Wakefield museum in the running for the UK’s best
A museum in Wakefield is in the running to be named the very best museum in the UK.
The Hepworth has been nominated in Art Fund’s Museum of the Year competition. The museum celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2016, has recently launched a major new sculpture prize whilst expanding its learning and outreach activity.
The £35 million building designed by architect David Chipperfield, which was set up in 1923, houses a collection of 20th-century art and is a centre hub of modern sculpture, being just seven miles away from Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Henry Moore Institution in Leeds.
The museum will face tough competition in Art Fund’s Museum of the Year 2017 competition from the likes of the Tate Modern in London, The Hepworth in Wakefield and National Heritage Centre of Horseracing Sporting Art in Newmarket.
Art Fund Museum of the Year is awarded annually to one outstanding museum, which has shown exceptional imagination, innovation, and achievement.
The judges for Museum of the Year 2017 are Professor Richard Deacon CBE, artist; Dr Hartwig Fischer, Director of the British Museum; Munira Mirza, arts and philanthropy advisor; Jo Whiley, radio DJ and television presenter; Stephen Deuchar CBE, director of Art Fund.
Stephen Deuchar said today: “Each of these museums has had a remarkable year, reaching, in a range of ways, new heights in their efforts to serve and inspire their visitors.
“Whether unveiling new buildings, galleries, displays or public programmes, all the finalists have shown a real commitment to innovation and experimentation, offering fresh perspectives and new ways of seeing and understanding their collections.”
The winning museum which will receive £100,000, will be announced at a ceremony at the British Museum on Wednesday July 5. In addition, for the first time this year, the other shortlisted museums will also receive £10,000 each in recognition of their achievements.
