Formerly Royal Cornwall Museum, the landmark building in the centre of Truro will throw open its doors again next month under a new name - Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery - ushering in a fresh era in the history of this 200-year-old institution.  

The organisation is part-way through a major transformation which began with the Mineral Gallery last year and will continue with improvements to the upper galleries and facilities in 2026/27. 

A new visual identity and website has also been revealed this week, reflecting an aspiration to become one of the UK’s most exciting regional museums.  

Julie Caplin-Grey, Chair of the Trustees, described the evolution of the museum and the resurrection of the art gallery as “a bold step into the future while respecting the past.” 

Artistic Director Bryony Robins expanded:

“At times during our history we have been known as an art gallery as well as a museum because of the notable collection of paintings, sculptures, and drawings. When we took a step back and looked at our holdings and exhibitions, it was clear that we could and should be a museum and an art gallery once again.” 

Art Gallery Director Bryony Robins and Executive Director Jonathan Morton

Alongside the large number of works from the permanent collection going on display in March there will be a busy programme of art exhibitions, beginning with Kurt Jackson’s Biodiversity and continuing with Exploring Time: A Painter’s Perspective by artist and environmentalist, Tony Foster.   

Kurt Jackson Taxonomy of a Cornish Foreshore 2018 mixed media on linen

However, with over 500 artworks in the permanent collection dating from the 1300s to the present day, art lovers will need few excuses for regular visits to soak up works from the German, Italian and Dutch renaissances, English history and landscape paintings, the Pre-Raphaelite and Newlyn schools, and St Ives modernism.    

The towering walls of the second-floor balcony, which overlook the central gallery, will be put to maximum use with a ‘salon hang’, meaning paintings will be displayed virtually from floor to ceiling, while cases will display sculptures and fragile works on paper.  

Robins elaborates:

“Works will be grouped together in a mixture of themes and movements, inviting connections across space and time and prompting visitors to make associations with historical objects elsewhere in the museum.” 

Jackson, one of Britain’s best-known contemporary artists, commented:

“I’m delighted to be exhibiting my project, Biodiversity, at the Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery in its new incarnation, and I’m looking forward to seeing the permanent collection on display too. Art isn’t meant to be stored away for posterity, it’s meant to inspire and provoke, to elicit conversations and creative responses, and that’s exactly what this new art gallery for Cornwall will do.”  

Robins adds:

“The founders of the museum wanted to enable cultural experiences for all – something which remains a cornerstone of our mission today. With an updated name and a new look, we’re inviting a whole new generation to engage afresh with the incredible cultural riches of Cornwall.” 

To find out more, visit the new website at www.cornwallmuseum.org