Goodwood Art Foundation celebrates first birthday

Goodwood Art Foundation finds itself in a really happy place as it celebrates its first anniversary.

When it opened on May 31 last year, the new attraction came promised as a major new chapter in the long and rich history of art at Goodwood – a new venture which placed the best in contemporary art in the most stunning of natural settings.

The intention behind it was to offer an inspiring and enriching experience for everyone, all wrapped up in a landmark new destination for contemporary art in the UK, showcasing the work of the very best international artists and curators, set against an environment crafted by leading landscape designer Dan Pearson.

As the venue’s first birthday now looms, Goodwood Art Foundation director Richard Grindy is delighted to be able to say that they have delivered, initiating a new legacy of culture, wellness and learning which looks certain to stretch long into the future.

From the moment of its conception, the venture has had three pillars at the centre of its vision: art, environment and education. It’s a vision which has become a reality.

“I think first and foremost it is a fabulous place to come to spend time,” Richard says. “I'm lucky enough to work here on a day-to-day basis, and the whole ethos of the place is for visitors to come here and to improve their mind and body health. They come through the doors and hopefully they will just feel better. It's about well-being. It's about the idea that if you spend time outdoors it is incredibly helpful to how you feel, and if you can do that at the same time as you are enjoying world-class art both in the grounds and also in our gallery spaces, then we really do like to think that that is a great combintion for both mind and body. That was our intention and I'd like to think that that is exactly what we're doing. I've heard from many visitors from all backgrounds and from all walks of life, whether they're interested in art or in landscape or just in being outdoors, that this feels like a very calm and tranquil space.

“The natural setting lends itself beautifully to that. You've got the wonderful vistas but also what Dan Pearson has done has been really important in strengthening those vistas and in strengthening that sense of being in ancient woodland. It’s a place that sets everyone at ease and makes it a great place to spend time with art. (Curator) Ann Gallagher has very much worked with that vision.

“But also one of the really key things is that we have got kids involved in art. It doesn't feel like a standard school trip where children are being dragged along to a museum, and it's just lovely when you see a group of 30 children running at full pelt from one location here to another. The children love it. They love that outdoor experience, and they love spending time in our outdoor learning hub, set within one of the wooded glades. The kids go to the hub and our learning team engage with them.

“I want them to come with their class but then to go back to their parents and say ‘I had an amazing school trip. I want to go back with you!’ For us it is a real success when that happens. We have four schools in residence where we have invited schools to come back for repeat visits throughout the year. We are very aware that to get real results you need those repeats visits that build up a relationship with the venue and with the art. I would think that in our first year we have had something like 800 schoolchildren through the doors but the point is that many of those have then come back for repeat visits.”

As for visitor numbers generally, Goodwood Art Foundation is on target: “In the first year we were looking at around 12,000 people coming through up until the end of December. We are aiming to double that this year (in the calendar year). We are not set up for vast numbers of visitors. That is not our mission or our business model. The idea is leaning into that sense of calm and tranquillity. We want it so that even when the car park is at capacity you should still feel that you are here on a private visit. It is not like the Yorkshire Sculpture Park which is much larger and with many more visitors. Here it is about small numbers with a deeper engagement with the art in a very calm and tranquil setting.”

However as they look to the future, the intention is certainly to grow those visitor numbers but in a way which doesn't detract from the key elements of the visitor experience.

Also in the future, the plan is for stage two of Dan Pearson’s landscaping, to create a more structured garden within one of the wildflower meadows: “Dan has drawn up a plan for that and we would like to begin work but at the end of the day it is about funding.”

Another key plan is to incorporate the former residential property on the site, Hathill House, into the foundation and its work. The idea is to use it as an extension of the visitor experience with additional exhibition space.

“We have got some initial designs in place but it boils down to fund-raising and philanthropy. To really deliver what we want we will need external support. It will happen when we have the funds in place.”