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Press release

Public invited to have their say as long list for £100,000 Art Fund Prize is announced

2/2/11

The long list for the Art Fund Prize 2011 was revealed on BBC Radio 4's Front Row on Wednesday 2 February.

The contenders for the prestigious 'Museum of the Year' accolade are selected by an independent panel of judges, chaired this year by Michael Portillo.

Live on Front Row, Michael Portillo announced that ten museums have been long listed as follows:

  • British Museum, London, A History of the World
  • Hertford Museum, Hertfordshire, Hertford Museum's Development Project
  • Leighton House, London,  Closer To Home:  The Restoration and Reopening of Leighton House Museum
  • Mostyn, Llandudno, Wales, Refurbishment and extension of Mostyn gallery
  • People's History Museum, Manchester, The new People's History Museum 2010
  • Polar Museum, University of Cambridge, Promoting Britain's Polar Heritage
  • The new Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, Alloway, Scotland
  • Roman Baths Museum, Bath, Roman Baths Development
  • V&A, London, Ceramics Study Galleries 
  • Yorkshire Museum, York, Letting in the Light - Revitalising the Yorkshire Museum for the 21st century

Following from the success of the public vote last year, a poll for the 2011 Art Fund Prize is now open. Members of the public are invited to vote online at artfundprize.org.uk for their favourite long listed museum – and tell the judges who they think should win.

This is the fourth year that the Prize has been sponsored by the Art Fund. The short list of four museums will be announced on 19 May and the winner on 15 June.

The Art Fund’s director Stephen Deuchar said: “From Llandudno to Hertford, London to Alloway, we hope people will go and be inspired by these spectacular projects, and that they’ll come back and let us know their thoughts via our online poll. The coming weeks will be crucial for the judges in assessing which museums make it onto the short list. The public’s participation has an important part to play.”

Podcast series
An exclusive podcast interview with fellow Art Fund Prize judge Jeremy Deller will go live on the Art Fund Prize website on Wednesday 9 February. This is the second in a series of podcasts, following an interview with Michael Portillo. Visit the Art Fund Prize website, www.artfundprize.org.uk

Jeremy Deller’s diary on BBC Radio 4
This spring, Jeremy Deller will be recording an audio diary series for BBC Radio 4’s Front Row, telling stories and personal reflections as he visits the long listed museums alongside his fellow judges.

Twitter
The Art Fund Prize has its own Twitter page, where people can find out more about the Prize and read tweets signed by the judges. The public are invited to participate in discussions by tagging @artfundprize.

Clore Award for Museum Learning
Under the umbrella of the Art Fund Prize, a new award has been introduced this year: the Clore Award for Museum Learning. Supported by the Clore Duffield Foundation, the £10,000 award will recognise and celebrate quality, impact and innovation in using museums and galleries for learning activities and initiatives. Judged by a separate panel co-chaired by Dame Vivien Duffield, Chairman of the Clore Duffield Foundation DBE and Sally Bacon, Executive Director, the Clore long list is also announced today. More information on the Clore Award for Museum Learning can be found at www.artfundprize.org.uk/clore-award

Ends

Notes to editors:

The Art Fund Prize

The Art Fund Prize is administered by The Museum Prize, a charitable company created in 2001 by representatives of National Heritage, the Museums Association, The Art Fund and the Campaign for Museums.

These organisations agreed to put aside award schemes they formerly ran (including National Heritage’s Museum of the Year) and lend their support to this single major prize.

The Art Fund has sponsored the Prize since 2007, taking over from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation which administered the Prize for its first five years.

The Judges

  • Michael Portillo, Chair of the Judges, was born in North London in 1953. He joined the Conservative Research Department in 1976, where he spent three years. At the General Election in 1979 he was responsible for briefing Margaret Thatcher before her press conferences. For the next two years he was special adviser to the Secretary of State for Energy. He worked for Kerr McGee Oil (UK) Ltd from 1981 - 1983. He contested the Birmingham Perry Bar seat at the 1983 Election.
  • Professor Jim Al-Khalili OBE is a scientist, author and broadcaster. Heis a leading academic nuclear physicist based at the University of Surrey where he holds a personal chair in physics and the first University of Surrey chair in the Pubic Engagement in Science; he is also vice president and trustee of the British Science Association. He has written a number of popular science books, translated into 13 languages.
  • Jeremy Deller is a celebrated British artist whose work combines performance, video, sound, ephemera, and photographs. Born in 1966 in London, Jeremy Deller studied art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art, and later undertook an MA at University of Sussex. His work explores the cultural and political heritage of Britain and its folklore. Deller was appointed a Trustee of the Tate Gallery in 2007. Recent projects include the 2009 free and uniquely Mancunian Procession through Manchester city centre. 
  • Kathy Gee is a museums consultant and Director of Volition Associates, which works in the cultural sector to enable strategic and individual development. She became CEO of the West Midlands Regional Museums Council in 1990 and then MLA West Midlands until 2006. In 2006 she received the Museums & Heritage ‘Outstanding Contribution’ Awards for Excellence. She was an Art Fund Prize judge last year.
  • Charlotte Higgins is the chief arts writer for the Guardian newspaper, producing news, features, op-ed pieces, literary reviews and essays. Her blog on culture is at guardian.co.uk/charlottehiggins. A classicist by education, Charlotte is the author of two books on aspects of the ancient world: Latin Love Lessons and It’s All Greek To Me, and is working on a book about Roman Britain, to be published by Jonathan Cape. She was awarded the 2010 Classical Association prize.
  • Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey was a professor of Cultural Studies at Middlesex University, and is a writer, cultural critic, public speaker and broadcaster. Lola has sat on the Boards of several national cultural organisations including the South Bank Centre, the Royal National Theatre, and the Royal commission on Historical Manuscripts. An Independent Cross Bench peer, Lola has been involved in promoting ethical, sustainable fashion. Recently Baroness Young was appointed to the House of Lords EU Select Committee and as Chair of its Social Policies and Consumer Protection sub-committee.
  • Ceramics historian Lars Tharp is a freelance lecturer, writer, exhibition curator and independent art consultant.  As its Hogarth Curator he was recently made ambassador of London's Foundling Museum.  He has been a regular member of the BBC's Antiques Roadshow team since 1986.  Lars was a judge on the 2010 Art Fund Prize panel and has been a museum enthusiast since his early childhood in Copenhagen.  

The Museum Prize Trust

The Trustees of the Museum Prize are:

  • Penelope, Viscountess Cobham (Chairman)
  • James Bishop (representing National Heritage)
  • Ylva French
  • Sandy Nairne (Art Fund nominee)
  • Mark Taylor (representing the Museums Association)
  • Sam Mullins

The Sponsor

The Art Fund is the UK’s national fundraising charity for works of art. We believe that everyone should have access to great art and that by bringing together the contributions of all our members and supporters, we can play a part in enriching the range, quality and understanding of art for all to experience. We campaign, fundraise and give money to help museums and galleries buy and show art, and we promote its enjoyment through our events and membership scheme. Recent grant highlights include leading the £3.3 million campaign to save the Staffordshire Hoard, and helping to buy a new commission, Antony Gormley’s 6 Times, for the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. We don’t receive government funding; our members and supporters make our work possible. For more information, contact the Press Office on 020 7225 4888.

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