Every spring the UK’s national charity for art, Art Fund, shortlists five museums and art galleries across the country for its coveted Museum of the Year award. According to the judges, the 2023 finalists are places that are ‘at the top of their game’ and this year a small museum way, way up north has been given its moment in the spotlight.
Scapa Flow Museum sits on the tiny island of Hoy in Orkney and highlights the area’s crucial role in the two world wars and the stories of its residents through interactive exhibits and more than 250 artefacts. The site reopened last year following a £4.4 million glow-up.
Elsewhere on the shortlist is the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, which also revealed a fresh new look last year and showcases the 9,000-strong collection of paintings and artefacts gathered by Sir William and Constance Burrell.
As the most visited indoor attraction in the UK, it makes sense that London’s Natural History Museum also makes an appearance. Alongside it is Leighton House in Kensington, the former home and studio of Victorian artist Frederic Leighton, and the Metropolitan Arts Centre in Belfast, which is Northern Ireland’s leading cultural hub.
Jenny Waldman, of the Art Fund, said: ‘From transformational redevelopment to community involvement to addressing the major issues of today, the shortlisted museums may operate at very different scales, but all show astonishing ambition and boundless creativity.’
A ceremony to announce the winner is being held at the British Museum in London on July 12. Each finalist will receive a generous £15,000 each, with the triumphant venue being awarded an even heftier sum of £120,000.
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