Led by artists, curators and historians these special tours of the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden explore specific themes and highlights.
Tuesday 28 July - The Working Studio
Sara Matson, Exhibitions and Displays Curator at Tate St Ives, will lead visitors on a tour of how Hepworth used her studio complex. She will also discuss the changes that were made to create the museum and sculpture garden as we see it today.
Tuesday 4 August - Inside and Out
Artist Naomi Frears will discuss the inside and outside of sculpture, looking at the privacy of the studio compared with the public nature of exhibiting work. She will also discuss the public view of Hepworth's life versus her private life in her home and studio.
Tuesday 11 August - Hepworth’s Bronzes
Artist Ges Wallace focuses on bronze sculptures in the garden discussing how the context of the garden has influenced the work in the past and present. She will draw attention to the sculptural qualities of the plants that Hepworth chose for the garden with the help of her friend, the composer, Priaulx Rainier.
Tuesday 18 August - Abstraction in St Ives
Artist Greg Humphries focuses on Hepworth’s work in the context of other artists working with abstraction in St Ives. He will look at how the local landscape influenced the work of different artists, and how the context of St Ives and Hepworth's studio were particularly important to her work.
Tuesday 25 August - Hepworth’s Carving Techniques
Art educator Susanna Webster will take visitors on a tour of the studios and gardens, exploring the particular relationship Barbara Hepworth had with carving sculptures from stone, wood and plaster. She will discuss Hepworth's commitment to direct carving and her philosophy of maintaining 'truth to materials', which played a central role in her approach to her work. Susanna will include looking at Hepworth's techniques, tools and materials.
