Programming Art in Open Air: Inside Yorkshire Sculpture Park with Dr. Alex Hodby

<p><a href="https://ysp.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">Yorkshire Sculpture Park</a> is one of the most distinctive arts institutions in the UK, and indeed in Europe, being the largest sculpture park on the continent. Set across 500 acres of West Yorkshire countryside, it has worked with over 1,000 artists across its 49-year history, and the landscape itself is as much a part of the experience as the work within it.</p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation, Alex takes us inside what it means to programme at that scale and in that context. </p><p>We talk about</p><ul><li><strong>her path to the role</strong>, including her earlier time at YSP and what brought her back</li><li>and <strong>what makes programming in an outdoor setting so fundamentally different from working in a traditional gallery or museum</strong></li></ul><p>We get into</p><ul><li>how YSP <strong>builds and sustains its artist relationships</strong> over time</li><li>how <strong>accessibility plays out when your gallery is essentially a landscape</strong></li><li>and <strong>how the broader conversation around land, ecology, and heritage has shaped the curatorial direction of the programme</strong>.</li></ul><p><br></p><p>I had a wonderful time up at YSP, so a huge THANK YOU to the team there as well as the lovely team at <a href="https://suttoncomms.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Sutton</a> for getting me to the sculpture park, allowing me to walk amongst the adorable sheep 🐑, and experience the wonderful ways of outdoor art. ✨👉 <em><strong>I 1000/10 recommend making a trip to West Yorkshire to experience it for yourself! 👈</strong></em>✨</p><p><br></p><p>You can follow <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yspsculpture/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">YSP</a> on Instagram here: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yspsculpture/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">https://www.instagram.com/yspsculpture/?hl=en</a></p><p><br></p><p>- - - - - </p><p>If you love what we do, support ALL ABOUT ART on PATREON!  <a href="https://www.patreon.com/allaboutart" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">⁠https://www.patreon.com/allaboutart⁠</a></p><p><br></p><p>Keep up to date on Instagram @allaboutartpodcast  <a href="https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/ " target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferer">⁠https://www.instagram.com/allaboutartpodcast/⁠ </a></p><p><br></p><p>ABOUT THE HOST:</p><p>I am an Austrian-American art historian,