Cornwall College art undergraduates have been asked to design and develop bespoke merchandise to be sold on St Michael’s Mount.

St Michael’s Mount retail team is collating new and exciting works of art that depict the Mount in visually different ways that can then be turned into printed merchandise for sale to the public.

Jamie Hanson, team lead, HE visual arts, Cornwall College Camborne, said: "This is an amazing opportunity for our students studying the contemporary creative practice course to actually work on a live project that involves artists from across Cornwall.

“The brief to create a visual interpretation of one of Cornwall’s most iconic landmarks that maybe incorporated into a new collection of images, really gives our students the chance to showcase their talents and be part of this high profile project."

All the students visited the Mount to research their piece, looking at the castle itself as well as the gardens, harbour and interiors for inspiration. “We aren’t necessarily looking for the obvious,” said Shirley Hosking, retail manager at St Michael’s Mount.

“What we want are thought provoking but also commercially viable imagery. For these students to have their work displayed and made available to buy in a variety of formats to people from all over the world, will give them exceptional exposure and be a fantastic boost to their artistic careers. We really look forward to seeing what will be presented at the final presentation.”

The students are currently planning an exhibition of their work for the retail team to view, so that any future works can be chosen and plans made to turn them into commercial opportunities. “We have some truly wonderful pieces of art on display and I must say how impressed everyone is with the standard of work,” said Jamie.

“Our students have shown an exceptional eye for capturing the Mount in truly imaginative styles, using a wide variety of disciplines including print, painting, drawing, illustration, photography and more.”

Cornwall College is respected for its art and design provision, attracting many creative projects who want to work with the faculty. Recent projects have included a two year contemporary arts programme, supported by Arts Council England’s Ambition for Excellence scheme and managed by Cornish arts organisation CAST, and a Royal Cornwall Museum exhibition, depicting how Cornish miners influenced the landscape and culture in Mexico. A new undergraduate art and design project working with Truro Cathedral has just started.

The college has also secured budding artists a guaranteed progression route, from its art foundation course to art and design courses at Falmouth University.