From its foundation in 1923, the original Wakefield Art Gallery adopted an ambitious collecting policy with a core aim to nurture an understanding of contemporary art. Works by leading artists of the time, who have become synonymous with shaping modern British art, were collected, and it has a sculpture collection of real note. It supported locally-born figures of Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore at early stages of their careers, and gifts from local industrialists, The Hepworth Family Gift and most recently from Tim Sayer have considerably enriched the Collection. Holdings of the works of Barbara Hepworth are covered in a separate Curation.