Opening to the public today, the first marks the 170th anniversary of the Wakefield and North of England Tulip Society, while the second features work by UK-based Irish artist Liadin Cooke.
Old Flames has been organised in association with the tulip society – the only surviving organisation of its kind in the UK. Beautiful historic prints from the RHS Lindley Library, contemporary paintings and photographs illustrate the fascinating history of the tulip, which has inspired artists for centuries.
The exhibition at the sculpture park, near Bretton, Wakefield, is also complemented by a display of 600 real tulips planted last winter by members of the society and local schoolchildren to create a living display of deep pink and purple blooms.
Meanwhile, Overlay: Sculpture and Drawings by Liadin Cooke, includes the artist's response to subjects that vary from Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre to the names of forgotten tulips from the Ottoman Empire.
Cooke has reflected on the evocative names of tulips. They result in drawings and objects that do not replicate the form of the flower, but instead indicate something of the essence of the words that were chosen to name these historically treasured plants such as Matchless Pearl and Gem of the Shah.