The Burrell Collection, Glasgow, has been announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023. The museum received £120,000, the largest museum prize in the world, presented by artist Grayson Perry at a ceremony at the British Museum in London.
The museum is situated in Pollok Country Park and houses the 9000-object collection of Sir William and Constance Burrell. Following extensive refreshment by John McAslan + Partners , it was reopened in October 2022. The museum has a varied collection of medieval, Islamic, Chinese and Egyptian decorative arts, as well as works of art by Rembrandt and Degas. Since reopening, it has received over half a million visitors.
‘The Burrell Collection is extraordinary – a world-class collection displayed in an inspirational building, in harmony with the surrounding landscape of Pollok country park. Reopened in 2022, the sensitive renovation and collection redisplay invite exploration and delight. All this was achieved with a strong shared purpose and with the involvement of local community groups in Glasgow,’ Jenny Waldman, director of the Art Fund and chair of the judges for Art Fund Museum of the Year, stated.
The winner was one of five finalists. The other shortlisted museums are Leighton House (London), The MAC (Belfast), Natural History Museum (London) and Scapa Flow Museum (Orkney), who will each receive £15,000.
The 2023 judging panel was comprised of Larry Achiampong, artist; Mary Beard, historian and broadcaster; Abadesi Osunsade, Art Fund Trustee, author and owner of Hustle Crew, and Laura Pye, Director, National Museums Liverpool.
