One of the biggest sculpture exhibitions in the UK is coming to Sculpture by the Lakes this year.

FORM - The Sculpture Exhibition will feature some 200 pieces of both indoor and outdoor sculpture from some of the country's top sculptors with some 100 outdoor exhibits installed across the sculpture park's 26-acres of lakes, rivers, gardens and woodlands.

Among the works to be displayed will be pieces by globally celebrated artist Philip Jackson, known in particular for his many public commissions such as the Bomber Command Memorial in London's Green Park and the statue of Bobby Moore at Wembley Stadium.

Also featuring will be Adam Binder, a previous winner of the David Shepherd Wildlife Artist of the Year and a Member of the Society of Wildlife Artists, and Gill Parker celebrated for her equine and wildlife sculptures, which form part of many public, private and Royal collections.

Bronze sculpture artist Nicola Godden will be adding another exciting element to the festival. Her most recent large bronze sculpture 'Icarus' was created for the Olympic village for London 2012, and she is now working on a new large-scale Falling Icarus sculpture for FORM - The Sculpture Exhibition, where the finished piece will be displayed publicly for the first time.

As the grounds play host to large outdoor works, the Sculpture by the Lakes' indoor exhibition spaces The Gallery by the Lakes and The Retreat will come alive with a wide variety of gallery sculptures, including pieces by Paul Harvey, celebrated for his sought-after sculptures of birds, the subtle, pared-back animal sculptures of Stephen Page, and the abstract works of Mark Beattie.

The park and gardens will offer visitors woodland and garden walks around the lakes and alongside the River Frome and the opportunity to explore the indoor exhibition areas.

Art lovers will not only be able to view a range of sculptures but will also be able to buy the exhibits, which will range from £1,000 to £300,000.

The event has been curated by Simon Gudgeon, an acclaimed sculptor and the owner and founder of Sculpture by the Lakes at Pallington near Dorchester.

He said: "The way sculpture interacts with its environment, changing with the light, the weather, the seasons, means that where you experience it is vitally important.

"Putting large scale sculptures in a museum or gallery diminishes their power - but in a beautiful, natural environment, that power is restored; they come alive. That was one of the reasons I started Sculpture by the Lakes many years ago - and why I am putting this event together now.

"This is something I have been thinking about for years now and I am thrilled to be seeing it come to fruition. It is a rare and special opportunity for sculpture lovers to see and enjoy the works of some of the best sculptors from across the UK together in one place for the first time. It is going to be truly spectacular."

Alongside FORM - The Sculpture Exhibition, which runs from March 30 to May 16, will be The Garden Festival, taking place in the final week from May 12 to 16.

It will be a five-day event with more than 30 exhibitors, featuring everything to do with the garden, from plants to tools to garden furniture. Alongside the exhibits will be expert talks and tours of the park with its botanic and kitchen gardens, which were all created by head gardener and co-founder of Sculpture by the Lakes, Monique Gudgeon.

She said: "As our many visitors have told us over the years, visiting Sculpture by the Lakes is as much about the gardens and the beauty of this setting as it is about the sculptures. The two go hand in hand; I have designed this landscape to best showcase the sculpture, just as Simon has been inspired by this setting in the work he has produced.

"So, it seemed right that a gardening event would sit very well alongside a sculpture exhibition here - reflecting our twin passions and celebrating everything that makes Sculpture by the Lakes so special."

Tickets for FORM - The Sculpture Exhibition will be priced at £12.50, which is the standard price of entry to Sculpture by the Lakes.

For more information, visit sculpturebythelakes.co.uk

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