This September marks 19 years since I started working at Yorkshire Sculpture Park – and I still feel lucky to be part of such an incredible place. As Senior Outdoor Gallery Manager, my role is all about looking after the outdoor sculptures. It might sound simple, but there are unique challenges that come with displaying artwork in the great outdoors and there is a lot going on behind the scenes to make everything run smoothly. 

Summer is one of the busiest times of the year for me and the Outdoor Gallery Team, especially with the opening of our headline exhibition William Kentridge: The Pull of Gravity in June. We start preparing months in advance, thinking through potential challenges, planning logistics, and getting excited about what is arriving. Every artwork brings something new and often unexpected, and that is part of what keeps the job so interesting.

Over the years, I’ve worked on 23 exhibitions in the Underground Gallery, as well as others in the Chapel, Weston, and around the Park. People often ask me if I have a favourite exhibition, and it often depends on my mood. Sometimes it’s Andy Goldsworthy, sometimes Nigel Hall, and sometimes it’s what has most recently opened. Every exhibition has at least one piece I fall in love with – something I’d happily take home if I could. The best part is how different each exhibition feels and how the spaces themselves change with every new installation.

One of the things I tell visitors, especially those coming for the first time is not to try and see everything in one day. With 500-acres of historic parkland, YSP is huge and there is so much to take in. I recommend focusing on one area such as down by the Lower Lake, taking your time and really looking. When you slow down, you notice the details and that’s when you tend to come across something quite special, whether it be wildlife or a sculpture. The heronry is always full of activity and if you wait long enough you can see the herons fly in and out.

Working at YSP for nearly two decades constant change I have seen sculptures come and go, weather every season with them. As the holidays come to an end, make the most of the last days of summer at YSP. Explore Laura Ellen Bacon: Into Being before it closes on 7 September and Felicity Aylieff: Expression in Blue 14 September. 

With free parking, free entry for 18’s and under, dog-friendly and accessible facilities, and cafés serving everything from ice cream to hot meals and £5 lunch bags, YSP is the perfect place to spend a day out.