Your Monthly Roundup: December
Each month we share a roundup of the latest news and events, exhibitions and blogs to keep you up to date with all of the latest ‘goings on’.
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December Features
New Year, New Artists, New Courses
We’re pleased to introduce a fresh roster of artist–tutors joining us in 2026, including Helen Ward, Emma McClure, Ella Carty and Kimmy Hussey – with more to follow.
Ensuring a rich and varied programme is at the heart of what we do, and the addition of these new artists means we’re now offering more choice than ever. From paper lithography to the creative possibilities of acrylic inks, our latest courses open the door to new skills, new techniques and new creative adventures. Explore what’s new and see what inspires you.
Give the Gift of Art this Christmas
It’s December now… so we’re officially allowed to mention the C word.
If you know someone who loves making art but could use a little inspiration – or someone who’s been meaning to dive in but hasn’t taken the leap yet – our gift vouchers make the perfect nudge.
They can be used for any online or in-studio course, and they start from just £10.
Exhibitions
This month, our spotlight is on artist tutor, Victoria Gillow.
To Cornwall With Love | Victoria Gillow
The Crypt Gallery, St Ives
7-12 December, daily 3-6pm
‘To Cornwall With Love’ is an exhibition of paintings that acts as a visual love letter from and to Cornwall.
Victoria’s solo show expands some of the themes of her work into a deeply personal and yet relatable reflection on how Cornwall and this coast nurtures and supports us – a love letter to and from Cornwall from all who value it.
This Month’s Watch
As part of our short series of films, we visited longtime tutor at the School, Liz Luckwell.
In her film, Liz talks about the influence gardening has had on her life and work, and reflects on the legacy of former School Principal Roy Ray.
This Month’s Read
We’re pleased to welcome artist Ella Carty to our team of artist tutors for 2026.
We managed to catch her during a packed schedule, so we took the chance to sit down and learn more about her practice and the way she works. Read more here.
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3/12/2025
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The Health Benefits of Life Drawing
Life drawing has slipped in and out of vogue in recent decades, but as public attention shifts to the importance of mental health and wellbeing, it is enjoying something of a resurgence. A recent study by the BBC and Newcastle University compared memory and cognition in a group of 30 adults: they asked 10 to walk briskly, 10 to do puzzles such as crosswords and sudoku and 10 to attend life drawing classes. The experiment took place over 8 weeks, with a series of tests carried out across the volunteers at the beginning of the study and at the end. The life drawers, it turned out, showed significant improvement in memory and cognitive function following the experiment.