The Hepworth Wakefield facts for kids
The Hepworth Wakefield and the River Calder
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| Established | 2011 |
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| Location | Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England |
| Type | Art gallery |
The Hepworth Wakefield is a cool art museum in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It opened its doors on May 21, 2011. The museum is right next to the River Calder. It's named after a famous artist and sculptor, Barbara Hepworth. She was born and grew up in Wakefield.
This museum took over from the old Wakefield Art Gallery. That gallery started way back in 1923. It had art from very old times up to the 1900s.
A British architect named David Chipperfield designed the building. He won a big competition for the design. Many groups helped pay for the museum. These included Wakefield Council and Arts Council England. The building cost about £35 million to create.
Just five weeks after opening, 100,000 people had visited. By May 2012, over 500,000 visitors had come through its doors. In October 2015, the museum started a special art award. It's called the Hepworth Prize for Sculpture and gives £30,000 to a winning artist. This prize was part of celebrating the museum's fifth birthday.
Cool Building Design
The Hepworth Wakefield building looks very unique. It is made up of ten blocks shaped like trapezoids. These are shapes with four sides, where two sides are parallel. The top floors of the museum get natural light. This light comes in through big windows in the slanted roofs.
From these windows, you can see the river and the city. The outside of the building is covered in a special concrete. This concrete was made right there on the building site. It was the first time this type of concrete was used in the UK. The architects chose it to make the building look like a sculpture itself.
On the ground floor, there are places for visitors. You can find a cafe bar with river views. There's also a learning studio for workshops. A 100-seat auditorium is available for events. And of course, there's a shop to buy souvenirs.
Amazing Art Collection
The Hepworth Wakefield has a huge space for art. It has 1,600 square meters (about 17,200 square feet) of galleries. Inside, you can see 44 plaster and aluminum models. These were given by Barbara Hepworth's family. They are working models she used to plan her sculptures.
The museum also shows art from Wakefield's own collection. This art goes all the way back to the 1500s. You can see works by famous artists like Henry Moore. He was born nearby in Castleford. Other artists include Ben Nicholson and David Hockney.
The gallery works with a project called Plus Tate. This project helps more people see British and international modern art. In 2024, the museum added a piece by Nour Jaouda.
In 2016, a news writer and art collector named Tim Sayer gave his art collection to the Hepworth. He left over 400 artworks in his will. This "Tim Sayer Bequest" was a very generous gift. It includes art by Gerhard Richter and Bridget Riley. Tim Sayer received an award from the Queen in 2017. This was for his help with art and charity.
Awards and Recognition
Just one year after it opened, The Hepworth Wakefield won an award. It was named "Regional Building of the Year" for 2012. This award came from the Royal Institute of British Architects. The gallery was also considered for the Art Fund Prize in 2012.
In July 2017, the museum received a big honor. It was named the United Kingdom's Museum of the Year. This shows how important and popular the Hepworth Wakefield has become.
See also
