Libraries and leisure

Introduction to Hertfordshire's Public Art

Hertfordshire has about 300 pieces of public art sited in all parts of the county and is one of the county’s best-kept secrets. Some of the works are associated with the development of the Garden Cities and the New Towns, while others are due to urban regeneration. Stevenage, Watford, Hemel Hempstead and Welwyn Garden City/Hatfield are particularly rich in these artworks. However the rural villages and smaller towns often have noteworthy pieces as well.

Much of the work is 20th Century and there are pieces by a wide range of artists including Andy Goldsworthy, Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth, Rowland Emett and Franta Belsky. Hertfordshire artists, many with national and international reputations, are also well represented. These include Diane Maclean, Jon Mills and John Farnham.

Terry Sadler of the Hertfordshire Visual Arts Forum (HVAF) and Barbara and Graham Thompson of the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA) supplied the majority of the information provided here. They met in the autumn of 2001, whilst working on separate but related projects. They decided to pool their resources and information for a greater public benefit. They felt the HertsDirect website provides the easiest access to the most up to date records of such work.

If you have any additional information about these or any other
pieces of public art in Hertfordshire, please contact Catherine Davis, HCC Arts Development Officer, through the 'Contact Us' signpost on the right hand side of the page.