Institutions seeking benefactors, take note: first impressions count! The art collector Tim Sayer, who has agreed to give his entire collection of more than 400 works by the likes of David Hockney, Sol Lewitt, Anthony Caro, Henry Moore and Bridget Riley to the Hepworth Wakefield in Yorkshire, decided to do so after just one visit to the Hepworth last summer. “I went to the Hepworth Wakefield for the first time ever in July to see the Caro show and was so impressed by everything I saw that I decided on the spot that this was where I wanted all my things to go,” revealed the retired Radio 4 news writer at a party held last night (16 March) to celebrate the bequest in his art-crammed north London home—which he is also giving to the museum.
Certainly the Hepworth Wakefield director Simon Wallis was looking very chipper in the knowledge that the surrounding works covering every wall and surface—as well as an extensive ceramics collection and walls of books—were now ultimately destined for the Wakefield’s permanent art collection. A particular highlight is a lovely little Alexander Calder drawing of a lasso-toting cowboy, spotted by your correspondent whilst in the art-lined loo.
In a few weeks, the Calder will be coming out of the khazi and heading north to the museum, to be exhibited along with another 100 or so pieces in Tim Sayer Bequest: a Private Collection Revealed (30 April-25 October). “When we are given works I’m always keen that they go on show as much as possible—I don't like keeping things in the vaults,” says Wallis. And the strategy has obviously worked as he has grown the collection with acquisitions and gifts totalling more than £7 million since the gallery opened in 2011. Some very effective lassoing, indeed…