Why ‘relaxed’ Tate St Ives is one of the best galleries in the UK

The Tate is undoubtedly a household name when it comes to seeing reliably good art. There’s the Tate Modern for all things trendy and contemporary, the Tate Britain for British art history from the 1500s, and the Tate Liverpool, which is currently under renovation.

But Tate St Ives in Cornwall truly brings something quite special - not least because of its stunning location – so it’s no wonder it’s been declared one of the best galleries in the UK by Time Out. Opening in 1993, the whitewashed gallery occupies a former gas works overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on St Ives’ Porthmeor Beach.

The building’s architects Eldred Evans and David Shalev have designed Tate St Ives so visitors are in constant contact with the ocean. Windows and viewpoints throughout the gallery frame the crashing waves outside and the café is on the roof with sweeping views. 

While it may be the smallest out of the four Tates – even after it expanded significantly in the mid-2010s – it’s also the most relaxed. Its core collections centre around local artists, mainly 20th century modern art tied to west Cornwall, and its temporary exhibitions are ‘interesting, esoteric, relatively un-blockbustery’, Time Out’s theatre editor Andrzej Lukowski said.

So there’s no Matisse or Picasso here, but there’s a lot more in keeping with St Ives history as a fishing village and artist hub. On at the moment is a textile exhibition by Gözde İlkin who makes wave-like sculptures inspired by the west Cornish coast.

Andrzej added: ‘Smack-bang on Porthmeor Beach, it’s perfectly reasonable to go for a coffee, gawp at the waves and decide after how much art you’re in the mood for. 

‘Oh, and it‘s worth noting that Tate St Ives grew out of the Tate’s 1980 takeover of St Ives’ Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, which is a completely separate venue but not far off and well worth a visit.’ 

Also on the list of best galleries in the UK was another seaside art space, Hastings Contemporary, as well as Kettle’s Yard in Cambridge and The Lowry in Salford.

Read the full list of the best galleries in the UK here.

Plus: The UK’s biggest Monet exhibition in a decade will open at Tate Modern next year.

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