Burrell Collection named Art Fund Museum of the Year

The Burrell Collection in Glasgow has been named Art Fund Museum of the Year 2023.

The venue, which reopened in 2022 after an extensive £68m redevelopment, was announced as the winner of the world’s largest museum prize at a ceremony at the British Museum in London on 12 July.

Duncan Dornan, the head of museums and collections for Glasgow Life, was presented with the £120,000 prize by the artist Grayson Perry.

The Burrell was one of five finalists; the other shortlisted museums were the MAC in Belfast, the Natural History Museum and Leighton House in London and Scapa Flow Museum in Orkney. Each finalist will receive £15,000 in prize money.

In a statement on social media, the museum said it was “over the moon” at the news.

The museum in Pollok Country Park and its collection of almost 9,000 items is managed by Glasgow Life on behalf of Glasgow City Council.

The collection was created by art collector William Burrell and his wife Constance, who acquired a wide range of art, including items from China, stained glass and tapestries.

The Burrell’s six-year revamp aimed to “create the most accessible, inclusive and sustainable fine and decorative arts museum in the world”.

The redevelopment of the museum was commended by Art Fund director and judging panel chair Jenny Waldman for its “strong shared purpose and with the involvement of local community groups in Glasgow”.

She said: “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, with innovative digital displays offering new ways of understanding the art and objects in the museum’s light, welcoming spaces.”

Historian Mary Beard, who sat on this year’s judging panel, said: “The Burrell Collection is a treasure trove of objects to discover, with everything from one of the UK’s most important collections of Chinese art, to medieval tapestries and stained glass, and works of art by Rembrandt, Degas and more. They have realised, with real rigour and imagination, the true depth of what it means for a museum to be accessible. I would encourage everyone to go and experience it.”

Other members of the 2023 judging panel included artist Larry Achiampong, artist; Abadesi Osunsade, Art Fund trustee, author and owner of Hustle Crew, and Laura Pye, the director of National Museums Liverpool. 

The Museum of the Year award celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year. Research commissioned to mark the milestone has found that nomination for the prize helped museums attract visitors, positively impacted community cohesion and engagement, and unlocked additional public and private funding.

Art Fund has also collaborated with Google Arts & Culture to present the last decade of the prize. A new online experience gives an overview of the shortlisted and winning museums, ranging from Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield (2014 winner) to St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff (2019 winner) and Horniman Museum and Gardens, London (2022 winner).