Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art

The exhibition has been developed through a unique collaboration between Penlee House Gallery & Museum, (owned and operated by Penzance Council), Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum, (part of Museums Worcestershire) and Kirkcaldy Galleries (part of cultural charity OnFife). Working together under the name Long Distance Connections, the three museums have brought together over 50 works by women artists from their respective collections.

Making Her Mark is the first exhibition to open as part of Art Fund’s £5.36million Going Places programme, a series of exhibitions touring the UK. The largest project of its kind, Going Places brings together 20 museums across all four nations to share and celebrate the UK’s remarkable collections in collaboration with local communities.

With works selected from all three collections, Long Distance Connections begin their collaboration by celebrating notable female artists from the mid-nineteenth century to the present day, with extraordinary works by Elizabeth Forbes, Laura Knight, Dod Procter, Caroline Walker, Tracey Emin and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham amongst many more. Highlights include Elizabeth Forbes’ A Zandvoort Fishergirl (1884), Dod Procter’s Portrait of Eileen Mayo (1920 -1930), Wilhelmina Barns-Graham’s Gurnards Head, No.2 (1947) and Caroline Walker’s Bathroom, Room 608 (2018).

A central focus of Going Places is for museums to collaborate with communities on each exhibition, particularly those from under-represented groups. Penlee House Gallery & Museum has been working with care experienced young people, supported by Carefree Cornwall, a charity which works with young people in and leaving care across Cornwall. Through a series of creative workshops led by local artists Elizabeth Howell and Kate Turner, young people responded to the artworks in the exhibition, explored artistic techniques and discussed issues around gender equality. Their artworks will be displayed within the exhibition, reflecting their views and hopes for a fairer future.

Katie Herbert, Curator Penlee House Gallery & Museum said on behalf of the Long Distance Connections team:

“From historic to contemporary artworks the collaboration between Penlee, Worcester and Fife has created an opportunity for our audiences to see great artworks right on their doorstep, a chance to view work they’ve never seen before alongside local favourites. Through exploring the work of women artists represented across each of our collections, Making Her Mark includes artworks from all three museums in order for us to tell new stories and bring something new to each venue. The exhibition traces how women have pushed – and often broken through – the boundaries that have long restricted their opportunities for visibility and success.”

Jenny Waldman, Director, Art Fund, said:

“Making Her Mark is a powerful example of what can happen when museums come together to share their collections and tell new stories. We’re thrilled to see this inaugural Going Places exhibition, which brings together outstanding works by remarkable women artists from across the country for audiences to enjoy. We are hugely grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Julia Rausing Trust for supporting this ambitious programme, and we encourage people from Penzance and beyond to visit the exhibition, either on this first leg or as it travels north to Worcester and Fife.”

Making Her Mark will explore a range of themes including the power of collaboration; the impact of lack of access to art academies and societies on women artists; the struggle for recognition and representation; and the significance of the self-portrait for women artists.

Each museum is working closely with young people, with a particular focus on care experienced young people. Through the project, young people are exploring and responding to the collections by creating new work and developing their own ideas for interpretation. A young people’s exchange programme will enable them to visit each partner museum, offering a valuable opportunity to experience art, culture and places beyond their usual locality, and to connect with peers from other parts of the country.

Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art opens at Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance on 30 April 2026 until 27 September 2026 before moving to Worcester City Art Gallery & Museum in January 2027 and Kirkcaldy Galleries in June 2027.

Making Her Mark is part of Going Places, an Art Fund programme made possible with lead investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Julia Rausing Trust, with additional support from a generous group of trusts, foundations and individuals. Art Fund is continuing to fundraise to reach the full potential of the programme and make the biggest impact for museums and visitors across the UK.

For further information on Making Her Mark: A Celebration of Women in Art and the first exhibition at Penlee House Gallery & Museum visit: https://penleehouse.org.uk/exhibition/making-her-mark-a-celebration-of-women-in-art/

For further information about Going Places, visit: https://www.artfund.org/explore/get-inspired/features/going-places-touring-exhibitions