William Morris Gallery awarded Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year

The William Morris Gallery has been awarded the prestigious title of Museum of the Year for its major renovation and creative reinterpretation of the life and work of Morris – the revolutionary Victorian designer and social activist – for a diverse range of 21st century audiences.

The gallery reopened in August 2012 following a major redevelopment with transformed gallery spaces, fantastic new education facilities and an orangery-inspired extension overlooking the grounds, engaging schools, the local community and a national audience like never before.

A new temporary exhibition space allows collaborations with leading artists and will host the first stop of a national tour of Jeremy Deller’s critically-acclaimed Venice Biennale work English Magic. Since reopening, the Gallery has seen almost 100,000 visitors through the door, with record numbers participating in an ambitious programme of events and activities.

Our five judges chaired by Director Stephen Deuchar visited ten finalists ranging from Narberth Museum in Pembrokeshire to the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead before reaching their decision.