Beryl Cook exhibition smashes visitor target
8 June 2026
We're delighted to announce that the hugely popular 'Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy' attracted nearly 104,000 visits during its run – exceeding its original target of 75,000 by almost 30,000. The exhibition, which celebrated the life and work of artist Beryl Cook and marked the centenary of her birth, proved to be the most successful show staged at The Box Plymouth since it opened in late September 2020.
Drawing visitors from across the Southwest, the UK, France, Portugal and the United States, it showcased 80 of Cook's best-loved paintings alongside personal items and archive material that explored her life, influences and enduring appeal.
The final attendance figure of 103,795 visits represents a significant achievement for The Box, which is one of the five finalists for this year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year Award, and highlights the continuing popularity of one of Plymouth's most famous cultural figures.
Jemima Laing, Deputy Leader of Plymouth City Council said:
We have been blown away by the success of Beryl Cook: Pride and Joy. It was a fantastic exhibition that, alongside high visitor numbers, generated an unprecedented amount of positive feedback, and which demonstrates the strong connection audiences continue to have with Cook's vibrant, humorous and unmistakably human depictions of everyday life.