The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), and Arts Award Supporter, in Wakefield has been crowned Museum of the Year 2014 by the Art Fund. A panel of judges chose YSP out of six finalists which included Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft in East Sussex, Hayward Gallery in London, Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich and Tate Britain in London.
The award was presented by Oscar-winning film and theatre director, Sam Mendes, at a ceremony at the National Gallery in London.
Sam Mendes said: ‘I'm genuinely honoured to have been asked to be a part of announcing this award. The dedication, love and unbelievable creativity of the six candidates for the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year are clear for all to see, as is the creative health of the UK Museum community as a whole. Financial health is a different matter, however – and in that respect this award is a crucially important boost to one deserving organisation.’
Stephen Deuchar, chair of the judges, said: ‘A perfect fusion of art and landscape, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park has gone from modest beginnings to one of the finest outdoor museums one might ever imagine. In 2013 it really came of age – with art projects such as Yinka Shonibare’s extraordinary exhibition; the fruits of the expansion and consolidation of the landscape on both sides of the lake; and with the conversion of the chapel to house (as its inaugural exhibition) a major new work by Ai Weiwei.’
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