Peter Thursby (1930-2011)
Born in Salisbury in 1930, Thursby went on to become a sculptor with an international reputation. He studied at the West of England College of Art followed by Exeter College where he focussed initially on abstract paintings, switching to sculpture where he beat Lynne Chadwick to win 1st price in a 1962 exhibition.
He became Head of the Art School at Exeter College in 1972, continuing to produce his own work at the same time. In 1959 he became a member of the Newlyn Society and gave up teaching in 1989 to focus on his sculpture full time, having received a growing number of commissions for his work.