(lead image above) : The Burrell Collection © Janie Airey / Art Fund 2023)
(Image left) : William Morris Gallery, London, winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2013 © Grayson Perry. Courtesy William Morris Gallery. Photo: Mark Crick
Art Fund Museum of the Year is an annual prize that champions what museums do, encourages more people to visit, and gets to the heart of what makes a truly memorable museum.
Art Fund has supported Museum of the Year since 2008, and it's been called Art Fund Museum of the Year since 2013.
During this time an array of outstanding museums across the UK have been awarded for their excellence, innovation, creativity and imagination.
Every year a panel of judges' shortlists five exceptional museums.
The winner receives £120,000, and the remaining four finalists each receive £15,000.
The prize is funded by Art Fund's members, who buy the National Art Pass.
Pass holders enjoy benefits at many of the shortlisted museums and hundreds of museums and galleries across the UK.
The 2023 edition celebrated 10 years of Art Fund Museum of the Year.
New research commissioned to mark the anniversary found that nomination for the prize helped museums to attract visitors, positively impacted community cohesion and engagement, and unlocked additional public and private funding.
(Images from top)
Oxford University Museum of Natural History © Courtesy of Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Horniman Museum and Gardens, London, winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2022 © Emli Bendixen / Art Fund 2022
Leighton House, Museum of the Year finalist, 2023 © Marc Atkins / Art Fund 2019
Scapa Flow Museum, Museum of the Year finalist, 2023 © Janie Airey / Art Fund 2023
Jupiter Artland © Courtesy Jupiter Artland. Photo: Allan Pollok-Morris
(Image left)
HMS Caroline, Belfast, a finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2019 © Marc Atkins / Art Fund 2019
Art Fund : Connecting museums, people and art
Art Fund is the charity that connects museums, people and art. For 120 years, they havebeen helping museums and people to share in great art and culture – because we believe that access to art is vital for a healthy society.
Art Fund funds art, helping the UK's museums to enrich their collections for today and forever.
The charity also builds audiences, with the National Art Pass opening doors to great culture, and amplifies the museum sector, through the Museum of the Year award and creative events that bring the UK's museums together.
The National Art Pass
The National Art Pass lets holders enjoy free entry to hundreds of museums, galleries and historic houses across the UK, while also giving 50% off major exhibitions.
Art Pass membership can be tailored to add family and friends.
www.artfund.org/national-art-pass
Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023
The Burrell Collection, Glasgow
The Burrell Collection in Glasgow was announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023, at a ceremony at the British Museum in London and live on air during BBC One's The One Show.
Duncan Dornan, Head of Museums and Collections for Glasgow Life, was presented with the £120,000 prize, the largest museum prize in the world, by artist Grayson Perry at the ceremony.
About the Burrell Collection
The Burrell Collection in Pollok Country Park, Glasgow, houses the 9,000-object collection of Sir William and Constance Burrell.
It was officially reopened by King Charles in October 2022 following a major refurbishment and redisplay.
The museum celebrates diversity through its rich and varied collection and aims to be the most accessible, inclusive and sustainable fine and decorative arts museum in the world.
Mary Beard, historian, broadcaster and judge for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023 said:
"The Burrell Collection is a treasure trove of objects to discover, with everything from one of the UK's most important collections of Chinese art, to medieval tapestries and stained glass, and works of art by Rembrandt, Degas and more.
"They have realised, with real rigour and imagination, the true depth of what it means for a museum to be accessible. I would encourage everyone to go and experience it."
The redisplay was co-curated with a wide range of community groups to ensure the museum showcases diverse and inclusive perspectives.
There are over 100 pieces of unique digital interpretation, from immersive experiences to interactive games.
These give context and meaning to the collection on a scale and to a quality previously unseen with decorative and fine art collections.
The Burrell Collection welcomed over 500,000 visitors in the year after its reopening and contributed an economic impact of £20 million for Glasgow.
With a National Art Pass, visitors get a 10% discount in the shop and café at the Burrell Collection.
Other museums to see on your visit
And while you're in the area, why not make a trip of it and check out these nearby museums who have all been Art Fund Museum of the Year contenders or winners over the last 10 years.
Glasgow Women's Library
A finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018, this is the only accredited museum in the UK dedicated to women's lives, histories and achievements, with the National Art Pass offering 20% off in the shop.
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum
A finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2013, the museum is housed in a stunning Spanish Baroque-style palace in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, with 22 galleries and over 8,000 objects on display.
National Art Pass gives 50% off exhibitions and 10% off in the shop.
www.glasgowlife.org.uk/museums/venues/kelvingrove-art-gallery-and-museum
Jupiter Artland
Located in Wilkieston near Edinburgh, Jupiter Artland, is an impressive contemporary art park and gallery with colourful, site-specific installations.
It was a finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2016 and offers 50% off entry with a National Art Pass.
V&A Dundee
Putting Scottish design in the spotlight, this Art Fund Museum of the Year 2019 finalist stages an ambitious programme of exhibitions presenting the best contemporary design from across the world.
The National Art Pass gives 50% off ticket prices.
Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023
The 2023 shortlist
In addition to the Burrell Collection, the other shortlisted museums for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023 were Leighton House in London, The MAC in Belfast, the Natural History Museum in London and Scapa Flow Museum in Orkney.
Leighton House, London
Leighton House, Kensington is the former studio-home of leading Victorian artist Frederic Leighton; his 'private palace of art'.
It showcases an exceptional collection of 19th-century art throughout its unique interiors, which include the iconic Arab Hall, with its golden dome and calming fountain. There's free entry and 50% off exhibitions here with a National Art Pass.
www.rbkc.gov.uk/museums/leighton-house
Other London museums and galleries that have been Art Fund Museum of the Year contenders or winners include:
William Morris Gallery
Escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre and take the Victoria line to Walthamstow, where you can find the William Morris Gallery, a gorgeous Georgian building and the only public gallery dedicated to the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement.
The gallery won Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2013, and with a National Art Pass, you'll get discounts in their shop and café.
Horniman Museum and Gardens
From there, hop on the Overground down to Forest Hill and, after a short walk, you'll find the Horniman Museum and Gardens.
Set in 16 acres of gardens, including a butterfly house and animal enclosures, the Horniman houses diverse collections of objects from around the world and an aquarium. It's a great place to visit with family, and you'll get free entry to exhibitions with a National Art Pass. The Horniman won Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2022.
Sir John Soane's Museum
Intrigued by artists' houses?
Stay closer to the city and jump on the Central line to Holborn and nip into Sir John Soane's Museum. The former home of architect John Soane is a labyrinth of art, antiquities and curiosities.
With a National Art Pass, you'll get 10% off in the shop at this Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017 finalist.
The MAC, Belfast
As Northern Ireland's leading art centre and a key driver in Belfast's regeneration, the MAC offers a space for people to imagine, enjoy, participate in and create art.
Since opening to the public in 2012, the MAC has brought an ambitious programme of international contemporary art to a local audience, featuring significant exhibitions by the likes of Kara Walker, Felix Gonzelez-Torres and David Hockney.
There's also 10% off in the café here with a National Art Pass.
HMS Caroline
Another museum to visit in the area is Belfast's historic Titanic Quarter and the chance to visit HMS Caroline for free with a National Art Pass.
A finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2019, it offers an immersive experience of life on board a battleship.
www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us/hms-caroline
Natural History Museum, London
A world-leading research centre and the most-visited indoor attraction in the UK, the Natural History Museum, London, houses one of the world's most important scientific collections, comprising over 80 million specimens.
Combining educational experiences and opportunities to make memories, it's the perfect day out for families and kids, where you can get up close to dinosaurs, whales and other fascinating creatures.
National Art Pass gives 50% off exhibition ticket prices.
In the area there is the Science Museum, joint winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020, and V&A South Kensington, winner of the 2016 prize.
Both venues offer 50% off exhibitions with a National Art Pass.
www.vam.ac.uk/south-kensington
Scapa Flow Museum, Orkney
Charting Orkney's military involvement in the First and Second World Wars, Scapa Flow Museum is home to a vast collection of wartime artefacts.
The museum is made up of a restored Second World War oil pumphouse and an exhibition gallery.
Visitors can explore wartime stories, including those of the loss of HMS Royal Oak and HMS Hampshire, and the scuttling of the German fleet during the First World War, and learn more about the naval base at Lyness.
The museum gift shop gives 10% off with a National Art Pass.
www.orkneymuseums.co.uk/our-museums/scapa-flow-museum/
Back on mainland Orkney
The Pier Arts Centre offers a remarkable collection of 20th-century British art, and Stromness Museum (50% off entry with the National Art Pass) has outstanding natural history and maritime collections.
Other museums shortlisted for the prize
Over 50 museums, galleries and historic sites have been shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year since 2013 with information on these and over 800 other places to visit with a National Art Pass, available on the Art Fund website: www.artfund.org/explore.
Manchester
People's History Museum
People's History Museum, the national museum of democracy, was a finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2022, and there's 20% off in the shop and café with a National Art Pass.
The Whitworth
The Whitworth, winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2015 is a 21st-century arts venue in Whitworth Park, with 10% off in the shop with a National Art Pass.
www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk
Dunham Massey
Dunham Massey, in Altrincham, is a Georgian mansion in a 300-acre deer park with free entry for National Art Pass holders.
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/cheshire-greater-manchester/dunham-massey
Yorkshire
Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Yorkshire Sculpture Park is an international centre for modern and contemporary sculpture in the historic 18th-century Bretton Hall estate. National Art Pass holders can visit for free and get 10% off in the shop.
The Hepworth Wakefield
The Hepworth Wakefield overlooks the River Calder and comprises a range of gallery spaces presenting Barbara Hepworth's art and working process, major exhibitions of modern and contemporary art and Wakefield's impressive art collection.
There's a free public art garden dotted with sculptures, and National Art Pass get 50% off exhibitions and 10% in the shop.
Oxford
The city of Oxford has the Pitt Rivers Museum (10% off in shop with National Art Pass), the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, and the Story Museum (50% off entry with National Art Pass). Allhave been shortlisted for Art Fund Museum of the Year.
Cornwall
Tate St Ives has spectacular views of the coast and a varied exhibition programme, showcasing leading international modern and contemporary artists.
The gallery won Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2018, and there's 50% off entry and exhibitions with a National Art Pass.
www.tate.org.uk/visit/tate-st-ives
Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024
Find out more at www.artfund.org, along with information on museums, galleries and historic places across the UK and details of the National Art Pass.
(Image below)
Sir John Soane's Museum, London, a finalist for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017 (Marc Atkins)
(Image left)
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum © Art Fund
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