Posted by Do you remember my Auntie Sarah? The one who made my yarn bowl and, incidentally, my salt pig?
She came to stay this weekend; we had a weekend of Wakefield’s finest art installations planned.
The Yorkshire Sculpture Park was our venue for Saturday. Little did I think to check that the two main galleries were open. Unfortunately they were not, both setting up for the next major exhibitions (apparently a major Henry Moore exhibition), but we satisfied ourselves with a decent walk through the parkland in the mizzle and took in some of the permanent installations, including some David Nash and Henry Moore, along the way.
Sunday saw us (persuaded the daughter too, this time!)at the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield, a gallery completed 3 years ago built in part to house a major permanent Barbara Hepworth exhibition, and in part as a step in Wakefield’s long term regeneration plans.
The £35 million gallery was designed by internationally acclaimed David Chipperfield Architects.
Photo from Artfund – click for link
You see, Barbara Hepworth was born in Wakefield in 1903. 5 years previously Henry Moore was born in adjacent Pontefract. Their paths crossed during study in Leeds; there are photos of them together in the gallery complete in 1920’s dress.
Wakefield is very proud of its links to these two prominent artists. I am not an expert on modern sculptors by any means but hence I can recognize a Henry Moore or a Hepworth immediately.
The white, white spaces with the River Calder backdrop in the Hepworth Gallery perfectly shows off Hepworth’s work. You could not fail to take amazing photos in this space.
We came home and (obviously 😉 )Sarah produced some clay from her car. Sarah and my daughter set to work recreating some Hepworth. They did a great job. We are looking forward to seeing them once fired.
That was all a bit different for a weekend, wasn’t it?
Whilst there are always Henry Moore installations on permanent display at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park the new major Henry Moore exhibition starts 7th March and runs through until the beginning of September this year. It is a pity we were a month early but we’ll be back.
Love, Lucie x
Love, Lucie 
It’s so frustrating to turn up somewhere to find the bit you want to see is out of bounds for some reason or other 🙂 Glad you had a good time in spite of the closure.
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Thankfully it’s only a couple of miles away, so not a wasted journey!
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What an inspiring Aunt you have! And to share the art love by helping your daughter with some sculpting of her own is just great. I’ve been to the Barbara Hepworth museum in St Ives several times and I love her (and Henry Moore’s) distinctive style.
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If ever I make it down to St Ives again it’s on my to do list! I can see why she might have made St Ives her home, over Wakefield!!
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Never having been to Wakefield, I couldn’t possibly comment. St Ives on the other hand, well, it’s an art and craft heaven, isn’t it?
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Wakefield’s beauty can be fairly well hidden but we appear to have huge foresight when it comes to art.
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What a lovely post. My mum came from Wakefield but I haven’t been for many years now – think I will add it to my list of things to do in the summer. I love Hepworth too. They have a dramatic sculpture of hers in the foyer Pallant Gallery in Chichester and if you are ever in St Ives do go to her a Sculpture Garden – really inspiring to see her work in her own home. Happy half term x
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I was just replying to Sewchet that I would love to see the St Ives Hepworth museum and that I could see why she had chosen St Ives over Wakefield!
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Wow, how lovely! I adore both Hepworth and Moore — how excellent to have local connections. And I am very impressed with your Aunt and daughter’s figures as well — I wish I had an Aunt who arrived with a carful of clay! xx
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There is not a lot she doesn’t have; turns her hand to most things!
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