PORTHLEVEN ARTS FESTIVAL 2023

The Heinichen Ensemble

Friday 6th Oct 7pm

Based in the West of Cornwall, the Heinichen Ensemble is an instrumental group dedicated to the historical performance of music from the 17^th and 18^th Centuries. Playing authentic replicas of centuries old instruments, the Ensemble brings history to life through its music making.  Their Porthleven concert will showcase less-known composers of the Baroque period. FREE

The Saxy Maids

Sun 8th Oct 7pm

The Saxy Maids are Cornwall’s wonderful all-female Saxophone Quartet.  They will bring this year’s Porthleven Arts Festival to a fabulous and rousing close with repertoire from show tunes to sea shanties and much in between.  FREE with a pay bar

The Porthleven Arts Community Exhibition

6th-8th Oct 10am-5pm

An exhibition showing just a small selection of works by members of our community curated by Liz Dickinson – winner of this years inaugural Porthleven Harbour Arts Prize.  View and purchase the works with commission going back into our Art Community to support future projects.  FREE

The Porthleven Children’s Arts Prize

6th-8th Oct 10am-5pm

Come and view the entries from the Inaugural Porthleven Children’s Art Prize.  Here at Porthleven Arts we like to showcase all ages of talent.  With a theme this year of ‘Porthleven Summer’ taking us back to those glorious summer days in a place we love. FREE

8 Artists in Porthleven

Thurs 5th Oct 10am-5pm

For over 10yrs, Ashley Hanson, a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, has been hosting painting courses at The Old Lifeboat House, welcoming artists from all over the UK and internationally. Each course ends with a one-day exhibition, showing paintings responding to Porthleven, made during the week. Also on show will be a selection of Ashley’s iconic ‘Porthleven’ series. Come and meet the artists! FREE

Porthleven Paintings

Fri 6th Oct 10am-4pm

In a 1-day exhibition, prizewinning artist Ashley Hanson will be showing over 20 paintings from his iconic ‘Porthleven’ series, including his latest work, ‘Porthleven 70’ at the Old Lifeboat House. FREE

Liz Dickinson

Open Daily 10am-5pm – FREE

I was brought up in Northumberland with its vast open beauty; contrasts of moors, hills and coast. It was this similar drama that brought me to Cornwall in 1995, along with the incredible heritage of art and inspiration held here within such a vibrant creative community. I was already enthralled and heavily influenced by mid 20th century modernism; the art of Peter Lanyon, William Scott, Paul Fieler and Karl Weshcka along with strong 50’s design motif. 

Being in Cornwall has given me so much connection with these artists and many others. The change in the seasons and the Cornish light depicted through landscape and still life  of these artists has now found me intertwining elements of realism with abstraction in a similar context.  

My work now is an emotional response to the environment I live in, both interior and exterior, through colour, shape, texture and form. I work in paint, mostly acrylics and mixed media, at times stretching my vision from 3 dimensions to 2 dimensions and occasionally back again.  

My work is underpinned by observation and making intuitive drawings that can be one line or a mass of expressive marks that bring ideas together playing with perspective and view point that makes the viewer question what is there, is it meant to be that way?  Small clues will help lead the viewer to answers however there is never just one answer to any visual question set. 

As winner of the Inaugural Porthleven Harbour Arts Prize we are delighted Liz has agreed to come and be part of our festival.  You can also do a workshop with her called ‘Seeing Like Lanyon’ where you will learn the processes she follows to develop and create her work.   Come and meet Liz and see her at work in the Netloft during the festival.  You can see more of Liz’s work on her website here

Jo Cottam

Open Daily 10am-5pm – FREE

I started my studies at Falmouth School of Art in 1986. I followed this with an HND in Ceramic Design, also at Falmouth, with a year spent at the University of Idaho where I studied Fine Art and Ceramics. During my time in the USA I developed a passion for the alchemy in glaze and firing technology and an interest in the elements as inspiration for my painting and ceramic forms.

My current work continues to reflect the local environment and the colours of the changing land, sea and sky, with a focus on creating tactile depth and illusion. 

Having lived in Cornwall for most of my life, the vast skies and changing light are intrinsic to my work. A sense of belonging which shapes the process of layering colour and texture creates the illusion of elemental movement. The colours I use are selected and applied in a way that is both methodical and meditative. I work on several pieces of work at the same time and this keeps the marks I make fresh and expressive. I am inspired by the emotional connection we have to our surroundings and much of my work is reminiscent of our sense of place.

Impressionist values and the way atmosphere can be described through a range of marks and brushstrokes was recently described by @lucindadaltongallery;

‘Jo’s work reflects her local surroundings in West Cornwall; the colours, the sounds, the land, sea and sky. You can almost smell the salty sea air….’

Sometimes detail emerges from the layers as work progresses; sometimes it is a mere hint of something which the viewer translates for themselves.

Jo was the winner of the people’s choice at the Porthleven Harbour Arts Prize and we are delighted Jo has agreed to come and be part of our festival.  Come and meet Jo and see her at work in the Netloft during the festival.  You can see more of Jo’s work on her website here

Artist Talk: Ashley Hanson

Friday 6th Oct 1pm-2pm

Ashley will be talking about the paintings in his ‘Porthleven’ exhibition, his inspiration, ideas and process. FREE

Institute of Stories – Walking and Talking

Fri 6th Oct 7pm