2010 IMAGinE Award winners

MEDIA RELEASE COURTESY: Museums and Galleries NSW

The winners for the 2010 IMAGinE Awards have been announced!

Celebrating and acknowledging excellence and innovation, the 2010 IMAGinE Awards were held at the Museum of Contemporary Art with winners coming from both metropolitan and regional NSW and large and small museums and galleries.

Offering a great guide to the diverse institutions and collections in NSW and the ACT for the public, winners announced tonight include:

COLLECTION MANAGEMENT
Volunteer Port Macquarie Historical Society
Paid Staffed Art Gallery of NSW

EXHIBITIONS
6 or less staff Living on the Waters Edge - Hurstville City Museum & Gallery -
7 or more staff The Tinytoreum Powerhouse Museum

EDUCATION / PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Volunteer Hand on History The Oaks Historical Society - Wollondilly
6 or less staff Scattered Bones - Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum
7 or more staff Radio Frequency Identification Program Museum of Australian Democracy at Old
Parliament House – Joint winner
7 or more staff The Shell Questacon Science Circus Questacon – Joint winner

JUDGES' AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
Volunteer Port Macquarie Historical Society & Museum
6 or less staff Glasshouse Regional Gallery Port Macquarie – Joint winner
6 or less staff Lady Denman Heritage Complex Huskisson Inc – Joint winner
7 or more staff Museum of Contemporary Art

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Volunteer Pat Elkin - New England Regional Art Museum
Paid Staff Kylie Winkworth

Museums & Galleries NSW, Museums Australia (NSW), Regional & Public Galleries of NSW and Museums Australia (ACT) announced the winners at a gala event at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Friday 22 October, 2010.

Michael Huxley, Acting CEO, Museums & Galleries NSW, explains, “With so much diversity across NSW and ACT, the IMAGinE Awards shine a spotlight by showcasing a sector full of creativity, inspiration, education and knowledge and this year’s winners cover the widest cross section of museums and galleries. Across each category, we had nominations and winners from large metropolitan institutions to smaller local museums and regional galleries, all showcasing excellence and contributing to the unique visitor experiences.

In only their third year, the IMAGinE Awards celebrate the achievements and extraordinary diversity of the NSW and ACT museum and gallery sector and those who work within it, both paid and volunteer staff. Comprising of over 650 organisations and approximately 5000 paid and volunteer workers, these galleries and museums also provide a major contributions to their local communities, economies and cultural life as well as playing an important role in tourism across urban and regional NSW and the ACT.

“The IMAGinE Awards not only acknowledge, celebrate and promote excellence across the sector, they also forge important networks and links between the paid and volunteer staff within museums and galleries,” continued Mr Huxley. “And for the public, tonight’s winners list provides a terrific guide to museums, galleries and their collections to be explored and enjoyed,” continued Huxley.


A full list of winners, photos and video from the event can be found at mgnsw.org.au