'I want to look to the future and build a 10-year plan': Meet the new director and chief executive of Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Having grown up with the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on his doorstep Joe Hill has returned home to run the attraction that inspired him as a child.
Originally from Batley, the artist took over the running of the park in April, the eve of the institution's 50th anniversary.
He said: "I always knew if the job came up at YSP, that would be one I'd want to go for.
"Growing up here, I felt like I knew it and I had that personal connection.
“It feels great to be back in Yorkshire."
Joe studied at Greenhead College in Huddersfield, which was where he discovered his love of the art.
He then studied art at a higher level in Leeds, before moving down to London to progress his career.
Joe said: "The only art institution we had growing up was Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
"It sort of shaped my interest in art and sculpture generally.
"I used to come out to the park a lot when we I was studying my A-Levels, so it's been quite interesting to come back and see it 20 years later.”
Following a rigorous selection process, Joe was chosen from dozens of international candidates as the park's new executive.
Before joining YSP, he served an eight-year tenure as director and CEO of Towner Eastbourne – a contemporary art gallery in Eastbourne.
Here, he won the Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2020 and hosted the Turner Prize in 2023.
Joe said: “Originally, I wanted to go off and be an artist, but I realized that that wasn't really for me.
"I'm too much of a people person.”
Next year sees the 50th anniversary of the birth of the sculpture park, which is Europe’s largest outdoor gallery, situated in the historic 500-acre 18th-century Bretton Hall estate and country park.
And there is much planned to mark the milestone.
Joe says there are impressive plans for the park, and what visitors can expect.
He said: "It's definitely up there in the UK as one of the most important cultural institutions.”
"I want to look to the future and build a ten-year plan, because here you’ve got the art, the great galleries, and this amazing landscape that could all be maximised.”
He said he also wants to make sure that it’s a big moment of celebration for the park's 50th.
There will be live music shows, more gallery programmes and illuminating the park so it can stay open later.
He said: "I’m trying to make it the best year for YSP and, hopefully, it will feel a little bit different.” Joe said.
During the past decade, Wakefield has become unofficially known as the 'City of Sculpture’ in the UK.
Joe said: “There’s The Art House, The Hepworth and YSP – there’s a huge art scene.
"So, if you wanted to be an artist or work in the art scene, you could stay in West Yorkshire and have a great career.”