Last night at the Natural History Museum, the Art Fund awarded The Victoria and Albert Museum the prestigious Museum of the Year Award 2016. This is the biggest arts award in the UK and the biggest museum prize in the world. V&A will receive £100,000 for demonstrating excellence, innovation and imagination.
CEO Kate Brindley says “We are absolutely delighted for V&A – it was clear to us from the start that every Finalist had a real chance of winning – such was the high standard of cultural offering each Museum had.
I don’t envy the judges having to make that choice, but I do recognise that V&A are very worthy winners with a strong and dedicated team and real relevance to today’s cultural and heritage scene.
Our congratulations not only go to a very worthy winner but also to all of the Finalists who have – between us – demonstrated just how high a standard of culture we have in the UK. This is not only vital to attract visitors and exports for the sector but also to create jobs, inspiration, growth and social cohesion for our employees and citizens alike. It is a pleasure to be held in such company. I’d also like to thank Art Fund for the opportunity and to the Judges for their support and commitment throughout the process.
Although not winners on this occasion, the opportunity of being a Finalist has given Arnolfini a huge platform from which to promote our cause and mission. For that we, and the people of Bristol, will be eternally grateful.”
We want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their unbelievable support and say how incredibly honoured we feel to have been nominated alongside these world-class museums.We have received an incredible response from supporters and engagement over recent months,
The other finalists competing for the award were: Jupiter Artland; Bethlem Museum of the Mind, Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A); York Art Gallery, Yorkshire
The panel of judges chaired by Art Fund director Stephen Deuchar were Gus Casely-Hayford, curator and art historian; Will Gompertz, BBC Arts Editor; Ludmilla Jordanova, Professor of History and Visual Culture, Durham University; Cornelia Parker, artist.
