The Art Fund Prize winner announced
23 May 2008
The winner - announced by Chair of the Judges, broadcaster Sue MacGregor - was The Lightbox in Woking, a £7m gallery and museum that opened last year. It will be awarded a cash prize of £100 000.
The idea to establish The Lightbox began in 1993 by a group of 70 people who began campaigning to open a museum and art gallery in the town.
As well as Wellcome Collection and The Lightbox, the British Empire and Commonwealth Museum in Bristol and Shetland Museum and Archive were both short-listed.
The Art Fund, the UK's leading art charity, awards the prize for originality, imagination and excellence, and to increase public appreciation of museums and galleries. It is the UK’s largest single arts prize.
"It was a difficult final choice for the judges, but in the end we went for something novel, brave and full of delights," said Sue MacGregor.
"Woking may sound a slightly unlikely place for a brand-new museum, but we were instantly impressed by The Lightbox - by the fine design of the building itself, by its international and local collections, and by the general air of enthusiasm and professional attention to detail shown by the staff and its many volunteers."
Staff at Wellcome Collection were delighted to have reached as far as the short list for the prize. Clare Matterson, Wellcome Trust Director for Medicine, Society and History commented:
“Since opening Wellcome Collection in June 2007, we have been delighted with the enthusiastic response from our visitors to our ideas about the connections between medicine, life and art. I am sure that if Henry Wellcome, our founder, were alive today he would be as delighted as to what we have achieved.”
Last night’s award ceremony was also attended by David Attenborough and Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry.
