A museum in Yorkshire has been named the best in the UK, ahead of the Tate Modern and Science Museum in London. Claiming the accolade for Museum of the Year 2017, the Hepworth Wakefield has received the prestigious award and £100,000 prize money for being the perfect stage for both its permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. 

Formerly known as the Gulbenkian Prize and the Art Fund Prize, The Art Fund Museum of the Year is awarded annually to a museum or a gallery in the UK that shows exceptional imagination, innovation and creativity in all areas of business. Stephen Deuchar, Director of the Art Fund described the Hepworth as “a museum everyone would dream of having on their doorstep”.

Now in its fifth year, the Hepworth is has 65,000 square feet of space and is UK’s largest purpose-built gallery. Named after the acclaimed sculptor, Barbara Hepworth, who was born in Wakefield, the museum showcases an important permanent collection of key works by an array of leading British artists.

The collection, consisting of over 5,500 works, is aimed at nurturing an understanding of contemporary art and inspiring young people to broaden their horizons and fulfil their potential. The Hepworth’s achievements in creating a home for Wakefield’s significant art collection as well as providing access to inspiring, word-class art were rewarded back in 2013, when the museum won the Clore Learning Award.

Barbara Hepworth’s Pierced Hemisphere (pictured) is part of a remarkable 44-piece collection, given to the museum by the Hepworth family, and served as one of the main reasons for building a new gallery in Wakefield.

The Hepworth Family Gift collection features Hepworth’s surviving plaster models for her bronze sculptures and also includes works by her artist friends, including paintings by John Wells and Breon O’Casey, and ceramics by Janet Leach.

Another Wakefield local, whose work is featured in the Hepworth, is Henry Moore. Best known for his semi-abstract bronze sculptures, like this Two Piece Reclining Figure (pictured), Moore’s work represents an important period of abstract experimentation in the history of British art.

The gallery also boasts an impressive temporary exhibition space that is currently showcasing the Howard Hodgkin: Painting India exhibition until 8 October. With more than 35 works on display, the exhibition focuses on Hodgkin’s experiences in India since the first trip he took over 50 years ago.

Located in West Yorkshire, the museum is a major cultural asset for the area and is at the heart of Wakefield’s regeneration. Alongside the historically important Wakefield Waterfront area with its listed mills and warehouses, and the on-going city centre developments, the Hepworth is an exceptional addition to the area’s offering.

Nearby, visitors can also explore the medieval castle ruins of Sandal Castle, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Brontë Parsonage Museum, located inside the Brontë family home.