to be included alongside such tip top women. What bounty Cornwall offers!”

Dr Virginia Button, Chair of The Poly, Falmouth said: “The nominations overall have been phenomenal, revealing the depth and breadth of the contribution women have made, and continue to make, to our lives here, which makes us especially proud that our founders will be part of this important representation of some of Cornwall's extraordinary women.”

Art Centre Penryn is now actively raising the funding to commission a group of artists to create the plates. Katie explained: “We’ll be working with a mix of fine and ceramic artists and anticipate a variety of creative approaches. We’re really excited to see how the artists will respond to these women and develop imagery that represents them and their work.”

Subject to securing the funding, the plates will be made in 2026 when they will tour venues across Cornwall before finding their permanent home at Art Centre Penryn. Updates on the Women of Cornwall project can be found on the @womenofcornwall Instagram account and by joining the Art Centre Penryn newsletter.