The Newlyn Society of Artists was created originally by ‘about a dozen Trustees, about twenty-six artists, and about seventy associates’ (public subscribers, non-artists) according to Norman Garstin in 1921, when he was again appealing for support to resurrect the Gallery after the Great War.

The group who originally had applied to John Passmore Edwards for the underwriting of a new gallery in which to show their work were Stanhope FORBES, Frank BRAMLEY, Thomas Cooper GOTCH and Walter LANGLEY. Together with John CROOKE, Norman GARSTIN, Albert Chevallier TAYLER and Percy CRAFT (Secretary pro tem) these were the same people who formed themselves into the Provisional Committee to create the NSA, the fraternal arts organisation that would oversee the running of the Gallery and appoint the Hanging Committees for its exhibitions.

Establishing their rules of management, the Provisional Committee set out Articles 1-11 (Constitution of the NSA) specifying the name, purpose, geographical focus, the consent and reversionary clauses related to the Trustees of the building on Newlyn Green, and the rules of submission of works for the Society’s exhibitions. This Constitution remained in force, despite some changes of direction, until 1970, when new regulations and charitable status were introduced.

The longest serving Secretary/Curator of the early years was Henry Meynell RHEAM (1897-1920) who died in post. The longest serving Director of more recent times was John HALKES (1974-1990).  A full list of curators, directors, etc. is included in Hardie (1995) 100 Years in Newlyn, Diary of a Gallery, available from the WCAA, and the Newlyn Art Gallery.