The Hepworth Wakefield

Tue 13th Apr 2027

09:00 am

Lecturer: Local guide

A vist by coach to The Hepworth Wakefield

This is an iconic art gallery, designed by David Chipperfield, which opened in 2011 to house a permanent collection of work by Barbara Hepworth. It includes gallery spaces for other temporary exhibitions. It was the Art Fund Museum of the year 2017. The Wakefield collection goes back to 1927 and promotes an understanding of contemporary art and its relation to modern life.

Barbara Hepworth was born and brought up in Wakefield and Henry Moore was born in nearby Castleford. The galleries show their work and that of Ben Nicholson, Patrick Heron and L.S. Lowry as well as that of significant modern artists.

We will have a guided tour of the exhibition “Mark Chagall: The Circus”, the theme of which is his fascination with the circus. Throughout his prolific career, Marc Chagall (1887-1985) returned time and again to the vivid imagery of acrobats, clowns and fantastical performers. Chagall’s celebrated lithographs on this subject will be shown, alongside paintings and archival material to provide an introduction to his work and life.

“For me a circus is a magic show that appears and disappears like a world. A circus is disturbing, it is profound”.

The other temporary exhibition is “Ida Ekblad: World’s Largest Metaphor”, her first major solo exhibition. She is one of the most compelling artists working today. Based in Oslo, Norway, her work spans multiple mediums, often blurring the lines between painting and sculpture. Her work is characterised by the recycling of materials and visual motifs drawn from a wide range of references from contemporary pop culture to folklore and Expressionist painting. She creates richly layered textured oils on linen that pulse with energy and colour, then transforms these paintings into monumental sculptures in metal and glass.

All of the above-mentioned activities in addition to time spent browsing in the shop and in the landscaped garden area next to the River Calder add up to a fascinating and enjoyable day out for our members

The gallery and grounds are highly accessible, and ramps give access to all areas.