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Archive for 2012|Yearly archive page

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Art Fund Prize long list announced

In Awards, Museums on February 8, 2012 at 11:22 am

It that time of year again when everyone awards themselve a prize! From the Oscars to the museum community.

The longlist for the 2012 Art Fund Prize has been announced – ten museums and galleries from across Britain which are all up for a prize of £100,000.

Bletchley Park – for their exhibition on Alan Turing
The Hepworth Wakefield – a brand new museum designed by David Chipperfield
The Holbourne Museum – a new extension on the back of this beautiful museum in Bath. Isaw it in September and loved it.
MShed – a new museum in Bristol. I ran a training day for the text writers on this project.
Scottish National Portrait Gallery – recently reopened after a major redevelopment – looking great.
National Museum of Scotland – ditto.
Riverside Museum – I visited this new museum last year and was more impressed with the building than the collection.
Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery – not been down for a nosy at this project, but would love to go see it. I hear it’s fab.
Turner Contemporary – a wonderful new gallery (also by Chipperfield) to which I am set to make a repeat visit.
Watts Gallery – another multimillion pound refurb. Must go see it.

I’m not sure what exactly the judges are looking for this year – the judges change each year so it’s hard to compare one winner with another. But my bets are on for one of the new art galleries designed by Chipperfield – either the Turner Contemporary or the Hepworth Wakefield.

You can vote for your favourite project by going to the Art Fund website and choosing one of the ten.

Let’s wait and see who makes the short list …

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Lots happening in 2012

In Museum [Insider], Museums, new content on January 25, 2012 at 2:58 pm

Economic forecasts might not look great, but there are some things in the heritage sector to be positive about when it comes to thinking about the short-term future.

The UK museum building sector is still doing pretty well, despite the economic downturn – this is mostly due to the funds for new museums which are to be completed in 2012 having been agreed, commited and often paid up, well before the recession started.

I have a new article on Museum [Insider] today about the various projects that are set to open to the public this year. The massive Titanic Signature Building in Belfast will open in March and after that there’ll be opening parties in Preston, Chichester, Porthmeor, Birmingham and London amongst others. (I really do hope you’ve remembered to put me on the guest list – my new year’s resolution for 2012 is not to eat standing up, but I make an exception for canapes.)

And there are more celebrations set to come when more and more new museums open in the coming years. We’re presently putting the research together for a third e-book about the future of the museum and heritage sector in the UK and Ireland and it’s astonishing how many projects we’ve managed to include in it. If you’re working on a project set to open between now and 2019 and would like to get a write up in the book, then just email me: steve@steveslack.co.uk.

 

 

 

 

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