Some members of the Newlyn Society of Artists (NSA) have carried out a survey among the 140-strong community to gauge the feeling in the group over exhibiting opportunities at the gallery.
According to Daphne McClure, who funded and organised the study, a vast majority of those who responded had exhibited only once or twice in the past five years at the gallery and most preferred comprehensive, non-themed and 'critics choice'-led shows.
Disregarded
The survey was put on the society's general meeting agenda last week, but according to former committee member Bernard Evans, the matter was hardly discussed. He said: "It was just glossed over. The general view and feeling of the membership was disregarded. All the 140 members should be able to submit to exhibit their work at the gallery."
But a spokesman for the NSA committee said its members were not in a position to enjoy preferential treatment over other local artists or groups.
Since the Arts Council stepped in to support the works it meant that all the projects were required to be of national relevance.
He said: "Many of our members remember the times they were able to have open shows and have them on a regular basis but things have changed.
"The funding of the gallery has changed and our membership has grown quite considerably, from 60 to 70 members to 140. So it's hard to get an opportunity to show anyway.
"Last night (Wednesday), we didn't gloss over the issue but we made space for someone to make a statement.
"People want open exhibitions, which is something that can't be achieved and if we keep arguing over it we can't achieve anything at all.
"There's hundreds of artists here and the arts world isn't always fair, it's the nature of the beast. But they'll give us a show if we put an interesting idea forward."
James Green, the director of Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange, says all the proposals put forward by the NSA committee have been accepted. According to him, in the last three years the NSA has held three major gallery shows, many smaller projects and 50% of the work is by Cornish artists.
But, he reiterated that it was important for all the projects to have national relevance.
"The Arts Council is the biggest single funder so there are certain requirements that come with that," he said. "All the work needs to contribute to discussions of contemporary art and what contemporary art is.
Automatic
"Some members of the society feel that by paying a membership gives them the automatic right to exhibit here but that's not the case. We are publicly funded so it would be wrong to give NSA members preferential treatment."
Mr Green has also confirmed that discussions were under way with the NSA committee about future shows. The first one of them, which includes work from 28 artists, takes place in May. He added: "There will be a project on print-making next summer and another show called 'platform' to showcase three artists' work at one time and potential for other wider projects too."
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN