Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) has renamed its main Underground Gallery The Peter Murray Gallery, in honour of the Park’s founder, Sir Peter Murray CBE.

The new name was officially unveiled at a special event, attended by artists, supporters, staff and friends of the Park on Thursday, September 17.

Set within the 500-acre historic landscape at West Bretton, the Peter Murray Gallery is one of YSP’s four indoor gallery spaces.

Opened in the early 2000s, the gallery established itself as a prestigious venue for large-scale exhibitions.

Artist Andy Goldsworthy with Sir Peter Murray and YSP Director Joe Hill.

placeholder image — Artist Andy Goldsworthy with Sir Peter Murray and YSP Director Joe Hill.

The renaming celebrates Sir Peter’s transformative leadership since he founded YSP in 1977 with a £1,000 grant, establishing what would become Europe’s largest sculpture park.

Joe Hill, director and chief executive of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, said: “Renaming the Underground Gallery The Peter Murray Gallery is a fitting tribute to a visionary who changed the cultural landscape of Yorkshire and the UK.

“Sir Peter’s belief in making art accessible in extraordinary places has shaped everything we do at YSP.

"This gallery has hosted some of the most ambitious exhibitions in our programme, and carrying his name forward ensures that his legacy continues to inspire artists and audiences for generations to come.”

Born in Middlesbrough, Sir Peter studied Fine Art and Education before becoming Principal Lecturer in Art Education at Bretton Hall College, where he founded Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 1977.

His pioneering vision established Britain’s first dedicated sculpture park, introducing a new model for presenting sculpture outdoors and making art accessible beyond traditional museum walls.

For more than 45 years, Sir Peter developed YSP into an internationally renowned institution that welcomes around 500,000 visitors annually, employs more than 200 people and contributes more than £10 million to the regional economy.

He was awarded a CBE and later a knighthood in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to the arts.

Acclaimed artist Andy Goldsworthy, who has a long association with YSP and whose work has featured prominently in the Park’s programme, said: “The renaming of the Underground Gallery in honour of Sir Peter Murray, who founded YSP in 1977, gives title to the voluminous book that the Park has written over the past 50 years, experienced by all who visit - read with their feet, seen with their eyes and felt in their hearts.”