The Art Fund Museum of the Year is awarded annually to an exceptional museum which, in the opinion of the judges, has demonstrated in the previous 12 months an exceptional and innovative creativity.
The Hepworth Wakefield was selected as winner of the £100,000 prize from a group of five finalists, also including Lapworth Museum of Geology (Birmingham), National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art (Newmarket), Sir John Soane’s Museum (London) and Tate Modern (London). For the first time this year, each of the four other finalists receives a £10,000 prize in recognition of their achievements.
"Thank you to the people of Wakefield; we can all be proud of the inventive change that keeps occurring there," said Simon Wallis, director of Hepworth in a heartfelt speech at the awards ceremony on 5 July in the spectacular scenery of the Great Court of the British Museum and attended by 470 guests.
Wallis praised the Hepworth team's "relentless passion," the work of the other four finalists in fostering "community, creativity and curiosity," and the "beautiful and attractive" design of the architect David Chipperfield on the banks of the Calder River.
The award was presented by broadcaster Jo Whiley, who was part of the judging panel with artist Richard Deacon; Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum; Munira Mirza, advisor on arts and philanthropy; and chair Stephen Deuchar, director of Art Fund.
"The Hepworth Wakefield has been a powerful force of energy from the moment it opened in 2011, but it has just kept growing in reach and impact ever since," said Deuchar.
"David Chipperfield’s building has proved a perfect stage – both for the display of collections and as the platform for a breathtaking sequence of special exhibitions, curated with determined originality by the talented curatorial team."
The Hepworth serves its local community with inexhaustible style and dedication and contributes exponentially to the promotion of regional tourism.
In 2016 the Hepworth Sculpture Prize was launched, which gained national status instantly, and plans to develop an ambitious garden project in the next year. It is the museum that everyone would dream of having at their doorstep.
"This year’s finalists represent the extraordinary breadth and depth of museums in the UK," said Fischer at the ceremony. "It is a tremendous achievement to win the award and a real platform on which to continue to develop a thriving institution."
Art Fund Museum of the Year award recognizes museums that have undertaken transformative projects; brought their collections to life for the public in an exceptional way; launched an innovative development, learning or audience extension program; and won the support of its visitors. Previous winners include V&A, London (2016), The Whitworth, Manchester (2015), and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2014).
