A free admission talk on the St Ives Mariners Memorial is a late addition to the St Ives September Festival line-up.

Sculptor and Penwith Society chair Tom Leaper will give an update on the progress of the project at Penwith Gallery on Tuesday, September 16 (2.30pm).

The Memorial is currently in production at Fabrication Facility Foundry and will be installed on Smeaton’s Pier early next year.

The 8ft bronze sculpture honouring the town’s pilchard fishermen has reached a major milestone.

Thanks to sales of limited-edition maquettes from Penwith Gallery, the project has raised approximately £45,000, with only a few pieces remaining before the fund-raising target is met.

The sculpture was created in the Methodist Chapel opposite Penwith Gallery – once a place of worship for many local fishermen – before being moulded in silicone and fibreglass. It is now at the foundry being prepared for casting into bronze. 

Once complete, the memorial will stand as a lasting tribute to the generations of St Ives mariners whose lives were shaped by the sea.

Tom says “It has been a privilege to create a memorial that honours the courage and resilience of St Ives’ fishing community.

“This project has been made possible through the generosity of so many people who share a love for the town and its maritime heritage. I look forward to seeing the finished bronze in place as a lasting tribute to the mariners who gave so much to St Ives.”