Art Fund has announced The Hepworth Wakefield as the Museum of the Year 2017. This year’s judging panel included director of the Art Fund Stephen Deuchar, director of the British Museum Hartwig Fischer, radio DJ Jo Whiley, Munira Mirza, an adviser on arts and philanthropy and artist Richard Deacon. The Hepworth Wakefield, which will receive £100,000 in prize money, was chosen from a shortlist of five museums, of which the other finalists were Lapworth Museum of Geology (Birmingham), Sir John Soane’s Museum (London), National Heritage Centre for Horseracing & Sporting Art (Newmarket) and Tate Modern (London). Each nominee will receive £10,000 in recognition of their achievements.
On awarding the prize, Deuchar has said: ‘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. David Chipperfield’s building has proved a perfect stage – both for the display of collections and as a platform for a breathtaking sequence of special exhibitions, curated with determined originality by the talented curatorial team.’
6 July 2017
