My first introduction to Henry Moore took place in Toronto which houses the most important collection of the artist’s work. It only wound up in Canada after Tate refused to accept the sculptor’s gift of some forty major works due to the stipulation of the gift which stated that the work must always be on public view.*
“Forty years on, the Foundation continues to support artists, inspire visitors and promote the enjoyment of sculpture” – Godfrey Worsdale, Director
Now the redeveloped Henry Moore’s Studios & Gardens will open(Friday 14 April) with a new visitor centre and archive, designed by Hugh Broughton Architects, and a major new exhibition Becoming Henry Moore. The opening marks the 40th anniversary of the Henry Moore Foundation, one of the world’s leading artist foundations.
The Henry Moore Foundation was founded by the artist and his family in 1977 to encourage public appreciation of the visual arts. Today it supports innovative sculpture projects, devises an imaginative programme of exhibitions and research worldwide, and preserves the legacy of Moore himself: one of the great sculptors of the 20th century, who did so much to bring the art form to a wider audience. See our website henry-moore.org for further information about our venues, collections, archives and programmes.
The Henry Moore Studios & Gardens has a spacious new visitor centre, with a shop and café that open onto the artist’s seventy-acre estate of sculpture gardens and studios. The centre also has an interpretation space for education and events. For the first time, the entire Henry Moore Archive will be brought together under one roof in a state-of-the-art new building, which includes an oak reading room, six climate controlled rooms, and a further project space for the digitisation and conservation of materials.
The exhibition Becoming Henry Moore gives an insight into the influences on one of Britain’s leading artists during his formative years (14 April – 22 October 2017). Visitors will have the chance to view rarely seen work by Moore from his student days in both Yorkshire and London, from his earliest surviving commission – a First World War roll of honour for his secondary school in Castleford, completed when he was just seventeen years old – to his now iconic Reclining Figure of 1929, when the artist’s style was established. Moore’s work from the period 1914 – 1940 is shown alongside that of artists who inspired him, including Picasso, Michelangelo and Rodin. The exhibition will also be presented at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds (30 November 2017 – 18 February 2018).
Henry Moore was supported early in his career by the generosity of individuals, and later in life, he wanted to impart this generosity to others. The Henry Moore Foundation was created by the artist and his family in 1977 to encourage public appreciation of the visual arts and the work of Moore in particular. In the 40 years since it was established, the Foundation’s unique grants programme has awarded over 2,000 grants totalling over £31 million, funding sculpture projects in the UK and internationally, with many leading contemporary artists benefitting from its support. The Foundation has a range of exhibitions and events at its two venues in Hertfordshire and Leeds, takes care of collections and archives, and supports research to preserve Moore’s legacy and celebrate sculpture more widely.
Godfrey Worsdale, Director of the Henry Moore Foundation, said: “I am delighted to launch the newly developed Studios & Gardens to mark the 40th anniversary of the Foundation. When Moore decided to establish the Foundation, at the height of his success, he gave his own extraordinary gift. Forty years on, the Foundation continues to support artists, inspire visitors and promote the enjoyment of sculpture. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to this remarkable site.”
*PCR 2017
Becoming Henry Moore 14 April – 22 October 2017 Henry Moore Studios & Gardens Perry Green Much Hadham Herts, SG10 6EE