Applications now open for Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018

Art Fund Museum of the Year 2018 has opened for applications, offering £100,000 for one outstanding winner and £10,000 to finalists to support future activity. Previous winners of the Art Fund Museum of the Year award have included The Hepworth Wakefield (2017), the V&A (2016) and the Whitworth (2015). The judging panel for the 2018 prize includes Ian Blatchford, Director of the Science Museum Group; BBC arts correspondent Rebecca Jones; artist Melanie Manchot; independent media consultant and Art Fund trustee Monisha Shah, and Art Fund Director Stephen Deuchar as chair. The shortlist of finalist museums will be announced in late April 2018 with the award ceremony taking place on 5 July 2018 at the V&A, London. Stephen Deuchar commented: “We believe that our museums and galleries are engines of cultural development in this country: centres of innovation, pioneering new ways of engaging with the public, and encouraging more people to understand and enjoy the diverse cultures of the UK. The search is now on for our next Art Fund Museum of the Year, and we encourage organisations nationwide to apply.” Applications will close at 12 noon on 6 February 2018. Simon Wallis, Director The Hepworth Wakefield, said:  “We were absolutely delighted and honoured to have won Art Fund Museum of the Year 2017. We will always be proud of this achievement, as are the residents of Wakefield and Yorkshire. Winning this prestigious accolade was a fitting acknowledgement of the ambitious and passionate team at The Hepworth Wakefield, but also of our loyal and engaged members, patrons, supporters and local residents. The impact of winning has delivered even greater audience growth this year as the broad media exposure introduced the gallery to new people and convinced those who have long been meaning to visit to finally make the trip.”

from UK Fundraising http://ift.tt/2kv6oQg