Harlow Art Trust will host a national conference on the future of public art as part of our National Lottery Heritage Fund supported project Access Harlow Sculpture Town. This one-day event will bring together representatives from the heritage and arts professions around the preservation and long-term future of post-war public art. It will explore key themes including: new approaches to securing the long-term future of public art; commissioning and supporting new work; and strengthening collaboration between different stakeholders.

We welcome delegates from a wide range of backgrounds including: heritage professionals, curators, artists and sculptors, archivists, academics and researchers, urban planners, regeneration professionals, and representatives of civic and amenity societies.

Harlow is a post-war New Town. Over the past 70 years, a collection of over 90 public sculptures has grown in and amongst the residential, civic and leisure areas, earning it the accolade Harlow Sculpture Town. The collection includes works by Henry Moore, Ralph Brown, Elisabeth Frink, Willi Soukop, William Mitchell, Barbara Hepworth and Auguste Rodin. There will be opportunities in the afternoon to explore some of the key works in our collection with a guide.

There will also be a chance to visit the Gibberd Gallery to see the current special exhibition on the history of Henry Moore’s iconic Harlow Family Group sculpture. The gallery is also home to a permanent collection of paintings and drawings including works by John Nash, John Piper, Elizabeth Blackadder and Edward Bawden.

Harlow is located 30 minutes North East of London and is easily accessible from Liverpool St Station and Tottenham Hale Station. We will be providing free transport to the event from Harlow Town station. The event will be held in the Civic Centre, which also contains the Gibberd Gallery.

The event is free and we expect it to be very popular. Early registration is recommended.