Judges Announced for ServiceIQ NZ Museum Awards 2018

Judges Announced for ServiceIQ New Zealand Museum Awards 2018

Museums Aotearoa is delighted to announce the appointment of the judging panels for the New Zealand Museum Awards 2018. These prestigious Awards celebrate best practice within the world of museums, art galleries, archives and libraries.

Every year, the number of Award entries increases. In 2017, there were over fifty entries from around Aotearoa and it is anticipated that this will be echoed this year as arts and cultural institutions big and small, vie for recognition with innovative, creative projects and exhibitions, products and ways to engage with their communities. Tairawhiti Museum was one of the 2017 Awards winners. Museum director Eloise Wallace, speaking after the win said, “The ‘Ko Rongowhakaata’ exhibition was a wonderful project for Rongowhakaata and the museum, and it was humbling to be recognised by our peers. We were up against a lot of bigger museums and it just shows that you can be working in a small regional museum but still be at the top of your game.”

This year, the Awards are being generously sponsored by industry training organisation for the service sector, ServiceIQ. There are ten categories. These will each be judged by a carefully selected panel, members of which have a high level of expertise and experience in the various areas.

Museums Aotearoa Director Phillipa Tocker says the New Zealand Museum Awards are, "a challenge as well as a showcase for the achievements and the many different aspects of the amazing work going on across the sector.”

Entries for the 2018 New Zealand Museum Awards close on Tuesday 10 April, so there is still plenty of time for institutions to submit their entries. Throughout April, the judges will deliberate over the entries and finalists will be notified in early May. These will be ratified by an overview panel that will also decide on a winner for the ‘Museum Project Excellence Award’.

Award winners will be announced at a free event on Sunday 20 May which will be held at the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetu.

The judging panel for ‘Exhibition Excellence – Art’ are Nathan Pohio, Heather Galbraith, Nina Tonga and Thomasin Sleigh. ‘Exhibition Excellence - Science and Technology’ will be judged by Tui Te Hau, Tom Trnski and Vasiti Palavi and ‘Exhibition Excellence - Social History’ by Paul Diamond, Douglas Lloyd Jenkins and Claire Regnault.

ENDS

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