What The Hepworth Wakefield does

The Hepworth Wakefield is a registered charity (no. 1138117) operating an award-winning public art gallery in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Opened in May 2011 in a building designed by David Chipperfield Architects, the institution houses Wakefield's collection of more than 5,000 works of modern and contemporary British art, with significant holdings of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and presents a rotating programme of major international exhibitions. It serves a diversified audience including general public visitors, schools and universities, families, corporate partners, and high-net-worth art patrons, with 3 million cumulative visitors since opening and a 21% visitor growth year recorded in 2016.

The gallery monetises its offering through seven distinct revenue streams: ticket sales (£13 adult / £11 concession, with free entry for members, Wakefield District residents, and under-18s), a tiered membership programme (Patrons from £40/month, Collection Circle and Contemporary Circle from £3,000+/year), an in-house café, a retail shop with a parallel online storefront, corporate and private venue hire, donations and a fundraising arm (including a £3.8m Barbara Hepworth acquisition campaign in 2025), and limited artist editions. Underlying technology is limited to consumer-facing digital: an online ticketing and e-commerce platform, the Bloomberg Connects app for enhanced visitor content, and a Google Arts & Culture virtual exhibition partnership (launched June 2021). It has no public API, SDK, or developer-facing tooling.

The institution operates as a non-profit governed by a Board of Trustees, with founding public funding from Arts Council England and Wakefield Council and additional support from named trusts including Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Henry Moore Foundation, Art Fund, the Wolfson Foundation, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is one of four founding partners of Yorkshire Sculpture International (alongside Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park). Leadership was restructured in February 2026 with the appointment of Olivia Colling and Laura Smith as Co-Directors (Executive and Artistic). It is not publicly traded, is not backed by venture capital or private equity, and does not publicly disclose revenue.

Name

The Hepworth Wakefield

Legal name

The Hepworth Wakefield

Website

https://hepworthwakefield.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Hepworth Wakefield is a registered charity operating an award-winning public art gallery in Wakefield, UK, housing a 5,000+ work collection of modern British art and presenting major exhibitions. It serves visitors, schools, families, art patrons, and corporate partners through ticketing, memberships, café, retail, venue hire, and charitable fundraising.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Art Gallery & Museum

NAICS

Museums (71211), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Art Galleries & Exhibition Spaces (Commercial & Nonprofit) (THAJADAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Art Museums (THAJADAA)

Keywords

• Art gallery exhibitions
• Public museum collections
• Visual arts education
• Contemporary sculpture
• Cultural venue hire

Headquarters

HQ city

Wakefield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Paid exhibition entry at £13/£11 with free admission for members, Wakefield District residents, and under 18s. Online booking with £1 savings.
2. Memberships & Patrons: Tiered membership programme including standard Members, Patrons (£40/month), Collection Circle (£3,000+), and Contemporary Circle (£3,000+).
3. Café & Hospitality: In-house café operation with sustainable, locally-sourced menu. Every purchase supports gallery work and exhibitions programme.
4. Retail & Shop: Art shop selling limited editions, exhibition merchandise, books, and gifts. Also available via online shop.
5. Venue Hire: Corporate and private event hire of gallery spaces for conferences, weddings, and events.
6. Donations & Fundraising: Charitable donations, Barbara Hepworth Campaign 2025 appeal (£3.8m raised), and trust/foundation support.
7. Artist Editions: Limited edition artworks produced in collaboration with artists, sold to collectors and patrons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Hepworth Wakefield is a registered charity operating a public art gallery and museum that curates and presents exhibitions of modern and contemporary art drawn from its 5,000+ work collection. It sells paid exhibition tickets, memberships/patronage subscriptions, café food and drink, retail merchandise, and venue hire, and delivers community learning programmes. The gallery's commercial activity (shop, café, ticket revenue, venue hire) directly subsidises its charitable mission of exhibiting and preserving Wakefield's art collection.

Product overview

The Hepworth Wakefield is an award-winning art gallery and museum offering a unified visitor experience combining physical exhibitions, digital engagement, dining, retail, and education. The core offering comprises the main gallery displaying Wakefield's nationally important collection of modern British art (including works by Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore), rotating major international exhibitions, the Hepworth Prize for Sculpture, and the Yorkshire Sculpture International partnership. Supporting offerings include The Hepworth Wakefield Café (in-house seasonal dining), The Hepworth Wakefield Garden (free public garden with sculptures), the online and physical Shop (artist editions, publications, sustainable merchandise), annual fairs and markets (Print, Ceramics, Festive), comprehensive learning programmes, and membership tiers. Digital extensions include Bloomberg Connects and Google Arts & Culture partnerships for virtual access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Hepworth Wakefield Café: On-site café operated within the gallery serving brunch, lunch, and refreshments, with sustainably sourced seasonal menu featuring locally-sourced produce.
• The Hepworth Wakefield Garden

Products and services

• The Hepworth Wakefield Gallery and Exhibitions Public art gallery presenting exhibitions of modern and contemporary British art, including works by Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and major international contemporary artists, with paid ticketed entry.
• The Hepworth Wakefield Café In-house café serving brunch, lunch, and refreshments with a sustainably sourced, locally-produced seasonal menu; every purchase supports the gallery's work and exhibitions programme.
• The Hepworth Wakefield Garden Free public garden featuring outdoor sculptures, biodiversity initiatives, and educational programmes, open daily with year-round seasonal planting.
• The Hepworth Wakefield Shop Physical and online retail store selling artist editions, limited-edition prints, exhibition catalogues, art-inspired gifts, and garden seed packets, with an emphasis on sustainable and locally-produced products.
• Membership Programme Subscription-based membership tiers (Standard Members, Patrons from £40/month, Collection Circle from £3,000/year, Contemporary Circle from £3,000/year) offering free unlimited exhibition entry, shop and café discounts, preview invitations, exclusive events, artist studio visits, and priority purchase of artist editions.
• Hepworth Prize for Sculpture Biennial £30,000 award recognising significant contribution to contemporary sculpture by British or UK-based artists, presented as a flagship curatorial programme.
• Venue Hire Hire of gallery spaces for corporate events, conferences, weddings, and private functions, with catering support from the café team.
• Learning and Education Programmes Learning programmes engaging schools, families, adults, and community groups through workshops, curriculum-aligned sessions, and outdoor education in the gallery and garden.
• Fairs and Markets Annual programme of artist and maker fairs including Print Fair, Ceramics Fair, and Festive Market, supporting regional and national exhibitors and connecting them with visitors.
• Artist Editions Limited edition artworks produced in collaboration with artists, sold to collectors and patrons with priority access offered to Patron tier members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3 million visitors since May 2011 opening
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Henry Moore InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding partners of Yorkshire Sculpture International, working together with Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery, and Yorkshire Sculpture Park to position West Yorkshire as the UK capital of sculpture.
• Leeds Art GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of four founding partners of Yorkshire Sculpture International collaboration to celebrate Yorkshire's sculptural heritage and present contemporary sculpture exhibitions.
• Yorkshire Sculpture ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of Yorkshire Sculpture International, the UK's largest sculpture festival showcasing international contemporary sculpture across multiple venues.
• Grand Central RailminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTravel partner supporting exhibitions and events, facilitating visitor travel to the gallery.
• HiscoxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting Yorkshire Sculpture International exhibitions and previous sponsorship of Hepworth Prize for Sculpture.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Firstsite: Colchester-based contemporary art gallery with a similarly iconic modern architectural building, free public access, learning programmes, and a comparable UK regional scale and operational model.
• Leeds Art Gallery: Leeds-based public art gallery with a comparable 20th-century British art collection. A founding partner of Yorkshire Sculpture International and operates as a publicly funded free-entry gallery with similar institutional scale and audience.
• Ikon Gallery: Birmingham-based contemporary art gallery operating as a free-entry public venue with learning programmes and exhibition-focused programming. Comparable as a UK regional contemporary art gallery with similar scale, model, and audience.
• Turner Contemporary: Margate-based contemporary art gallery founded in 2011 (same year as The Hepworth Wakefield) with similar free public access, exhibition programming, café/retail, and award-winning architecture. Directly comparable as a UK regional contemporary art gallery of similar scale and vintage.
• Henry Moore Institute: Leeds-based institute dedicated to sculpture, sharing curatorial focus on Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and modern British sculpture. A founding partner of Yorkshire Sculpture International alongside The Hepworth Wakefield.
• Yorkshire Sculpture Park: Yorkshire Sculpture Park is a founding partner of Yorkshire Sculpture International and operates an outdoor sculpture park in Wakefield — the same city as The Hepworth Wakefield. Directly comparable as a non-profit modern sculpture venue with similar curatorial focus on Hepworth, Moore, and contemporary sculpture.

Broad incumbents

• Barbican Centre: London arts centre hosting major art exhibitions alongside theatre, cinema, and music. Comparable as a multi-disciplinary cultural venue with exhibitions, venue hire, café/retail, and learning programmes, though operates at significantly larger scale with broader programming.
• Whitechapel Gallery: East London gallery presenting modern and contemporary art with a strong learning programme, membership tiers, and patron circle comparable to The Hepworth Wakefield. Different in scale but directly comparable as a free-entry contemporary art institution with a patron-driven funding model.
• Serpentine Galleries: London-based contemporary art galleries operating in Kensington Gardens. Comparable as a free-entry public contemporary art institution hosting international exhibitions and a patron/membership programme, though with a stronger London-centre audience.
• Tate (Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives): Tate is the UK's national network of modern and contemporary art museums, with a multi-venue footprint and significantly larger endowment. Directly comparable as a public-facing modern art institution, though Tate operates at national scale with substantially greater resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/HepworthGallery
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/HepworthWakefield
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheHepworthWakefield
• Instagraminstagram.com/hepworthwakefield/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-hepworth-wakefield

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Hepworth Wakefield