THE Yorkshire Sculpture Park, nominated for Britain's largest arts prize, wants to galvanise public support to help it win.

The park, at West Bretton, is on the `long' shortlist of 10 contenders for The Gulbenkian Prize, as reported in the Examiner on February 13.

Every year a museum or gallery deemed to have created the most innovative project is awarded the £100,000 prize.

The Sculpture Park is now urging people to get behind it and support a campaign to win.

Every comment made on museums in the running is logged and considered by the judges.

So you can help the only Yorkshire-based venue take this prestigious national prize.

Comments can be registered on the internet at www.the gulbenkianprize.org.uk and supportive ones could help the park win.

The park has been coming up with unusual ideas since it was founded in 1977.

And the nomination is for the new feature at the park, the underground gallery.

One keen supporter of the park is acclaimed Huddersfield poet Simon Armitage, who said:

"The underground gallery is a stunning and ingenious continuation of what YSP has been doing for years.

"The effect is magical and inspiring."

Peter Murray, executive director and founder of the park, said: "It is a great honour to be considered for this year's Gulbekian Prize.

"We work very hard to promote wider public appreciation and enjoyment of art and our new underground gallery has certainly captured the imagination, winning the support and enthusiasm of visitors and artists."

A panel of seven art, science and museum professionals who will judge the contest are due at the park soon.

They include science writer and broadcaster Prof Lord Robert Winston, historian and broadcaster Dan Snow and Michael Day, chief executive of Historic Royal Palaces.

The judges will have until April to whittle the list of 10 venues down to a shortlist of four.

The winner will be announced on May 25 at the Royal Institute of British Architects in London.