Wakefield's Art collection celebrated at Downing Street

Last month The Hepworth Wakefield held a reception at 10 Downing Street to mark the end of a year-long display of art work from the Wakefield Council Permanent Art Collection.

The display featured five works by Wakefield-born artist Barbara Hepworth, as well as five paintings by some of Britain’s most significant 20th century artists – Spencer Gore, Ivon Hitchens, John Piper, Victor Pasmore and Walter Richard Sickert.

It is estimated that 50,000 international and UK visitors could have seen the works on display in the entrance hall and corridors of No.10.

Guests at the reception included a range of supporters and philanthropists; Penelope Curtis, Director of Tate Britain; Sheffield-born gallerist Anthony d’Offay; Lord and Lady Harewood; Martine and Jeremy Burton, Michael Ziff, Roger Marsh, Chair of Leeds City Region LEP and Yorkshire artist Norman Ackroyd, CBE, RA Also in attendance were members of Hepworth’s family, her granddaughter Dr. Sophie Bowness and Sir Alan Bowness CBE, former Director of Tate.

Simon Wallis, Director of The Hepworth Wakefield commented:

“Wakefield has such a significant art collection and our ambition at The Hepworth is to use opportunities such as this to showcase these works of art to a global audience. This enables us in turn to request major loans of works of art for the gallery while promoting Wakefield’s cultural offer to influential people in all walks of life. I am delighted that we have been able to show Wakefield’s art collection to the thousands of distinguished guests that have passed through the doors of one of Britain’s most influential addresses and to promote the gallery for the benefit of the region.”