Burberry Chief Bailey to Announce Winner of Inaugural Hepworth Prize for Sculpture, Hepworth Wakefie
Christopher Bailey, Chief Creative and Chief Executive Officer of leading luxury British fashion house Burberry, will announce the winner of the first Hepworth Prize for Sculpture at an awards ceremony at The Hepworth Wakefield on 17 November 2016.
An exhibition of works by the four shortlisted artists - Phyllida Barlow, Steven Claydon, Helen Marten and David Medalla – has just opened at The Hepworth Wakefield and runs until 19 February 2017.
The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture recognises a British or UK-based artist of any age, at any stage in their career, who has made a significant contribution to the development of contemporary sculpture. The shortlist reflects the wide range of sculptural practice taking place in the UK today.
The Prize was created to celebrate the gallery's 5th anniversary during 2016. Significantly, it is named after Barbara Hepworth, one of Britain's greatest sculptors and arguably its most celebrated female artist, who was born and brought up in Wakefield. The Hepworth Wakefield has the largest number of works by the artist on permanent display anywhere in the UK.
The Hepworth Wakefield’s Director, Simon Wallis said: “We are living in an exceptionally rich and exciting time for experiencing sculpture in this country and yet there was no significant Prize to recognise this art form. We launched the UK’s first major art prize to celebrate sculpture in its broadest sense and to promote wider engagement with this art form. It’s an art form reflective of our time, our physical environment and that’s why sculpture remains our most significant and dominant form of artistic expression and why it deserves to be celebrated.”
The judging panel of five leading international commentators within the field of visual arts have been brought together. The panel comprises: Carolyn Christov-Bakargiev, Director of Castello di Rivoli Museo d’Arte Contemporanea and GAM – Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Torino; David Chipperfield: architect and designer of The Hepworth Wakefield; Sheikha Hoor al-Qasimi, President Sharjah Art Foundation; Patrizia Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, President of The Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, collector and patron of the arts and Alastair Sooke, art critic and broadcaster.
The Hepworth Prize for Sculpture is supported by the following individuals:
Linda Bennett, David Liddiment and David Roberts.
The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield, West Yorkshire WFI 5AW.
Tel: +44 (0)1924 247360.
Admission Free
Opening Hours: 10am - 5pm Tuesday – Sunday; 10am - 9pm Third Thursday of the month; Closed Mondays (except local school holidays and bank holidays)
