Women's Sculpture Park Faces Closure Threat

Claire Mander, director and curator of Colab, an arts charity focused on large-scale outdoor sculptures, is leading a fight to save the Artist's Garden, London's only women's sculpture park. The park, located on a neglected roof terrace of the Temple underground station, was envisioned by Mander ten years ago as a way to rebalance the historical underrepresentation of female artists in public monuments. Mander, who was studying for an art history MA at the Courtauld Institute in London at the time, discovered the site and was drawn to its potential despite its dilapidated state.

The site, originally part of the Victoria Embankment built in 1870, has a historical connection to sculpture, as the ground beneath it once housed a 17th-century sculpture garden created by the Countess of Arundel. Mander describes the roof terrace as "dirty, abandoned and a magnet for antisocial behaviour" before her intervention. She has since transformed it into a vibrant space dedicated to showcasing the work of female sculptors, aiming to provide a platform for artists often overlooked in the male-dominated art world. The park's existence is now threatened by proposals to repurpose the space into a generic venue for VIP events and cocktail parties, a development Mander views as a betrayal of its artistic mission. She stated, "We have to become warriors" in the effort to preserve the park's integrity and its unique contribution to the arts landscape.

Mander's initiative began a decade ago when she identified the underutilized space and recognized its potential for a significant cultural project. The Artist's Garden has since become a notable fixture in London's art scene, offering a distinct perspective and celebrating female artistic talent. The potential loss of this space raises concerns about the ongoing challenges faced by women in the arts and the preservation of dedicated platforms for their work. The proposal to convert the park into a commercial event space, rather than maintaining its artistic and cultural purpose, has galvanized supporters and artists alike to advocate for its continued existence as a sculpture park. The fight to save the park highlights broader discussions about public space, artistic legacy, and the importance of inclusive representation in cultural institutions.