The Institute is a part of The Henry Moore Foundation, set up by the sculptor Henry Moore (1898-1986) in 1977 to encourage appreciation of the visual arts, especially sculpture. Moore stated in an interview in 1981:
'The Foundation has two or three main purposes. One is to help the appreciation of sculpture generally because I remember that as a young sculptor, there was nothing; there wasn't a single piece of sculpture in my home town... Leeds Art Gallery had nothing of any value. Another purpose is to look after my own work after I'm gone: probably exhibit it and also keep some of my things in suitable places in nature.'
The Foundation is based at Moore's former 70-acre estate at Perry Green, Hertfordshire from where international exhibitions working with the Foundation's extensive Moore Collection are organised. Visitors are welcome to Perry Green where Moore's works can be seen throughout the grounds and in changing exhibitions.
The Institute is firmly rooted in Leeds, where we work in partnership with Leeds Art Gallery to manage the sculpture collection and archive of Leeds Museums and Galleries, a collaboration that has built one of the strongest public collections of sculpture in Britain. We are tasked with the responsibility to study sculpture, with our role to make a significant impact on the future of art history, placing sculpture right at the centre. We achieve this through programming an exhibitions and research programme that consistently re-thinks how we understand sculpture today, continuing Moore's legacy by making sculpture a necessary and relevant part of contemporary culture.
1976: The Henry Moore Foundation registered as a company/charity.
1977: The Henry Moore Foundation began operations.
Yorkshire Sculpture Park founded under directorship of Peter Murray.
1979: The Henry Moore Foundation announced plans for the establishment of the Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture in Leeds City Art Gallery.
1980: Henry Moore laid foundation stone in Leeds.
1982: The Henry Moore Foundation Trustees signed an agreement with Leeds City Council which led to the creation of the Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture within Leeds City Art Gallery, its aim being to further the study and appreciation of fine arts, primarily sculpture.
The first Head of the Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture was also Principal Keeper of Leeds City Art Gallery, Terry Friedman .
The Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture fostered the development of the study of sculpture by developing a library, archive, sculpture acquisitions and exhibitions with funding provided by The Henry Moore Foundation.
The Moore Sculpture Gallery within Leeds City Art Gallery was opened by the Queen on 26 November.
1988: In February, The Henry Moore Foundation established the Henry Moore Sculpture Trust, housed in a small room within the basement of Leeds City Art Gallery, to be the 'public face' of the Foundation.
Robert Hopper was appointed Director of this new Henry Moore Foundation affiliate.
Alan Bowness appointed Director of The Henry Moore Foundation.
1989: The Henry Moore Studio in Dean Clough inaugurated, opened 24 October by Prince of Wales. This was the principal arena for the work of the Henry Moore Sculpture Trust with contemporary artists. The first exhibition was Richard Long, High Tide to High Tide.
1990: MA in Sculpture Studies set up at Leeds University under the directorship of Benedict Read, funding provided by The Henry Moore Foundation.
1993: The Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture - then four staff: Head, Librarian, Research Assistant and Administrative Assistant - moved into the Henry Moore Institute, a conversion by Jeremy Dixon/Edward Jones of three former Victorian wool merchants' houses on a site next to Leeds City Art Gallery, connected to the Art Gallery by a bridge link.
The Henry Moore Institute opened on 22 April by Lord Goodman, Chair of The Henry Moore Foundation Trustees.
Penelope Curtis succeeded Terry Friedman at the end of 1993.
Exhibitions programmed to announce arrival of the Sculpture Trust:
- Romanesque: Stone Sculpture from Medieval England at the Henry Moore Institute
- Ulrich Rückriem at Kirkstall Abbey
- Lawrence Weiner at the Henry Moore Studio, Dean Clough, Halifax
1994: Initiation of the Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture Research Programme, with the introduction of Wednesday evening talks, study shows and an essay series.
Tim Llewellyn appointed Director of The Henry Moore Foundation.
1995:Research Programme had expanded to include annual fellowships, symposia, international conferences and a monthly newsletter.
First Archivist appointed.
First issue of The Henry Moore Foundation Review printed (Autumn 1995).
1996: The archive of sculptors' papers and drawings was transferred from the ownership of The Henry Moore Foundation to Leeds City Council, with the recognition that the City had responsibility to allow it to develop as a specialist collection.
First Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture Research Coordinator appointed.
1997: The Henry Moore Foundation offered support for three-year studentships for PhD candidates and two-year post doctoral fellowships in any area of the study of sculpture tenable at a British university.
1999: Remodelling of parts of the Institute by Dixon Jones, including provision of additional shelf space for books, improved facilities for housing and studying archives, slides and videos, better circulation in the library and more convenient offices.
The Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture was absorbed more fully into the structure of the Institute in effectively taking on its exhibitions role.
The Henry Moore Foundation and the Henry Moore Sculpture Trust amalgamated under the Foundation's name, the current trustees of both combining as a single board. The Henry Moore Sculpture Trust thus disappeared, but the programme expanded under Robert Hopper as Head of Henry Moore Foundation External Programmes, based at the Institute.
The Henry Moore Centre for the Study of Sculpture's activities were renamed Henry Moore Institute Programmes. Head of Programmes, Penelope Curtis, was made Curator of the Institute, and transferred from Leeds City Council to The Henry Moore Foundation employ, but continued to have responsibility for the Leeds Sculpture Collection.
Leeds City Council took over employment of the Archivist and Sculpture Technician.
The Research Assistant (now Assistant Curator) and Administrative Assistant continued within the City's employ to work for the good of the City's sculpture collections from the premises of the Institute, with monies provided by the Foundation.
The Henry Moore Institute team expanded to include a second Research Coordinator and a Slide Librarian.
Robert Hopper died at the end of 1999.
2001: Henry Moore Foundation Contemporary Projects set up, headed by David Thorp. It finished activities in 2004.
2007: Tim Llewellyn retired as Director of The Henry Moore Foundation in May, with Richard Calvocoressi taking over the position in June.
2010: Penelope Curtis left the Henry Moore Institute in February to become the new Director of Tate Britain.
Lisa Le Feuvre appointed as Head of Sculpture Studies in May.
Information compiled by Catherine Aldred, Gill Armstrong and Jackie Howson

We are open seven days a week with the bookshop and research library open from 10am - 5.30pm.
The galleries open Tuesday - Sunday, 11am - 5.30pm, with the building staying open until 8pm on Wednesdays.
The library is open from 1pm - 5pm on Sundays.