Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

Photo to left: "Barbara Hepworth Museum" by Herry Lawford is licensed with CC BY 2.0.

Located less than 5 minutes’ walk from Tate St Ives, the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden is based in Trewyn Studio where Hepworth lived and worked from 1949 to her death in 1975. 'Finding Trewyn Studio was a sort of magic’, she wrote. ‘Here was a studio, a yard and garden where I could work in open air and space'.

Dame Barbara Hepworth moved to St Ives with her husband, Ben Nicholson, following the outbreak of WWII. Together, they founded the Penwith Society of Arts, and belonged to a movement of talented artists who resided in St Ives during the world wars.

For 26 years, Barbara worked and lived at Trewyn Studios. Her sculptural exploration of natural form is widely acclaimed and was even exhibited at the Venice Biennale during her lifetime.

Following her tragic death in 1975, Trewyn Studios were opened to the public as a museum by the Hepworth family, as requested in her will. Now run by the Tate, the Barbara Hepworth Museum is a favourite with culture vultures visiting St Ives and contains the largest collection of Barbara Hepworth work in the world. The museum provides a thoughtful insight into the life of this world-famous sculptor, and her Sculpture Garden remains just as she intended it to be when she curated it with her friend and renowned composer, Rainier. The studio itself is a time-capsule. With tools and half-finished sculptures remaining untouched, it tells a colourful story of Hepworth’s process of producing her work.

We recommend booking a combined ticket to tie your trip in with a visit to the Tate St Ives!