New Mural Unveiled at Newquay WI Hall as Part of Expanding Love Newquay Mural Trai

New Mural Unveiled at Newquay WI Hall as Part of Expanding Love Newquay Mural Trail

Newquay BID is delighted to announce the completion of a striking new mural at the Newquay Women’s Institute Hall on Manor Road, marking the second of three murals being delivered through TRIP funding secured from Cornwall Council.

The mural forms part of Newquay BID’s growing Love Newquay Mural Trail, an ongoing project that has been developed over the past 18–24 months. The trail features large-scale artworks across prominent buildings in the town centre, each accompanied by QR codes that link to the Love Newquay website, providing information about the artist, the artwork, and its story. The aim of the project is to drive footfall not only during the peak tourist season but throughout the year, while celebrating Newquay’s heritage, creativity, and community.

About the Mural

• Artist: Shauna Anseo
• Location: WI Hall, Manor Road, Newquay
• Style: Stained Glass, with Art Nouveau influences
• Produced by: Slapdash Studio

Produced by Slapdash Studio and painted by Irish muralist Shauna Anseo, the mural draws inspiration from the history of the Newquay Women’s Institute. The design references archival photographs of the WI’s founder, Lady Molesworth-St Aubyn, sourced from the National Portrait Gallery, alongside a reimagined version of the Newquay WI banner.

The stained-glass background, rendered in an Art Nouveau style, reflects the role of church halls in the organisation’s early years, the importance of craft within the WI movement, and the visual language of the era in which the group was founded.

The finished mural depicts Lady Molesworth-St Aubyn in profile, colourised from the original black-and-white photograph. She wears a delicate lace top and a flower brooch in the WI’s colours. A central banner reads “Newquay WI, Inspiring Women since 1918”, framed within a triple-arched Art Nouveau window. Local references, including pilchards and the Huer’s Hut, ground the artwork firmly in Newquay’s heritage.

About the Artist

Shauna Anseo is an Irish muralist and street artist based in London. Her large-scale figurative works explore themes of light, storytelling, and belonging, sitting between portraiture and mythmaking. Her practice is rooted in collaboration, often developed through dialogue with local schools, councils, and communities to uncover shared narratives and translate them into meaningful public artworks.

The Process

The mural was designed as a collage of found images, with Shauna using a VR headset to map and draw the outlines directly onto the wall. Despite challenging weather conditions, including two storms, Shauna and Slapdash Studio completed the work from the scaffold during a wet and windy week in December.

Project Leadership & Partnership

Jack Tierney of Slapdash Studios is the project lead on the Newquay mural programme. He works closely with Newquay BID to identify suitable walls, source and commission artists, and manage all aspects of delivery, including logistics, safety, and setup.

Quotes

Mark Warren, Newquay BID Manager, said:
“We’re so pleased to be part of this ongoing project, which has seen multiple murals now appearing in really prime locations across Newquay. It’s incredibly exciting to see the response—feedback from both the local community and our visitors is consistently very positive. We’re always looking for new walls and fresh ideas, and we’re committed to continuing this fantastic project over the next five years.”

What’s Next

The third and final mural funded through the TRIP programme is currently underway and will be completed in time for Christmas, with further details to be announced shortly. Looking ahead, Newquay BID will be seeking additional funding in 2026 to continue expanding the mural trail and is actively inviting building owners within the town centre to get in touch if they are interested in hosting future artworks.