Yorkshire Sculpture Park: Spring Guide 2023

Welcome to Yorkshire Sculpture Park

Barbara Hepworth, The Family of Man, 1970. Lent by the Hepworth Estate. © Bowness. Photo © Jonty Wilde.

YSP is a charity, and a leading international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture, set within 500 acres of historic landscape. Discover around 100 artworks outdoors and experience a programme of world-class exhibitions and exciting events across our indoor galleries.

Spring brings beautiful changes to the landscape and there are many quiet spaces for a peaceful stroll and contemplation, as well as areas for children to explore and create lasting memories.

The season also brings new exhibitions to discover, both indoors and out. Six large bronze sculptures by Daniel Arsham are sited in the Formal Garden, sparking conversations around ruins, relics and what humans leave behind, and a powerful installation by Leonardo Drew reflects on the cycles of life and death, in the Chapel.

Vibrant works by Lakwena Maciver are on display until March in The Weston Gallery, followed by a thought-provoking new installation by Lindsey Mendick from April. Be sure to visit the headline exhibition of more than 50 works by Robert Indiana in the Underground Gallery, before it closes in April.

YSP is a registered charity with a mission to bring world-class art to Yorkshire for everyone to enjoy. Every penny from your visit supports our work.

Current Exhibition

Robert Indiana: Sculpture 1958–2018

Until 16 April 2023

Underground Gallery and Outdoors Gallery open daily, 10.00–17.00

Grounds open daily, 10.00–18.00

Continuing into this season is YSP’s extended exhibition of the influential North American artist Robert Indiana.

Through a selection of sculptures, paintings and prints, this exhibition traces the artist’s practice across six decades of significant social and political change. The show explores themes of his country's identity and the darker side of the American Dream, as well as personal history and Indiana’s complex character.

Themes of unity, acceptance and love run throughout Indiana’s work and

Robert Indiana Highlights Tour

Every Saturday and Sunday at 2pm

Free with YSP ticket

Meet at the entrance of the Underground Gallery for a bitesize tour of this major exhibition and discover more about Robert Indiana.

remain relevant today. The artist was an advocate for many human rights issues and central to the exhibition are his important social justice works.

Six monumental sculptures are sited in the landscape and illustrate Indiana’s deep understanding of form, typography, and colour, including several of his iconic LOVE works.

Robert Indiana, LOVE WALL, 1966-2006, installation view at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2022. Photo © Jonty Wilde. Artwork © 2022 Morgan Art Foundation Ltd./Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York/DACS, London.

The exhibition is supported by Morgan Art Foundation Ltd. and the Henry Moore Foundation.

Lakwena Maciver: A green and pleasant land (HA-HA)

Until 19 March 2023

The Weston Gallery

Open Tuesday–Sunday and Bank Holidays, 10.00–16.00

Lakwena’s bold new work combines thought-provoking text and vibrant colour to explore freedom in public speech and public space, using YSP’s historic ha-has as inspiration.

Common in 18th-century landscaped estates, ha-has are concealed, walled ditches designed to keep livestock away from formal gardens and to preserve the landowners’ uninterrupted view. Lakwena uses these historic dividing lines as a springboard to comment on issues in today’s society, asking whether we are really as free as we think.

In the gallery, canvasses resemble protest banners, a soundscape of laughter envelops the space, and a wall of paintings endlessly proclaims ha-ha.

A gigantic face mask, suspended from the ceiling, reframes the mask as a political statement worn on the face like a repurposed banner.

Lakwena plays with the ambiguity of the word ha-ha, and provokes us to consider what is being laughed at, whether we are laughing along, and whether all is as it seems.

Lakwena Maciver, A green and pleasant land (HA-HA), installation view at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2022. Courtesy the artist and Vigo Gallery, London. Photo © Jonty Wilde.

The exhibition is supported by Vigo Gallery.

Current Exhibition

Current Exhibition

Daniel Arsham: Relics in the Landscape

Until spring 2024

Formal Garden

Grounds open daily, 10.00–18.00

In his first UK museum display, six bronze sculptures by the highlyacclaimed North American artist Daniel Arsham are now sited in the historic Formal Garden.

Arsham’s sculptures appear as archaeological remnants of our time that he describes as ‘future relics’ –sitting between the real and fictional, the past and the future. The artist takes recognisable imagery, from ancient Greek statues to modernday animated characters, to explore

themes of decay and regeneration and spark conversations about how the relics of our time might appear to future generations.

Displayed in the 18th-century grounds of the Bretton Estate, Arsham’s sculptures resonate with the layers of past, present and future human activity that have shaped this unique place, and makes us consider what we as humans leave behind.

Daniel Arsham, Relics in the Landscape, installation view at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2022. Courtesy Perrotin Gallery and Arsham Studio. Photo © Jonty Wilde.

The exhibition is supported by Perrotin.

New Exhibition

Leonardo Drew

18 March – 29 October 2023

Chapel

Open daily, 10.00–17.00

New York-based artist Leonardo Drew’s abstract works are made from an abundance of individual elements to create dynamic, large-scale installations. His new work for YSP’s Chapel is a powerful reflection on the weight of collective experience, memory, the cycles of life and death, decay and regeneration. These themes resonate strongly within a building where lives have been played out for centuries.

The central material is plywood – either blackened or covered with coloured

and textured paint – which is shattered to create the building blocks for an enormous monolith that resembles an explosion held in time.

Drew resists prescribing exact meanings and chooses to title his pieces only with numbers in order “to give the viewer enough room to find themselves in the work”, although he has often alluded to socio-political issues in his practice. As a child, he lived near the city dump and described it as his treasure trove, collecting discarded objects, making things from them, and finding boundless creativity amidst adversity.

Leonardo Drew with Number 341, 2022, Art Basel: Unlimited, Switzerland. © the artist. Photo © Jon Cancro. Courtesy of Goodman Gallery, Galerie Lelong & Co. and Anthony Meier Fine Arts.

The exhibition is supported by Galerie Lelong & Co. and the Leonardo Drew Supporters Circle.

Lindsey Mendick: Where The Bodies Are Buried

6 April – 3 September 2023

The Weston Gallery

Open Tuesday–Sunday and Bank

Holidays, 10.00–17.00

Having graduated from Sheffield Hallam University, Lindsey Mendick returns to Yorkshire with a solo show in The Weston Gallery. Her multi-media installation investigates dreams, Gothic stories, television and shared cultural experiences.

Where The Bodies Are Buried takes inspiration from the popular 1990s UK soap opera Brookside and Edgar Allan Poe’s 1843 short story The Tell-Tale Heart. The installation immerses visitors in the realm of the artist’s recurring

anxiety dream. Set in a decaying house within the gallery, works include ceramics and stained glass emerging from the floorboards as hands, feet and limbs.

Mendick creates worlds layered with personal anecdotes, timeless myths and popular culture. She works predominantly with clay – a material that has historically been associated with decoration and the domestic sphere. She subverts these associations, creating intricate works that explore the roles and experiences of women in society. Mendick’s installations draw on her own stories and memories, with humorous, grotesque and beautiful results.

Lindsey Mendick. Photo © Elissa Cray. Courtesy of Carl Freedman Gallery, Margate.

Simon Palmer: Observation of Landscape

4 March – 11 June 2023

YSP Centre and Upper Space

YSP Centre open daily, 10.00–18.00

Upper Space open daily, 10.00–17.00

Over the past four decades, Simon Palmer has become one of the UK's leading watercolour artists. His distinctive works are inspired by the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales, where he has lived and worked for the last 40 years.

Palmer walks close to home every day, filling sketchbooks with pen and ink drawings, noting the beauty which surrounds him – the narrow lanes, railway bridges, drystone walls, farms, ancient trees, woodland and moors. Each scene is a starting point for his paintings, which

use a subtle colour palette to capture every season in watercolour.

This collection of Palmer’s limited edition giclée prints has been created from his much sought-after watercolour, ink and gouache paintings, with their quintessentially English scenes, reminiscent of wartime paintings from the 1940s.

All works are available to purchase exclusively through YSP Shop and online at yspshop.org.uk

Own Art allows you to borrow from £100 up to £25,000 and pay it back over 10 months, completely interest free. All proceeds from your purchases help to support YSP.

Simon Palmer, Swinney Beck Bank, 2021. Image © the artist, printed by Paul Berriff.

New Retail Exhibition

Henry Moore, Upright Motives – No.1: Glenkiln Cross, No.2, No.7, 1955–6. Courtesy of the Henry Moore Foundation. Photo © Jonty Wilde.

Art Outdoors

Discover a remarkable collection of world-class sculpture across 500 acres of 18th-century designed landscape.

YSP is the perfect place to enjoy a spring walk, with lakes, woodland, formal gardens, historic follies and rolling countryside to explore. Set against this beautiful backdrop is an ever-changing display of around 100 sculptures and installations. Notice the seasonal changes of the Bretton Estate and see several relocated works in a new light, as daffodils and bluebells bloom, and lambs return to the Country Park.

Art and Landscape Tours

Selected Saturdays and Sundays, April–September

Free with YSP ticket

Join our knowledgeable volunteers for a guided walk and talk exploring sculpture in the landscape at YSP. See our full programme of guided walks and book online at ysp.org.uk/events

Firm favourite with visitors, Hazmat Love by Tom Friedman, has been relocated to a new setting near Lower Lake, and Kalliopi Lemos’ Bag of Aspirations can be found on the steps of the Camellia House. Be sure to look up to spot Antony Gormley’s One and Other, now sited atop a tree on the path around Upper Lake.

Pick up a YSP Map to help you locate sculptures around the Park, or use our free digital guide via the Bloomberg Connects app.

Dogs are welcome in the Park but must be kept on a lead at all times.

Antony Gormley, One and Other, 2000. Courtesy the artist.

Photo © Jonty Wilde.

What’s On

You can enjoy a range of events and activities for all ages at YSP. Here are some highlights to look forward to this spring.

Find our full programme of events and book online at ysp.org.uk/events

Curator Walk and Talk

8 Mar / 11.00–13.00 / £12, (YSP Friends £6)

Join Helen Pheby, Associate Director, Programme, this International Women’s Day for an outdoor walk and talk, celebrating and highlighting works by women artists at YSP.

Teacher CPD: Cupboard to Classroom

11 Mar / 10.00–13.00 / £30 For teachers of all key stages

Teachers will explore new ways to make the most of the contents of the classroom art cupboard. Proving that making sculpture doesn’t need to be expensive, artist Puy Soden will guide teachers in a process-led approach to explore the possibilities of their art supplies.

© National Saturday Club. Photo © David Lindsay.

Sculpture Baby

15 Mar, 19 Apr & 17 May

10.00–11.00 / Free For babies up to 13 months

Spend creative time together at these sensory sessions in the galleries, inspired by the current exhibitions at YSP.

A Walk in the Park

18 Mar / Various times Free / For ages 16+

Take a walk with one of our ‘human books’ to learn about their story and experiences of being a member or ally of the LGBTQIA+ community. Each walk will last 20–30 minutes, from The Weston Gallery to the Chapel.

Mother’s Day Brunch at The Weston

19 Mar / 9.00–11.45

Enjoy our special Mother's Day brunch menu at The Restaurant at The Weston, including a selection of breakfast cocktails to kickstart your weekend.

Mother's Day

Afternoon Tea

19 Mar / 12.00 & 14.30

Adult £18.95 (with fizz £23.25), Child £8.95

Enjoy an afternoon tea of delicious sandwiches, savouries and homemade scones and cake, served with freshly ground coffee or tea. For an extra treat, add a glass of fizz too.

Printing with Nature with Artist Sally Gilford

25 Mar & 1 Apr

10.30–13.30 / £80 For ages 16+

Starting with a mindful forage in the Park to collect and observe nature, you will then explore gel and screen printing with natural forms to create your own collection of unique artworks with artist Sally Gilford.

Sculpture Adventures in the Hidden Forest

30 Mar, 27 Apr & 25 May

10.30–16.00 / Free –drop in / For under 5s

The magical Hidden Forest reopens this spring for you and your family to explore, create and play under a canopy of trees. Designed with under 5s in mind but all welcome.

Heritage Walks and Talks

Monthly events, Apr–Oct

Join our volunteers for fascinating tours of the grounds. Explore a different aspect of YSP's heritage each month, from the influences of European art and architecture on the landscape design to the creation of the lakes.

Outdoor Sculpture Building: Come Rain, Come Shine

3 Apr, 10 Apr & 27 May

11.00–12.00 & 14.00–15.00 / Free / For ages 6+

Work and play together to build outdoor sculptures inspired by artists at YSP. Make, stack, balance and assemble to create your own super-sized sculptures.

Easter Sunday

Afternoon Tea

9 Apr / 12.00 & 14.30

Adult £18.95 (with fizz £23.25), Child £8.95

Enjoy an afternoon tea of delicious sandwiches, savouries and homemade scones and cake, served with freshly ground coffee or tea. For an extra treat, add a glass of fizz too.

Discover in a Day

15 Apr / 11.00–16.00

Free – drop in / For ages 6+

Spark your family’s imagination and support your young person to achieve their Arts Award Discover. Take part in creative activities that will get everyone’s minds thinking, hands making, and imaginations soaring.

Steak and Wine at The Weston

21 Apr / 18.00–21.00

The Weston’s themed dining evenings return in April with a specially designed steak menu complemented by an expertly paired wine list.

Yoga and Gong

Relaxation

29 Apr & 27 May

9.00–10.00 / £18

Enjoy a breath-led, physical yoga practice outdoors, including a deep relaxation session accompanied by the nurturing sound of the gong. Gather together afterwards from 10am for a nourishing breakfast.

Photo © David Lindsay.

Live Performance: Off Centre

13 & 14 May / 12.30 & 15.00 / Free

Off-Centre: meaning unusual, unexpected, or queer, is a 45-minute performance that explores the relationships between bodies and surroundings. Experience choreography and musical performance in the park, as five dancers respond and connect to their surrounding environment.

Foraged Basket Making with Joe Gregory

20 & 21 May / 10.00–

16.00 / £190 / For ages

16+

On this two-day course, Yorkshire-based artist Joe Gregory will guide you to learn the techniques to weave a wild basket incorporating foraged, locally sourced wood and the finest English willow. Lunch provided.

Visiting Artist: Ami Horrocks

Ami Horrocks is the recipient of the Yorkshire Graduate Award 2022 and will continue her residency at YSP through to summer 2023. Horrocks’ practice investigates our environment through the female lens, drawing on lost female histories and goddess theory to explore connections between body and landscape.

Booking is essential for most activities. Full details at ysp.org.uk/events

Paid-for events, taking place during standard opening hours, include entry to YSP.

YSP entry ticket required for free events. Admission details on page 23.

Entry ticket includes car parking.

Photo © Paolina Varbichkova.

Learning events for everyone

YSP’s learning programme offers creative opportunities for all our visitors to discover skills and make memories. We have a vibrant programme for families, adults and communities, and a dedicated offer for schools and teachers.

For our youngest visitors, pick up a playful activity basket in the Underground Gallery and spark a conversation with the Talking Together cards. As the days get warmer, the magical Hidden Forest will re-open for child-led exploring, and our family favourite outdoor sculpture building returns. For families who love to explore, there are free Nature and Scavenger Hunts you can pick up, bursting with ideas to help you enjoy your visit.

Our schools and colleges programme supports students to explore and discuss sculpture in the landscape. Students can take part in artist-led Walk Talk Make and Outdoor Sculpture Building workshops, make screen prints inspired by Robert Indiana’s work, or uncover meaning through poetry and spoken word workshops. This year our teacher CPD sessions will focus on the importance of process and play with a series of handson sessions full of ideas to take back to the classroom.

Visit our website for more information, ysp.org.uk/learn and sign up to our e-newsletters to receive updates.

Photo © Paolina Varbichkova.

Photo © Paolina Varbichkova.

YSP's learning programme is supported by the Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation.

The Weston Gallery presents vibrant paintings and textile works by Lakwena Maciver until mid-March, followed by exciting new ceramic works by Lindsey Mendick from April.

In The Weston Shop you will find a unique collection of books, homeware, accessories, exhibition merchandise and artisan treats.

The Weston is open Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holidays. Restaurant 9.00–17.00, Gallery and Shop 10.00–17.00.

the rest of YSP, please book a ticket at ysp.org.uk

The Weston, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Huddersfield Road, Haigh, Barnsley, S75 4BX

0.75 miles from M1 J38

Photos from clockwise: Lakwena Maciver, HA-HA 1-27, 2022 (detail). Courtesy the artist and Vigo Gallery, London. Photo © Jonty Wilde; © Jack Hauxwell; © David Lindsay.

Food and Drink

Our food is freshly prepared onsite by our chefs. Every penny you spend in our restaurants and shops goes back into supporting YSP Charity.

The Restaurant at The Weston

Whether visiting YSP for the day or just calling by for lunch, enjoy the local, sustainable and seasonal menu, while taking in the stunning views of the landscape. Located at the edge of the Park with its own entrance and car park, The Weston offers a table service experience to all guests. The space is also available for evening and corporate hire.

To make a reservation, phone 01924 930004 or go to ysp.org.uk/book-the-weston

Open Tue–Sun and Bank Hols, 9.00–17.00

Hot food served until 15.30

Free entry to The Weston

The Kitchen at YSP Centre

The Kitchen, on the first floor of the YSP Centre, serves a seasonal hot food menu, freshly made sandwiches, snacks, homemade cakes and ice cream. It enjoys fabulous views across the Park from the outdoor balcony, as well as providing a large indoor seating area. Afternoon tea is available but must be booked in advance, phone 01924 832508.

On 19 Mar and 9 Apr there will be a special menu and live music to celebrate Mother’s Day and Easter Sunday.

Open daily, 10.00–17.00

Hot food served until 15.00

The Café at YSP Learning

The Learning Café is an informal setting with a dog-friendly outdoor terrace. Serving sandwiches, drinks, cakes and ice cream served by the scoop.

Open weekdays, 10.00–15.30

Weekends and school holidays, 10.00–17.00

The Coffee Shop

Located at the entrance of the YSP Centre, The Coffee Shop provides a takeaway service of sandwiches, snacks, drinks and ice cream.

Open weekends and school holidays, 10.00–17.30

Look out for our new mobile ice cream trikes located at The Boathouse and outside the YSP Centre.

Open weekends and school holidays (weather permitting)

Picnics are permitted in the Park. Please enjoy in one of our designated picnic areas and dispose of your litter.

YSP aims to provide a food and drink service that is inclusive to all our visitors. Our outlets provide vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options, and allergen information is available.

YSP Shop

Shop our unique collection of limited edition prints, exhibition merchandise, books, homeware, accessories and more in store and online.

YSP works closely with artists to develop unique artworks and merchandise for exhibitions. This year's spring retail exhibition is Simon Palmer, one of Britain’s leading watercolour artists, whose distinctive works celebrate the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales. Observation of Landscape will be displayed in the YSP Centre from 4 March, with all works in the exhibition for sale, alongside a range of merchandise including a postcard pack and mini prints.

YSP has its own range of exclusive products. Treat yourself to our new handmade, artisan chocolate – with dark, milk, white and vegan choices, there's something for everyone.

Also new this spring are these colourful vases from Sass & Belle. Fill with fresh blooms and botanicals to add a statement pop of colour to your home.

Visit YSP Shop in person at the YSP Centre and The Weston or online at yspshop.org.uk

YSP Centre Shop open daily, 10.00–17.00

The Weston Shop open Tuesday–Sunday and Bank Holidays, 10.00–17.00

Own Art allows you to borrow from £100 up to £25,000 and pay it back over 10 months, completely interest free. All proceeds from your purchases help to support YSP.

Photo © Sass & Belle.

Photo © Red Photography.

Host your event at YSP

We have unique event spaces available to hire to suit any occasion, from dinners to weddings, parties and celebrations.

The Roger Evans Auditorium

Located on the ground floor of the YSP Centre, this light and airy space offers a blank canvas for any decoration or theme. Together with the adjoining Boardroom, there is seating available for up to 80 guests. Bar facilities are available along with a small outdoor courtyard. Available for day and evening hire.

The Boardroom

A light-filled room with space to seat 12 guests, the Boardroom is ideal for small conferences, meetings or interviews. AV, projection, PA system and Flipcharts available.

The Kitchen Restaurant

Located on the first floor of the YSP Centre, The Kitchen provides a contemporary, flexible space with breath-taking views from the private balcony over the Country Park. Available for exclusive evening hire, the space is suitable for wedding celebrations, presentations and events.

The Weston

A distinctive, architecturally designed building, The Weston includes a lightfilled restaurant, boardroom seating 12, open kitchen, outdoor terrace and private car park. Perfect for any social occasion or business event, The Weston is available for exclusive hire on Mondays and evenings. Boardroom available to hire Tuesday – Thursday, 9.00–17.00.

Our dedicated hospitality team are available to assist with all aspects of your event. Please contact celebrate@ysp.org.uk or call 01924 832508.

Photo © Jonty Wilde.

Support Us

Feature on the unique artwork Walk of Art 2, created by artist Gordon Young and designers Why Not Associates, and be a part of YSP’s history.

Walk of Art 2 is formed of cast iron plates that build an extraordinary walkway leading to The Weston. A total of 10,000 names set across 200 plates will complete this ambitious, permanent art project.

Be a part of art by placing your name, family name or that of someone special on the next set of plates for Walk of Art 2.

Order online at ysp.org.uk/walk-ofart-2 or contact support@ysp.org.uk for more information.

Prices start from £125 per name. YSP is a registered charity and all proceeds from Walk of Art 2 help fund our work.

“YSP was a very special place to my parents. We thought that it would be wonderful to put their names down on the pathway, because they would appreciate supporting the Park and as a lasting memory for them.”

Photo © Jonty Wilde.

Thank you for supporting YSP

Our waterways are important habitats, home to great crested newts, water voles, carp, kingfishers, herons, geese and swans

It costs around £35,000 a year to look after our trees

We are responsible for the conservation of 6 Grade II listed buildings and 12 Grade

YSP’s energy bills have doubled to £300,000 a year

It costs £14,500 a day to open YSP to the public

We contribute £15 million to the regional economy each year

Visitor Information

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

West Bretton, Wakefield

WF4 4LG

One mile from M1, J38 SatNav WF4 4JX

hypnotist.stump.island

+44 (0)1924 832631

Entry Tickets

Standard Entry: £9

Champion Ticket: £10 (includes £1 voluntary donation)

Open Concession: £6

25s and under: Free Parking included

Book online ysp.org.uk

Free entry to The Weston

Dogs on leads are welcome in outdoor areas (excluding the nature conservation areas around Upper Lake) and can walk through the main Visitor Centre concourse. Assistance dogs only in all other indoor spaces.

Opening Times

(From 27 March 2023)

Grounds and YSP Centre

Daily, 10.00–18.00

YSP Shop

Daily, 10.00–17.00

The Weston

Tue–Sun and Bank Holidays

Restaurant, 9.00–17.00

Gallery & Shop, 10.00–17.00

Galleries, Food and Drink

See exhibition listings for gallery opening times and p.18 for food and drink.

Facilities for families

Baby changing in all toilets. YSP is breastfeeding friendly. The Living Room at YSP Centre is a comfortable space for baby care.

Children's menu and highchairs in all catering outlets.

Free activities and resources in the galleries.

Buggy friendly paths and buggy park.

Accessibility

Call 01924 832631 to reserve a free mobility scooter.

Some areas of the Park are difficult to access. Visit the Information Desk in the YSP Centre for guidance on accessible routes.

Priority parking for Blue Badge holders at the YSP Centre and The Weston.

Accessible toilets in YSP Centre and YSP Learning. Changing Places toilet at YSP Learning. All gender toilet at The Weston and the Bothy.

YSP is a registered charity and every penny from your visit supports us.

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YSPsculpture

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YSP is supported by:

Front cover: Daniel Arsham, Bronze Crystallized Seated Pikachu, installation view at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2022. Courtesy Perrotin Gallery and Arsham Studio. Photo © Anthony Devlin/Getty Images.

Back cover: Heather Peak and Ivan Morison, Silence – Alone in a World of Wounds, 2021. An Oak Project commission. Photo © Charles Emerson.

Download the free Bloomberg Connects app to access our digital guide.

YSP is an accredited museum and registered charity, number 1067908.

To find out more about what else to do in the Wakefield district, visit experiencewakefield.co.uk