September 30 2005
The regeneration of Wakefield’s historic heart today received a major boost with news that the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has confirmed its support for The Hepworth, Wakefield – a state of the art gallery to be built on the headland site of the Wakefield Waterfront conservation area. This Stage One grant* of £4.9 million will help kick start the construction of this new gallery, designed to house the city’s outstanding collection of 20th century British art, as well as telling the story of Wakefield’s artistic and historic heritage over the last 250 years.
At the centre of the gallery, to be designed by internationally acclaimed architect David Chipperfield, will fittingly be the unique collection of 30 original plasters used by Wakefield born Dame Barbara Hepworth when casting her bronze sculptures, donated by the Hepworth family trust.
Fiona Spiers, Regional Manager for the Heritage Lottery Fund said; “Barbara Hepworth is one of the most popular 20th century sculptors and what better place than Wakefield, her birthplace, to house some of her work in such a dynamic setting. This ambitious project will transform this area of Wakefield by using its historic and artistic heritage to act as a catalyst for further economic regeneration for the city and its surrounding areas.
“However, the hard work starts here for the partners to secure the remainder of the funding for this flagship project, which will undoubtedly put Wakefield firmly on the cultural and tourist map of Yorkshire and beyond.”
Wakefield Council Leader Peter Box warmly welcomed the news saying:”This is fantastic news for Wakefield. The new gallery will provide a modern and much more accessible venue for existing and new exhibitions, and a wide range of creative activities involving local people in their heritage. As a result, it will play a significant role in the overall development of the Waterfront and the City of Wakefield.”
Son-in-law of Barbara Hepworth, Sir Alan Bowness, former Director of the Tate Gallery, said; “It is wonderful news that the Heritage Lottery Fund has agreed to support the Wakefield art gallery project. David Chipperfield’s building will provide the perfect home for the collection of original plaster sculptures that the family is giving to Wakefield, Barbara Hepworth’s birthplace.”
This exciting and visionary project will also allow works by some of the most significant British Artists in the 20th century, including Anthony Caro, Ben Nicholson, LS Lowry and Henry Moore, who was born just a few miles from the proposed gallery site, to be displayed within a contemporary 21st century setting. Continuing on the regional theme, it will also display a collection of local landscapes from Wakefield and Yorkshire, most notably the Gott Collection – an internationally significant and rarely seen group of watercolour paintings, sketches and prints.
An innovative educational programme will be developed alongside the project to ensure that the thousands of visitors to The Hepworth, Wakefield can take full advantage of the learning opportunities that such a plethora of artistic and local heritage makes available.
This news represents yet another example of Heritage Lottery Fund investment into the Wakefield area. Just last week it was announced that the National Coal Mining Museum had been awarded a grant of £350,000, taking investment in the five towns area, combined with this latest grant, to £26 million.