Record visitor numbers for The Hepworth Wakefield
18 Apr 2018
2017 / 2018 was one of the most successful years to date for the Yorkshire gallery.
Following on from the gallery’s triumphant year in 2017, The Hepworth Wakefield is pleased to have achieved significant audience growth in the 2017/18 financial year with the gallery attracting 250,000 visitors, a 22% increase on the previous financial year.
The prestigious award of Museum of the Year 2017 was given to The Hepworth Wakefield in part of the audience growth achieved in 2016, the gallery’s fifth anniversary year.
It was recently announced that more than 1.01 million people visited the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle (comprising The Hepworth Wakefield, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery and Yorkshire Sculpture Park) between April 2017 – March 2018, making it one of their best years ever. It’s also more than the Houses of Parliament welcomed in 12 months.
The Triangle has embarked on another UK first after work began on Yorkshire Sculpture International (YSI) – a major international exhibition across all four galleries launching in summer 2019, which has already attracted £750,000 funding from Arts Council England.
“In a climate of declining visitor numbers to museums and galleries in London, we work hard to find innovative ways to broaden our audiences and encourage new visitors. We’ve become a valued social hub in the city and region where different generations can come to socialise, experience great art and learn. Winning Art Fund Museum of the Year has undoubtedly helped introduce us to new audiences and helped convince those who have long been meaning to visit to finally make the trip.”
