The Hepworth Family Gift consists of 44 full size, rarely seen working models – surviving prototypes in plaster and aluminium made in preparation for the works in bronze Hepworth executed from the mid-1950s to the end of her career. It also includes drawings and a large group of lithographs and screen prints by Barbara Hepworth, and has been given to The Hepworth Wakefield, via the Art Fund, by the artist’s daughters Rachel Kidd and Sarah Bowness, through the Trustees of the Barbara Hepworth Estate. The Hepworth at Work display explores Hepworth’s studio environment, her work in plaster, her collaborative relationships with bronze foundries and the monumental commissions she received in the last fifteen years of her life. The tools and materials on display were Hepworth’s own and have been drawn from her second studio in St Ives, the Palais de Danse. Also featured is a step-by-step reconstruction of the bronze-casting process, photographs of works in progress and four specially commissioned films containing archival footage of the artist in her studio. The gallery introduces The Hepworth Family Gift, a unique collection of Hepworth’s working models that is on permanent display at The Hepworth Wakefield. Representing the first stage of the creative process, they offer an invaluable insight into her art and, in particular, her approach to working with plaster. The collection reflects the variety of ways in which Hepworth used plaster and aluminium. She preferred to make prototypes on the same scale as the finished sculptures and would have worked directly on the majority of these models. The centrepiece of the Gift is the aluminium prototype for Winged Figure, 1961 – 3, the sculpture commissioned by John Lewis Partnership for their flagship store on Oxford Street, London. At nearly six metres high, this is the only working model to survive for the monumental commissions Hepworth received in later life.

British artist Helen Chadwick (1953 – 1996) embraced the sensuous aspects of the natural world, breaking taboos of the ‘traditional’ or ‘beautiful’ in art history. This major retrospective will be the first in over 25 years, and will chart the development of Chadwick’s art from her renowned degree show piece In the Kitchen (1977) through to her Piss Flowers (1991–2). Chadwick’s experiments across mediums were innovative and unconventional; typically combining aesthetic beauty with an alliance of unusual, often grotesque materials. She consistently expressed a feminist perspective steeped in humour, and employed a vast range of materials in unexpected ways, incorporating bodily fluids, meat, flowers, chocolate and compost into her works. Through her skilled use of traditional fabrication methods and sophisticated technologies, she quickly established herself as a leading figure amongst Britain’s post-war avant-garde, becoming one of the first women artists to be nominated for the Turner Prize in 1987. The exhibition will highlight Chadwick’s significant impact and contributions to British and international art history by demonstrating her relevance to contemporary feminist concerns, her evolution of material culture and her consistently playful approach. One of ‘the exhibitions you must see in 2025’ Art Fund ‘Helen Chadwick was a force of nature – outspoken, inventive and full of ideas. Her death in 1996 at 42 curtailed a career marked by its adventurousness and use of a startling range of materials.’ Adrian Searle, The best art and architecture shows to visit in 2025, The Guardian ‘The influential British artist Helen Chadwick (1953-1996) wasn’t just innovative and unconventional, she was also funny. Her feminist explorations and subversions of what is beautiful or natural used unexpected materials (bodily fluids, meat, flowers, chocolate, compost) alongside both traditional and emerging technologies.’ Nancy Durrant, The 10 best exhibitions to see in 2025, The Times The Observer The Sunday Times The Guardian The Guardian AnOther The Times The Guardian The Times Creative Tourist 4 April – 4 November 2025, Leeds Art Gallery, FREE Fri 16 May, 7-10pm, FREE. No need to RSVP, just turn up! Publishing this spring, in association with The Hepworth Wakefield, the first critical biography of Helen Chadwick. Edited by Laura Smith, Director of Collection and Exhibitions at The Hepworth Wakefield. Exhibition Supporters: The Helen Chadwick Exhibition Circle: Marguerite Steed Hoffman & those who wish to remain anonymous Paint Partner: Chocolate Partner: Publication Supporter:

Caroline Walker (b.1982, Dunfermline) studied painting at Glasgow School of Art and the Royal College of Art, London, and is known for her accomplished paintings which offer a lens into the everyday lives of women. Through her large canvases, intimate panels and ink sketches, she portrays diverse female subjects in settings that blur the boundaries between public and private. Her works reveal the complex social, cultural and economic experiences of women living in contemporary society. The exhibition will bring together works made over the past five years with new paintings exploring themes of motherhood and early-years care. Caroline Walker: Mothering is accompanied by an illustrated monograph of the same title, published by Lund Humphries in September 2025. The exhibition will travel to Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, from 22 November 2025 – 10 May 2026. ‘The subject of my paintings in its broadest sense is women’s experience, whether that is the imagined interior life of a glimpsed shop worker, a closely observed portrayal of my mother working in the family home, or women I’ve had the privilege of spending time with, in their place of work. From the anonymous to the highly personal, what links all these subjects is an investigation of an experience which is specifically female.’ Caroline Walker On the occasion of the exhibition Caroline Walker: Mothering at The Hepworth Wakefield, we are delighted to release a new limited edition lithographic print by Walker. The lithographic print features a scene from ‘Little Bugs’, the outdoor nursery attended by Walker’s daughter. Lithograph in 9 colours onto Somerset 300gsm white satin paper 48cm x 59cm Edition of 35 Signed and numbered by the artist Shop now The Guardian The Guardian Apollo The Observer Wallpaper 17 May - 27 October 2025 Sat 14 June, 1.30-3pm, from £5 to £16 Sat 6 Sept, 1.30 - 2.30pm, from £7 to £16 Headline Supporter: Exhibition Supporters: Paint Partner:

With an array of activities – from Garden Play and Art Pods to drop-in workshops led by local artists – it’s the perfect opportunity to get creative as a family. We can’t wait to welcome you to the gallery this summer. Family activities are FREE with an exhibition ticket. Exhibition tickets are FREE for Members, Wakefield District residents and under 18s. Non-Wakefield residents can get 50% off a standard adult ticket when visiting with a child during the Wakefield school holidays. Use discount code FAMILY50 when booking online or in person. (One discounted adult ticket per child.) Full price entry to the exhibitions is £13 / £11. Celebrate National Playday with fun creative activities for all ages in the galleries, learning studios and garden. Find out more at https://hepworthwakefield.org/whats-on/national-playday/ Transform yourself into a sculpture, create a life-size portrait or carve your own soap sculpture in our weekly family workshops. Find out more at https://hepworthwakefield.org/family-workshops/ Stack, build, experiment, draw and imagine with your family in The Hepworth Wakefield Garden. Find out more at hepworthwakefield.org/whats-on/garden-play Visit the galleries with your family and join us at the Art Pod to make your own artwork inspired by what you see. Find out more about Art Pod at hepworthwakefield.org/whats-on/art-pods/ Have fun moving, imagining and creating drawings inspired by what you find in our galleries and garden. Find out more about Explore and Draw Kits at hepworthwakefield.org/whats-on/explore-draw-kits Borrow looking tools, handling objects and drawing materials inspired by the artworks in the galleries. Find out more about Explore and Draw stations at hepworthwakefield.org/whats-on/explore-draw-stations/ Pick up an activity sketchbook to discover birds, mini-beasts, plants and trees in The Hepworth Wakefield Garden. Find out more about What’s in our Garden? at hepworthwakefield.org/whats-on/whats-in-our-garden/ You can find us at The Hepworth Wakefield, Gallery Walk, Wakefield, WF1 5AW. Our car park is located on Thornes Lane, WF1 5QJ. The gallery is 0.3 miles from Wakefield Kirkgate train station (approximately 8 minutes walk) and 1 mile from Westgate train station (approximately 20 minutes walk). Our café serves food for children or bring a packed lunch to enjoy in our garden or indoor picnic area. The Hepworth Wakefield is accessible, has baby changing facilities and a buggy park in our picnic are. For access information about the gallery please visit our access page.