Next week, the winner of the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024 will be announced, receiving a prize of £120,000.
The annual Prize champions the work of museums and is awarded to an organisation that is able to demonstrate how its achievements from the preceding year really stand out.
This year’s shortlisted museums are:
- Craven Museum, embedded in Skipton Town Hall cultural hub, the museum covers archaeology, textiles, fine art, literature and social history from pre-history to the present day.
- Dundee Contemporary Arts, one of Scotland’s foremost contemporary arts organisations featuring two art galleries, a cinema, print studio and award-winning learning programme.
- Manchester Museum, over 130 years old and home to over four and half million objects from natural sciences and human cultures, Manchester Museum reopened in February 2023 following an extensive renovation.
- National Portrait Gallery, which tells the story of the United Kingdom through six centuries of portraiture, from global icons to local champions, national treasures to unsung heroes. The Gallery reopened in June 2023 following a major three-year transformation project.
- Young V&A, formerly the V&A Museum of Childhood, the museum reopened in July 2023 and was created for and with children to spark creativity now and for the future.
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel – who for this year are Art Fund director Jenny Waldman, Anupam Ganguli, finance director at Historic Royal Palaces, broadcaster Vick Hope, artist Tania Kovats and John Leighton, former director-general of the National Galleries of Scotland – Jenny Waldman said:
“The shortlisted museums for this year’s Art Fund Museum of the Year prize are shining examples of the impact museums are making locally and nationally. Each of our finalists truly has something for everyone and all have community at the very heart of their programming. Their commitment to innovative partnerships whilst operating within an extremely challenging funding environment is incredible, and I’m so pleased to see the way they support and centre young people through their work.”
“Across a wide range of size and scale, these organisations are all real leaders in their field. I urge everyone to go and visit these extremely special spaces.”
The winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024 will be announced in a special ceremony at London’s National Gallery on 10 July. As well as the winner’s Prize of £120,000, the four other finalists will receive £15,000 each. The Prize is funded thanks to the generosity of Art Fund members.
For further information: artfund.org
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Image: National Portrait Gallery, Museum of the Year finalist, 2024. Image courtesy of National Portrait Gallery. Photo: © Gareth Gardner for Nissen Richards Studio.