The Shape of Things: Talk and Q&A with Rachel Yates, Sustainable PZ
2025-04-09 19:00 - 20:30 UTC
Join Rachel Yates from Sustainable PZ for an informal talk on the work that’s happening in the town to create a thriving community for the future—one that puts people, place, and planet first. From how it all began with Plastic Free PZ to connecting local work to national and global action … and the story in between. Why does Sustainable PZ do the work it does, in the way it does, and does it really make any difference?
Date: Wednesday 9 April
Time: 19:30 GMT
Location: Penlee House Gallery & Museum
Price: FREE, but booking is essential

Half Term Activity: Eco Easter Bunnies
2025-04-10 13:30 - 15:30
Hop on over to Penlee House this Thursday, 10th April, from 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm for a fun, free and eco-friendly craft session! Get creative and make your own vibrant and unique Easter bunnies using recycled materials.

Arty Afternoons: Make a Mini 3D Wind Turbine
2025-04-12 14:30 - 15:30
Wind power is a brilliant way to make sustainable energy to power our homes. Make a mini 3D wind turbine and decorate to look like how you think a creative wind turbine should look!!

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Half Term Activity: Reuse and Recycle Textiles!
2025-04-17 13:30 - 15:30
Taking inspiration from our current exhibition ‘The Shape of Things: Our place in a changing climate’ come and design and make textile art. Collage Easter bonnets for famous faces from our collection or make a rag rug out of recycled material.

Arty Afternoons: Changing Seasons Wheel
2025-04-19 14:30 - 15:30
How many seasons can you spot in the paintings in our galleries? Come and join us to make a changing seasons wheel. Draw and collage the different seasons onto a wheel, thinking carefully about the different colours that are used to represent the types of weather.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Arty Afternoons: Save our Seas Mixed Media Collage
2025-04-26 14:30 - 15:30
There are lots of messages in our exhibition about looking after our ocean and reducing plastic waste. Explore the sea scenes and create a mixed-media collage of seaweed, nets, and ocean colours.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30pm and 3.30pm

Arty Afternoons: Air Dough Cornish Pottery
2025-05-03 14:30 - 15:30
Check out the Cornish pottery we have in our Social History Museum space. From Leach and Tremaen pottery to Celtic Folk designs, the pottery we have on display is full of vibrant patterns. Taking inspiration from these designs, draw and score shapes and colours onto air dough to create your own Cornish pottery.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

Arty Afternoons: Breon O’Casey Bird Silhouettes
2025-05-10 14:30 - 15:30
Explore the Breon O’Casey artwork in our exhibition about birds. What colours and patterns can you see? What kind of bird do you think it is in the art? Make paper cutouts inspired by Breon O’Casey’s simple, colourful shapes.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Jennifer Brown – A Centenary Celebration
2025-05-15 10:00 - 2025-05-17 16:30, 2025-05-19 10:00 - 2025-05-24 16:30, 2025-05-26 10:00 - 2025-05-31 16:30, 2025-06-02 10:00 - 2025-06-07 16:30, 2025-06-09 10:00 - 2025-06-14 16:30
Jennifer Brown (27.05.1925 – 16.04.2008) was born in London and studied at Kingston School of Art. In 1975, with her husband and four children, she moved to Newlyn, and then Penzance, where Jennifer studied printmaking at the Penzance School of Art.

A founder member of Penwith Printmakers and a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, she exhibited at several venues in the 1980s and 90s, from Penlee House to the Mid-Cornwall Galleries and further afield from Bournemouth to London.

Jennifer was renowned for her individual, quirky etchings and verses and was the author of three poetry collections, A Picker Up of Pieces, Cucumber Sandwiches and Life Bites. Although many of her prints and poems were amusing, her work also commented on the human condition, often sardonic and laced with sadness.

A small display of Jennifer’s work has been staged to commemorate the centenary of her birth and will be on show in the Social History gallery until 18 June.

Arty Afternoons: Mix and Match Bird Book
2025-05-17 14:30 - 15:30
Taking inspiration from all the different types of birds in the Birds exhibition at Penlee House, design and draw your own mix-and-match book. What heads, bodies and legs can you match up to make a weird and wonderful new type of bird

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Lecture: Birds of Cornwall
2025-05-21 19:30 - 21:00 | Queen’s Hotel, Penzance
Join us for an enlightening event with Jenny Parker the RSPB Cornwall Reserves Site Manager, who is dedicated to highlighting the challenges facing Cornwall’s precious reserves and birdlife. Attendees can expect an in-depth discussion on the impacts of habitat loss and climate change, enriched by Jenny’s deep insights and expertise.
Whether you’re a seasoned environmentalist or simply curious about local wildlife, this lecture promises to provide valuable information and inspire action to protect Cornwall’s natural treasures.
📅 Wednesday 21st May
🕣 7:30 PM
📍 Queen’s Hotel, Penzance
🎟 £7.00 for Friends of Penlee House | £15.00 for Non-Friends
Book Now!

Arty Afternoons: Bird Nests and Eggs
2025-05-24 14:30 - 15:30
Come along to the Birds exhibition at Penlee House and explore the beautiful artworks. Make a 3D nest using recycled materials and make colourful eggs to nestle in your nest.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

Half Term Activity: Quill a Bird
2025-05-29 13:30 - 15:30
Explore the exhibition at Penlee House and discover lots of different types of birds. Join us to learn how to quill paper and make your own colourful, patterned bird.

Arty Afternoon: A Fan of Feathers!
2025-05-31 14:30 - 15:30
Design and decorate lots of feathers, making them as colourful as you can. Then fix your feathers together to make a beautiful fan to keep you cool on a hot summers day.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

Arty Afternoons: Leach Pottery Bird Plate
2025-06-07 14:30 - 15:30
Can you spot the bird plate made by Bernard Leach? It has black patterns and a bird design on the front. Taking inspiration from this beautiful piece of pottery, design and make your own Leach-style bird design plate to take home

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Arty Afternoon: Birds habitats collage
2025-06-14 14:30 - 15:30
The birds featured in our exhibition live in all sorts of different habitats, from sea cliffs to farmyard scenes. Find out which birds live in the different habitats and then create a mixed media collage of those birds in their special homes.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30pm and 3.30pm.

Jennifer Brown – A Centenary Celebration
2025-06-16 10:00 - 16:30
Jennifer Brown (27.05.1925 – 16.04.2008) was born in London and studied at Kingston School of Art. In 1975, with her husband and four children, she moved to Newlyn, and then Penzance, where Jennifer studied printmaking at the Penzance School of Art.

A founder member of Penwith Printmakers and a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, she exhibited at several venues in the 1980s and 90s, from Penlee House to the Mid-Cornwall Galleries and further afield from Bournemouth to London.

Jennifer was renowned for her individual, quirky etchings and verses and was the author of three poetry collections, A Picker Up of Pieces, Cucumber Sandwiches and Life Bites. Although many of her prints and poems were amusing, her work also commented on the human condition, often sardonic and laced with sadness.

A small display of Jennifer’s work has been staged to commemorate the centenary of her birth and will be on show in the Social History gallery until 16 June.

Social History Exhibition: Arts and Health
2025-06-18 10:00 - 2025-08-06 17:00
Getting involved in the arts can improve health and well-being.
People report that creative activities reduce stress, improve mood and build confidence. They’re also an enjoyable way of spending time with others whilst learning new skills.
During Spring 2025, Penlee House Gallery & Museum offered a series of workshops for adults in the local community who are facing difficulties or living with conditions which affect their health and wellbeing.
Working with artist Melanie Young, participants visited the Gallery and used the collections and exhibitions at Penlee House as the inspiration for their own artwork. They used a variety of media, including drawing, painting, collage and printmaking. This small exhibition displays some of the work created.
We would like to thank the participants for allowing the exhibition of their work and the project funders, the Friends of Penlee House and Arts Council England.

Arty Afternoons: Owl Portraits
2025-06-21 14:30 - 15:30
Can you spot the wise owl in the Birds exhibition at Penlee House? Make a beautiful owl head using card and oil pastels to colour the wonderful textures of the feathers.
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Arty Afternoons: Mazey Day – On a Crest of a Wave! Sea Bird Craft
2025-06-28 14:30 - 15:30
Take a break from the festivities in the main town and join us outside Penlee House Gallery & Museum in Penlee Park to celebrate the beauty and grace of our local seabirds. Make a flying seabird of your own to soar and swoop through the crowds.

Arty Afternoons: Bird Poems
2025-07-05 14:30 - 15:30
This week we’re joining in with the Penzance Literary Festival. Explore our exhibition Birds: the art of Cornwall’s birdlife. Whilst looking at the paintings and sculptures, write down words inspired by what you see. Return to base and write a short poem using the words you have collected and decorate it with bird drawings.

Festival of Archaeology – Meet an Archaeologist / Roman Treasure Craft
2025-07-12 14:30 - 15:30
Running from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. Come along to Penlee House and meet an archaeologist. They will share all the behind-the-scenes information about how to be an archaeologist and what they do, as well as share their incredible local knowledge and finds they have made! Make a Roman-style cameo design for a ring and take part in a fun dig.

Festival of Archaeology - Air Dough Roman Rings
2025-07-12 14:30 - 15:30
Take a look at the beautiful, new Roman ring on display in the archaeology gallery. Design and make your own Roman ring using colourful air dough.

Festival of Archaeology – Lunula Necklace
2025-07-19 14:30 - 15:30
Come and see the wonderful golden lunula (necklace) from the Bronze Age displayed in the archaeology gallery. This amazing piece of jewellery is about 4500 years old! Try your hand at crafting a version to take home.

Art in the Park: 3D Prehistoric Monuments
2025-07-24 13:30 - 15:30
Come and celebrate this year’s Festival of Archaeology and the wonderful collection in our museum. Join us to make a mini local prehistoric monument from air dough and a 3D countryside scene to display it in.

Festival of Archaeology – Iron Age Coin Badges
2025-07-26 14:30 - 15:30
Explore the Iron Age coins displayed in our archaeology collection. What pictures can you spot on the coins? Join us to learn about Iron Age coin designs and make your own copper foil Iron Age coin badge.
