City of London sculpture park for women artists faces closure

The Artist’s Garden, the world’s only public sculpture park devoted to women artists, will close on 1 October after Places for London refused to renew its licence for the Temple station roof terrace. The decision affects 18 commissioned works and an annual audience of 100,000 visitors, as reported by The Guardian.

Places for London, the property arm of Transport for London, said the terrace may require essential repair and safety works. A spokesperson told The Guardian that the space must be cleared to assess the extent of the work. The organisation is exploring alternative locations nearby with Westminster City Council and local stakeholders.

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Campaigners dispute repair claims

Claire Mander, director of theColab, the arts charity that runs the garden, disputes the need for repairs. She said the scope of works relates to upgrading commercial property below the terrace, not the roof itself. Mander told The Guardian she believes the site is at risk of being handed to a private developer for VIP events.

Their perception seems to be that we’re a small, pathetic female-led charity that’s doing some sort of nice little sculptural things. But we are prepared to take this to court if it comes to it.

Claire Mander, director of theColab

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The garden opened in October 2021 with over £500,000 of funding from Westminster City Council. It occupies a 140 sq-metre roof terrace above Temple station, a site Mander described as previously abandoned and prone to antisocial behaviour. The location was chosen for its historical connection to a 17th-century sculpture garden created by the Countess of Arundel.

Gender disparity in public art

Art UK found that of almost 1,500 monuments in London, more than a fifth are dedicated to named men. Only 4% honour women, half the number celebrating animals. Women artists created just 13% of the city’s public sculptures. The Artist’s Garden was established to address this imbalance.

Alexandra Hodby, head of programmes at Yorkshire Sculpture Park and a trustee of the Artist’s Garden, said such spaces have cultural and economic value. She told The Guardian that sculpture engages the public in ways gallery art does not. The garden has hosted works by artists including Lakwena Maciver and Florence Peake, whose installations have drawn diverse crowds.

Peake said the garden provides a rare free, non-commercial space in London. She told The Guardian it allows women artists to demonstrate ambition at scale, something she said is often dismissed when proposed by women. The site’s current exhibition, Sculpture in Three Acts, features works by 24 artists.

What happens next

TheColab has launched a petition to save the Artist’s Garden. Mander said legal action is possible if negotiations fail. Places for London said the terrace will remain a legally protected public space, but its future use is unclear. Westminster City Council has not commented on alternative sites.