MUSEWEB Best of the GLAMi Awards 2020

Unmute Art Pietrasanta Basilic – Arthemisia

“Unmute Art” is the first Italian Sign Language video guide in which the artworks tell their own story. Real deaf actors, body painted like the famous subjects of Warhol's serigraphs, offer their own interpretations of the artist's artworks. You scan the serigraph with the video guide and image recognition, together with augmented reality, bring the artwork to life. This revolutionary project has been created in partnership with the Italian National Deaf Agency and in collaboration with Warhol’s exhibition producer, Arthemisia. 

Loredana Amenta, Key Account Manager, Orpheo Group Italy

Loredana Amenta is Key Account Manager for Orpheo Group Italy, a multinational company specialising in technologies for cultural assets. She is responsible for public and corporate relations and handles the most important national clients in the world of culture and art. She manages national and European public financing projects and all works involving a high level of technological innovation. She is the company’s contact person for museum accessibility and for the internationalisation of exhibitions. 

MUSEWEB Exhibition or Collection Extension Award 2020 for Non-Web

Smithsonian Institution | Smithsonian Open Access

Welcome to Smithsonian Open Access You can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking. We have released these images and data into the public domain as Creative Commons Zero (CC0). With new platforms and tools, you have easier access to more than 3 million 2D and 3D digital items from our collections—with many more to come. This includes images and data from across the Smithsonian’s 19 museums, nine research centers, libraries, archives, and the National Zoo.

Effie Kapsalis & Ryan King, The Smithsonian

Effie Kapsalis, Senior Digital Program Officer at the Smithsonian, leads the digital strategy for the American Women’s History Initiative , the first pan-Smithsonian initiative launched under the Smithsonian’s strategic goal, “ Reach 1 billion people a year with a digital-first strategy .” She led the Smithsonian Open Access Initiative which launched in February 2020 releasing 2.8 million 2D and 3D images, metadata, and research data sets into the public domain to further the Smithsonian’s mission for “the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” She has a decade experience in the private tech sector in educational and training software development, and received her Master of Industrial Design in 2003 where she studied pervasive, social technology.

MAPDA BEST IN SHOW Award 2020 for Multimedia

Museums Victoria | River Connections

Learning Lab's River Connections is an immersive projection experience made in collaboration with First Peoples community members exploring their close connections to the land, animals, plants and rivers of Victoria. The five-minute experience takes audiences on a journey through the unique environment of the Murray River. It explores how all life is connected and dependent on a healthy environment to thrive, however overuse of the waterways and pollution from human activities put this at risk. This inspiring infinity projection of a beautiful river environment reminds viewers that we are all part of a dynamic web of life.

Bridget Hanna, Digital Education Experiences, Exhibitions and Audience Experience, Museums Victoria

Bridget Hanna manages digital learning experiences at Museums Victoria. She is an enthusiastic creative arts producer, curator, author and educator who is responsible for onsite, online and virtual digital learning experiences at Museums Victoria and for the creative content and programming of Melbourne Museum’s digital Learning Lab.

Best Storytelling Video and Winner of Museums in Short Award 2020

Man Creates Man | Diachronic Museum, Larissa

The narrative is seeking to unfold thoughts, feelings and motivations which led the farmers of a Neolithic village in Thessaly  (Central Greece) around 5.500 B.C to proceed to a unique ritual: to set a clay house model with nine clay figurines inside representing the members of a Neolithic household, in the rubble of a house destroyed by fire. Pictures and sounds have been carefully designed to fit the natural and social environment of the Neolithic communities based on the archaeological evidence but also to raise awareness in the relations of present-day humans with nature.  

Georgios Toufexis, Archaeologist, Ephorate of Antiquities of Larissa - Diachronic Museum of Larissa

Georgios Toufexis holds Ph.D  in Prehistoric Archaeology. He is the Head of the Department of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities and Museums and Curator of the Prehistoric Collection of the Diachronic Museum of Larissa. His main interests include Neolithic and Bronze Age Archaeology (with emphasis on the study of  the domestic space, organization and prehistoric religion) and Cultural Heritage Management. Georgios is also the Director of prehistoric excavation and survey projects, organization of exhibitions, participation in Conferences and prehistoric publications.

MUSE Research & Innovation Award 2020

University of Hawaii at Manoa | The UniDescription Project

This grant-funded research initiative – based at the University of Hawaii at Manoa – focuses on Audio Description (Visual-to-Audio Remediation). If you want something to be heard that otherwise only can be seen (such as a photograph, a painting, a poster, a statue, a map, etc.), UniD can help you to learn how to do it and also gives you the open-access tools to produce and share your work. UniD provides open-access online training and resource lists, too. In short, we study descriptions, description tools, and Descriptathons – not necessarily in that order.

Brett Oppegaard, Associate Professor, University of Hawai‘i

Brett Oppegaard, Ph.D., an Associate Professor at the University of Hawai‘i, studies intersections of Technical Communication, rhetoric, journalism, mobile technologies, and media accessibility. His research has been published in such academic journals as Technical Communication, Mobile Media and Communication, and the Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, among others, and his scholarship has been supported by federal agencies – such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Park Service – but also by private foundations and corporations, such as Google.

Family Friendly Museum Award 2020 for Best Social Media Activity

National Museum Wales | Minecraft your Museum

Minecraft Your Museum is an award-winning competition hosted by Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales. Primary pupils were invited to build their dream museum in Minecraft. We wanted to reach out to young people and provided a fun way to inspire creativity and enhance wellbeing during lockdown. The Museums the children created by taking part were phenomenal! They offer us a ‘sneak peep’ into an ideal museum from a young visitor's perspective.  

Danielle Cowell, Learning, Participation & Interpretation Manager,  National Roman Legion Museum

Danielle has 20 years’ experience in delivering museum learning programmes. Her role includes managing the learning program at National Roman Legion Museum and leading on digital learning for the family of seven National Museums. Recent work includes: Implementing a virtual learning program and working with learning staff to improve their digital skills to enable them to create exciting new digital learning content. 

Heritage in Motion App Award 2020

Please Touch! An inclusive art experience powered by ARCHES

“Please Touch!” was developed as an on-site installation for museums, but is also being used in outreach sessions in e.g. in schools and nursing homes. Using a custom-built relief design software, tactile interpretations of selected artworks were realized as reliefs in different materials for an interactive computer station. The visitor can navigate the system autonomously, by exploring 3D-spatial soundscapes, projections, animations, written and spoken text, as well as three different sign-languages, and an option for easy language. 

Moritz Neumüller, Communication Manager, ARCHES Project

Moritz Neumüller is an educator and researcher in the field of art and accessibility. His project ArteConTacto involves research, artistic practice, inclusion, 3D Printing and multisensorial experiences. The outcomes are workshops, artworks, prototypes, academic papers, group experiences and sometimes even durable solutions for accessibility. In the framework of the project ARCHES he was responsible for communication and workshops. 

MUSE Mobile App Award 2020

Walking Cinema: Museum of the Hidden City Mobile App

This combination audiowalk and AR experience is a museum-without-walls exploration of San Francisco's housing history.  The project uses spoken word poetry, an original soundtrack, and guided narration to walk audiences through the site of the largest urban renewal project of its time.  As the only San Francisco "museum" to remain open during COVID , the project has been called "an engaging, novel way to learn about the city, all while keeping your distance from others. And the stories it tells — about racism, affordable housing, and the evolution of neighborhoods— feel profoundly relevant.” 

Michael Epstein, Founder, Walking Cinema

Michael is a screenwriter, journalist, and expert in immersive storytelling.  In 2006, he founded Walking Cinema (www.walkingcinema.org), a digital storytelling studio comprised of filmmakers, developers, and designers specializing in travel and history productions. Walking Cinema’s stories connect compelling characters to places around the world and have been distributed by the Venice Biennale, Detour, PBS, and MTV.  Michael’s work has been honored by The American Alliance of Museums, The Boston International Film Festival, and The National Endowment for the Humanities. He has a degree in Comparative Media Studies from M.I.T. where he first developed geo-located travel content in partnership with the Freedom Trail Foundation.

Heritage in Motion Best Achievement Award 2020

Digital and audiovisual solutions in Fat Margaret permanent exhibition "Towering Tales of the Sea" | Estonian Maritime Museum Foundation

Renovation of the medieval Fat Margaret cannon tower by the Estonian Maritime Museum is considered as an achievement from many aspects, from construction to storytelling. Digital and audiovisual solutions in the new permanent exhibition "Towering Tales of the Sea" are integral part of telling Estonia’s sea-going history, from the middle ages to modern times, and from shipbuilding to the life of seamen. More than 30 solutions vary from interactive infographics to entertainment and enrich the grand collection of ship models and other items from the museum’s collection in an accessible way.

Urmas Dresen, Director, Estonian Maritime Museum

Urmas Dresen has served as the director of the Estonian Maritime Museum since 1998. But interest in sea and seafaring led him to a position at the museum years before that. He has a degree in history from University of Tartu and he is the recipient of the state decoration Order of the White Star fourth class. His work in the last decade has been related to renovation of two remarkable historic sites for the museum: Seaplane Harbour and cannon tower Fat Margaret.

MUSE Digital Campaign Award 2020

Urban Archive | Museum of the City of New York, Urban Archive

Urban Archive is a technology nonprofit that extends the reach of cultural organizations by providing them with collaborative tools to share local history with the public. With its web and mobile app, the organization merges open city data and the digital collections of museums, libraries, and city agencies around the world, making it easier than ever for the public to explore today’s changing urban environment. Learn more and download the app at urbanarchive.nyc.

Ben Smyth, Cofounder, Urban Archive

Ben has created exhibitions and experiences for organizations including Samsung, Nike, Puma, Kickstarter, Grand Central Terminal, Museum of the City of New York, New-York Historical Society, American Institute of Architecture, NBC, the Department of Defense, and the New York Transit Museum. Prior to founding Little Mega, he and his brother Hall ran the experiential design firm Grand Opening. Their Lower East Side storefront garnered international attention for producing playful, community-based experiences. In his free time, Ben is building a cabin in Dutchess County, NY. Ben studied design at York University in Toronto, Canada.

AVICOM/f@imp Gold Award 2020 for Digital Interactive

The Palace Museum Archaeological Heritage Project

The Forbidden City Archaeology XR Project focuses on the discovery of archaeological sites in the Forbidden City. This XR project applies multi-view 3D reconstruction technology, explores the significance of the digital data, and provides services for heritage protection, research, exhibition and many other aspects based on XR. This project not only provides precious three-dimensional data for experts and scholars to carry out specific research but also combines virtual reality and augmented reality technology to provide audiences and enthusiasts from all over the world.

Wu Wei & Xu Ziyan, The Palace Museum

Wu Wei joined the Palace Museum in 2013, first the Department of Construction Management, and later joined the Archaeology Institute of the Palace Museum. He was not only in charge of the renovation project, but also insisted on archaeological excavation. Because of his rich archaeological experience, he got the qualification of leader of Chinese archaeological excavation project in 2020. Xu Ziyan is a technical artist of the Department of Digital Technology at the Palace Museum. Engaged in projects about the digitalization of cultural relics, she is in charge of shader renderings in many digital programs of the Palace Museum. 

MUSE Award 2020 for AR/VR/Mixed Reality

Cahokia Mounds Museum | Back to the City of the Sun via Augmented Reality

This project, made possible by two National Endowment for the Humanities grants, uses augmented reality (AR) to give visitors a unique view of this ancient archaeological site.  The result of this three-year project is a highly interactive and digitally manipulative AR program. The application will allow users to stand atop the 100-ft. tall Monks Mound and see what the landscape looked like 1,000 years ago by looking through the camera of a smart device.  Turning around, the visitor can enter a virtual ceremonial temple that once stood on top of Monks Mound.  This project was administered by the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society and developed by Schwartz and Associates, LLC.

Lori Belknap, M.S., Superintendent, Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site

Lori is the former Executive Director of the Cahokia Mounds Museum Society. Lori has over 15 years of anthropology, office administration, and nonprofit management expertise.  She has written and administered various local, state, and federal grants as well as directed a mid-sized archaeology centric NPO.   In her current role, she is dedicated to upholding the mission of Cahokia Mounds, making the preservation and interpretation of this UNESCO World Heritage Site her top priority.

AVICOM/f@imp Silver Award 2020 for Augmented Reality

Battle of Borodino Panorama

This story began more than 100 years ago when Franz Roubaud, a Russian artist of French origin, was commissioned to produce a giant panorama depicting the Battle of Borodino. The overall image consists of thousands of elements, each of which has its own history. In 2019 the panorama was refurbished with the latest augmented reality technology. It was the true innovation for panorama. Now visitors can see not only the large-scale epic canvas as a whole, but also learn many stories depicted on it, feeling the grandeur of Franz Roubaud's plan.

Alexander Lavrov, Founder, Next.space

Over years Alex has developed more than 300 museum multimedia projects for likes of Hermitage, George Washington Museum, National Geographic and many others. He is a member at AVICOM, board member of Digital transformation council at ICOM Russia, member of American museum alliance, ex-president (now advisor) at VRARA (global virtual and augmented association), member of ACM Siggraph and IEEE computer graphics group.

Heritage in Motion Games & Interactive experiences

The Aztec Sun Stone 3D videomapping

The Sun Stone Theatre is one of the highlights of the international Aztec exhibition, produced by the Linden Museum in Stuttgart and Museum Volkenkunde in Leiden. The Sun Stone is the most famous Aztec object: a three meter wide stone carved with figures and symbols. Through an animation technique called video-mapping we brought the hidden stories of the stone to life. First we made a 3D print of the stone, then, a copy of the stone was recreated in animation software. When projected on the physical stone, it looks like the stone ‘comes to life’. Pure magic.

Rik Herder, Exhibition Maker, National Museum of World Cultures in the Netherlands (NMVW)

Rik has worked 20 years in the creative industry and museum sectors as concept- and content-developer, creative project-manager and exhibition-maker. He created many exhibitions, audio-visual installations and interactives for a large number of Dutch museums. Right now he is preparing the new permanent exhibition of the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam about the afterlives of colonialism, opening in winter 2022.

Art Fund Prize for Museums of the Year 2020

Gairloch Museum, GAIRLOCH, UNITED KINGDOM

Gairloch Museum is an independent, accredited museum run by volunteers in the North West Highlands of Scotland.  In 2019 Gairloch Museum moved to a repurposed nuclear bunker, within which five galleries tell the story of the Gairloch area from its earliest geology to the modern day.  Renowned primarily for its social history collection, displays also include a rare west coast Pictish symbol stone and the enormous Fresnel lens of Rubh Re lighthouse.  Gairloch Museum was announced as winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020.

Karen Buchanan, Curator, Gairloch Museum

Dr Karen Buchanan is former academic who has been Curator of Gairloch Museum since 2013.  She is responsible for the Museum’s collections and displays and its events and outreach programmes. Karen oversaw the recent redevelopment of the museum’s galleries and the decant of its collection to the new building.  The award winning new museum has regenerated a key site in Gairloch village, won the support of the community and expanded visitor audiences.

Chinese Museums Association Most Innovative Museums in China Award 2020

Jinsha Site Museum, CHENGDU, CHINA

Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum is built on the core conservative excavation site of Jinsha, unveiling a lost history of the ancient Shu kingdom from 3,000 years ago. Its highlight is not only to integrate archaeological excavation site, unearthed cultural relics, representation scenes with well-landscaped grounds, but also to promote prosperous co-development with the school, community and city, and collaborate exhibitions with museums domestic and overseas. Hence, it has awarded the China’s 1st batch of National Archaeological Site Park, and honored to be the most prominent archaeological site museum in China.

Zhu Zhangyi, Director, Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum

Zhu Zhangyi, an archaeologist and the director of Chengdu Jinsha Site Museum, devotes himself to archaeological excavation, site conservation, museum management and researches. Mr. Zhu has hosted dozens of major national archaeological excavations such as the Sanxingdui and Jinsha Sites, and his academic achievements appeared on Archaeology, Cultural Relics, Journal of East Asian, etc. Also he focuses on tour exhibitions domestic and overseas, thus tour-exhibitions he organized have been displayed in Japan, America, Italy, etc., while the exhibitions of ancient Egypt and Rome have been exhibited in Jinsha Site Museum. 

Museums Association United Kingdom Best Museums Change Lives Project 2020

National Museums Northern Ireland, Nerve Centre, Northern Ireland Museums Council, Northern Ireland Screen | Reimagine, Remake, Replay, UNITED KINGDOM

Reimagine, Remake, Replay connects young people across Northern Ireland with their heritage in meaningful ways, enabling them to explore museum spaces and collections through creative media and the latest digital technologies. The project is led by a consortium including Nerve Centre, National Museums NI, NI Museums Council and NI Screen, and is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. It is a four year project which has engaged over 3,000 young people in creative programmes, events and workshops since launching in late 2018.

Emma McAleer & Niamh Kelly

Emma McAleer is the Youth Engagement Officer at National Museums Northern Ireland. Her role involves providing opportunities for young people in museums and programming activities in response to collections. Her highlight of the project is seeing young people take ownership of the museum space. Niamh Kelly is the Youth Ambassador on Reimagine, Remake, Replay. Previously a participant, she valued the agency, creativity and alternative way of learning the project enables within museums. Niamh now uses her dual perspective working to further these benefits and implement the project’s youth-led ethos.

BankGiro Loterij Museumprijs 2020

Naturalis Biodiversity Center, LEIDEN, THE NETHERLANDS

Naturalis Biodiversity Center is the Dutch national institute for biodiversity. We have one of the largest natural history collections around the globe. Through all the knowledge and data that it provides, our scientists study life on Earth. Their studies contribute to solutions for major, global issues involving climate, food supply, living environment, medicine and biodiversity preservation. In our recently opened museum, young and old will be able to discover the amazing world of nature. In the brand-new exhibition halls you will learn everything about the Netherlands in the Ice Age and the immense forces of our planet. You will also discover the most surprising ways in which plants and animals seduce each other and take a walk among dinosaurs, including the famous T. rex Trix.

Susanne van Straaten, Communications Advisor, Naturalis Biodiversity Center

Susanne van Straaten has been a communications advisor for Naturalis Biodiversity Center for 15 years now. She is brand manager as well as campaign manager. In 2017 Naturalis received a Dutch Culture Marketing Award for the campaign that introduced T. rex Trix to the Netherlands. In 2019 she was involved in the communication of the opening of the new Naturalis and the 200-day celebration titled ‘Nature's treasure trove – 200 years of Naturalis’ in 2020. Last year Naturalis was the proud winner of the BankGiro Loterij Museumprijs for which Susanne did the campaign.

ICCROM-Sharjah Grand Prix 2020

The preservation of the Manuscripts Collection of the Great Omari Mosque Library, GAZA, PALESTINE

The library of the Great Omari Mosque was established by the famous Mamluk leader (Al-Zahir Baibars) in 1277 A.D. During subsequent centuries, Gaza suffered from wars and conflicts that led to the vandalism of the library. Damage was inflicted several times, mainly after the French campaign in Palestine, after the First World War and after the direct Israeli Occupation for Gaza. In addition to three wars from 2008-2014, the Gaza siege caused bad economic conditions as well, which have had a negative impact on the environment of archival storage. 

Muneer Elbaz, University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS)- Gaza, Palestine

Muneer Elbaz has more than 16 years of experience in the cultural heritage field. He acquired a master’s degree in the subject of Architectural Conservation from Cairo University in 2007. From 2005-2009, he worked in Historic Cairo and Lahore, Pakistan in different Cultural Heritage projects for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC). Since 2010 untill now, Mr. Elbaz has worked at the University College of Applied Sciences (UCAS)- Gaza, Palestine. Beside his academic activities, he works as consultant in different Cultural Heritage projects in Palestine and Saudi Arabia.

European Museum of the Year Award 2020

Stapferhaus, LENZBURG, SWITZERLAND

At the Stapferhaus the big questions of the present stand at the forefront: what impacts our lives, what triggers the country’s interest and what moves the world. In sensory worlds the exhibitions invite the public to engage critically with the present in an entertaining manner. They encourage visitors to take responsibility and to shape our common future. The exhibitions create experience-oriented and low-threshold approaches for an as broad and diverse audience as possible. Visitors are invited to bring in their opinion, to question the self-evident and to gain new perspectives.

Sibylle Lichtensteiger, Director, Stapferhaus

As a director of the Stapferhaus, Sibylle Lichtensteiger is responsible for setting the themes and the overall strategy. She accompanied the complete process of the construction of the new Stapferhaus and advocated that architecture should be at the service of the cause. She loves the big picture and curatorial work, but also likes to take care of details. She works at the Stapferhaus for 20 years, worked as a journalist, studied history and German studies in Zurich and Berlin. She lives in Zurich with her husband and two almost grown-up daughters. 

European Museum Forum / The Council of Europe Museum Prize 2020

National Museum of Secret Surveillance “House of Leaves”, TIRANA, ALBANIA

Opened for the public since May 23, 2017, the National Museum of Secret Surveillance “House of Leaves" aims to commemorate the psychological violence and the control of citizens during the communist regime through the former State Security. The museum is dedicated to innocent people who were spied on, arrested, persecuted, convicted and executed during the communist regime. One among a number of historic locations brought back to public consciousness, the House of Leaves is already an iconic creature formed by a half-forgotten past and a wide-open future.

Etleva Demollari, Director, National Museum of Secret Survelliance “House of Leaves”

Etleva Demollari is the museum director from May 2017. She has worked since 2008 as a specialist and later as Head of the Educational Programs Department in the National History Museum in Tirana. Etleva is actually a PHD candidate in the Doctoral School for Cultural Heritage in the Faculty of History and Philology at Tirana University. She has been part of the Steering Board of Balkan Museum Network and is a member of the Balkan Museum Network Access Group.

Family Friendly Museum Award From Home 2020 / Going the Extra Mile

The Whitworth, Manchester | Still Parents, MANCHESTER, UNITED KINGDOM

Still Parents is the Whitworth’s award-winning programme to support families who have experienced the loss of a baby in pregnancy and just after birth. Launched in October 2019, in partnership with Sands (Stillbirth and Neo Natal Death Charity), the project provides workshops for participants to explore and share their experiences of baby loss through art, with the help and guidance from a practicing artist, alongside support from Manchester Sands volunteers. Lucy Turner is the founder of the ‘Still Parents’ programme at the Whitworth, which was created in response to the loss of her baby Jenny in 2016.

Lucy Turner, Early Years Producer, Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester

Lucy has worked in gallery education for over 13 years, previously working at the Laing Art Gallery as well as BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art. Lucy specialises in Early Years education and is passionate about combining art and ‘play’ to inspire curiosity, promote wellbeing and make positive social change. Recent awards include the Kids in Museums ‘Going the Extra Mile’ award for the Still Parents project and Fantastic for Families ‘Best Event’ for PLAYTIME.

2020 Museums and Galleries National Awards (MAGNA) National Winner

Bay Discovery Centre | Tiati Wangkanthi Kumangka, GLENELG, AUSTRALIA

Co-curated by the Kaurna Nation and City of Holdfast Bay, Tiati explores the true history of South Australia’s colonial past. Tiati is a meaningful, thought provoking and at times confrontational exhibition. Though it seeks to tell the story of South Australia's colonisation, it also seeks to question Australia’s modern attitudes and ideas toward Aboriginal people. For the first time in South Australia’s history, an attempt is made to decolonise the museum, recognising the presence and interaction of multiple voices and challenging the audience to reconsider what they ‘think they know’.

Lynette Crocker & Julia Garnaut

The Kaurna are the traditional owners of the Adelaide Plains, the area now occupied by the City of Adelaide, South Australia. Senior Kaurna Elder Lynette Crocker has been at the forefront of the Kaurna cultural revival, working over the past 30 years with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities in the areas of reconciliation, education, native title, employment, health and conservation. Julia Garnaut, Curator History & Exhibitions Bay Discovery Centre is Vice-President of Australia Museums and Galleries South Australia (AMaGA). Julia has her Masters in Cultural Heritage Management and has worked with Aboriginal communities throughout Australia as both an archaeologist and curator. 

European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2020 - Conservation

Hvar's Arsenal, HVAR, CROATIA

The aim of the project was to restore the renaissance Arsenal building, originally used as a boatyard and warehouse, with full respect for all its monumental features. Town of Hvar now has a structural repaired building with original building elements restored and presented, and the theatre (est. 1612) renovated and functional in its historical authenticity. With ceremonial reception room and an art gallery at the first floor and large space of the ground floor Arsenal gained a new multi-purpose function, adapted to a modern needs and standards used for cultural and social events.

Ita Pavičić, Project coordinator, Hvar’s Arsenal

Ita graduated Architecture with master's degree at the Faculty of Architecture, University of Zagreb. Since 2006 she is employed in the City of Hvar as a Senior Advisor for Public Utilities, Construction and Landscaping, at the Department of Public Utilities, Physical Planning, Construction and Environmental Protection, European Funds and Public Procurement. Ita works on monitoring the city's capital projects and coordinating of all participants in construction, monitors the implementation of projects funded by EU and national funds, coordinates the reconstruction and revitalization of cultural monuments.

EdCom Award for Excellence in Programming 2020

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | History Unfolded, WASHINGTON D.C., U.S.

History Unfolded: US Newspapers and the Holocaust is a project of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It asks students, teachers, and history buffs throughout the United States what was possible for Americans to have known about the Holocaust as it was happening and how Americans responded. Participants look in local newspapers for news and opinion about different Holocaust-era events that took place in the United States and Europe, and submit articles they find to a national database. History Unfolded raises questions for scholars and is informing the Museum’s initiative on Americans and the Holocaust.

Eric Schmalz, Citizen History Community Manager, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Eric has been the community manager for the History Unfolded: US Newspapers and the Holocaust project since November 2015. He oversees the review of newspaper submissions to the project website, assists participants with their questions, and helps educators effectively incorporate History Unfolded into various learning environments. Eric specializes in developing and deepening authentic human connection through his work. Before taking on his current position at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Eric taught high school social studies in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2020 - Education, Training and Awareness-Raising

Ambulance for Monuments, SIBIU, ROMANIA

The Ambulance for Monuments project was launched in 2016 to rescue hundreds of heritage-listed buildings in Romania through a large network of active heritage organisations. These emergency interventions are carried out by experts, students and trained craftsmen on a voluntary basis with the support of local communities and authorities. At the heart of the project in each region is an intervention kit and a lorry equipped with tools, construction equipment and materials. So far, 49 heritage buildings were rescued.

Eugen Vaida, President, Network of Private Rural Ethnographic Collections and Museums from Romania

Eugen is an Architect and owns a vast ethnographic collection, being founder and president of The Network of Private Rural Ethnographic Collections and Museums from Romania. He founded the “Ambulance for monuments” in 2016 and coordinates nowadays on behalf of The Romanian Order of Architects the architecture guideline books for contextual planning for all villages in Romania. Eugen Vaida is a well-known supporter of architecture summer schools and serves at the time as the director of The Prince’s Foundation in Romania.

Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Award 2020 / Transnational Thematic Tourism Products, Including Cultural Routes, 1st Prize

Historic Cafés in the Iberian Peninsula | Portuguese Historic Cafés Association, PORTUGAL/SPAIN

The old Historic Cafés of the Iberian Peninsula are unique examples of material heritage, but also symbolic landmarks of the intangible heritage of their local communities. They have managed to keep alive the tradition, the monumentality, the social memory and its identity, over several generations, while incorporating new commercial concepts, so that they remain competitive. There are new challenges that lie ahead and possible contribution to the economic and cultural revitalization through the network of Historic Cafés, establishing a connection with the Camiño de Santiago.

Fernando Franjo Franjo & Vitor de Sá Marques

Fernando Franjo Franjo is a Journalist, historian and Expert both in management of cultural projects and in Tourism Journalism. He authored numerous bibliographic, press and digital publications and organised the 1st edition of “Os cafés históricos’ (Historic Cafés) meetings” in Santiago de Compostela. With degrees in Economics and Post-graduate in Tourism Management at University of Coimbra, Vitor de Sá Marques is the President of Portuguese Historic Cafés Association.He is responsible for editorial conception of books related with Café Santa Cruz, where he is the manager, and has organized “The Historic Cafés as Cultural Heritage” meeting.

2020 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation / Award of Excellence

Sunder Nursery, NEW DELHI, INDIA

The Sunder Nursery is a 36.5 ha green space in the heart of New Delhi. Within this heritage park are 20 monuments dating from the 16th century – garden tombs, garden pavilions, wells, enclosures – which form a unique historic ensemble. The conservation of Sunder Nursery group of monuments is part of a much larger initiative by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture, spread across the adjoining sites of Humayun’s Tomb and Hazrat Nizamuddin Basti – coupling conservation works on the monuments with landscape restoration, environmental development and a significant socio-economic development programme benefitting a local community of 20,000.

Ratish Nanda, CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture India

Ratish heads the multi-disciplinary AKTC teams presently undertaking the two major urban conservation projects in India: the Nizamuddin Urban Renewal Initiative, Delhi and the Qutb Shahi Heritage Park Conservation, Hyderabad. For AKTC, he was earlier responsible for the Baghe Babur restoration (2002-2006), in Kabul, Afghanistan and the garden restoration of Humayun’s Tomb (1999-2003). He has served as an ICOMOS expert to missions in Iran, Turkey and Nepal and lectured in over 20 countries including at ICCROM, Rome. He has authored several articles and major publications and is the recipient of many prestigious awards. 

European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2020 - Research

Tramontana Network III, FRANCE/ITALY/POLAND/PORTUGAL/SPAIN

Tramontana Network III is a celebration of the mountain heritage of Europe: an in-depth study of the common intangible heritage of European rural and mountain communities of 5 different countries whit the aim to safeguard the richness of biodiversity heritage through its documentation and the wider dissemination. The 8 Tramontana partners – Binaural Nodar (PT), Audiolab (ES), Akademia Profil (PL), Bambun (IT), Eth Ostau Comengés (FR), LEM-Italia (IT), Nosauts de Bigòrra (FR), and Numériculture Gascogne (FR) - have created a project encouraging international cooperation in the research field and the oral memory valorisation within generations.

Luís Costa, Coordinator, Binaural Nodar

Luis is a sound researcher and cultural organizer in rural context. Coordinator of Binaural Nodar, a cultural organization that develops and hosts projects dealing with sound and visual ethnography, academic research and contemporary art in the Portuguese region of Viseu Dão Lafões. Coordinator of Lafões Cult Lab, a platform for artist residencies that already hosted over 150 artists and researchers from over 20 countries. Founder of Binaural Nodar Digital Archive, which is cataloguing aspects of the collective memory from Portuguese rural areas and is part of the Tramontana European network.

Canadian Museums Association Award of Outstanding Achievement 2020 / Research in Cultural Heritage Sector

Museum Activism | Robert R. Janes and Richard Sandell, CANADA, UNITED KINGDOM

Only a decade ago, the notion that museums and galleries might engage in activist practice, with the explicit intent to act upon inequalities, injustices, and environmental crises, was met with skepticism and derision. At this crucial time in the evolution of museum thinking and practice, this book brings together more than fifty contributors from six continents to explore, analyze and critically reflect upon the museum’s relationship to activism. Including contributions from practitioners, artists, activists and researchers, Museum Activism examines new and divergent expressions of the inherent power of museums as forces for good.

Robert R. Janes & Richard Sandell

Robert R. Janes is a visiting fellow at the School of Museum Studies, University of Leicester, UK, and the founder of the Coalition of Museums for Climate Justice. He has devoted his career to championing museums as important social institutions that can make a difference in the lives of individuals and their communities. Richard Sandell is Co-Director of the Research Centre for Museums and Galleries at the University of Leicester, UK. His research and practice are concerned with the social roles and responsibilities of heritage organisations and, in particular, their capacity to shape the moral and political climate within which human rights are experienced.

ICCROM-Sharjah Grand Prix 2020

The Rehabilitation of Souk Al-Saqatiyya, ALEPPO, SYRIA

As part of Aga Khan Development Network’s humanitarian assistance activities in Syria, including emergency health care and food aid, Aga Khan trust for Culture undertook surveys and technical studies for the rehabilitation of Souk al-Saqatiyya. This was followed by a pilot project in the Aleppo Souk – the largest medieval souk in the Middle East – which had been severely damaged during the conflict. The prototype for conservation included all public spaces along 150 metres of the Souk, including the vaulted roof and central passageway, essential infrastructure, and utilities.

Ali Esmaiel , CEO, Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Syria

Ali is a professional expert in international development for almost two decades. Since 2006 he is leading a team of experts from the Aga Khan Trust for Culture in Syria to safeguard several historical sites in Aleppo and Damascus. Such projects Include restorations of three medieval castles, development of Aleppo Citadel Perimeter, transfer knowledge and building capacities for young Syrian specialists, and recently the rehabilitation of a severely damaged medieval souk during the conflict.  Ali has a graduated from Damascus University with a BA in business, was awarded the Royal Chevening Scholarship to study for MBA from UK, and has a Ph.D. from USA.

Museums + Heritage Award The International Project of the Year < £1m

Studio Louter, OPERA Amsterdam and The Mauritshuis Shifting Image | In Search of Johan Maurits, THE NETHERLANDS

The Mauritshuis is a Dutch art museum with mostly Dutch seventeenth century paintings, and was named after the man who had it built as his home: Johan Maurits. In 2018 a public discussion about colonialism, slavery and heritage arose in the Netherlands when the Mauritshuis decided to remove a modern replica of Johan Maurits's bust from the foyer of the museum. A so-called Twitter-war was the pinnacle of this, with Dutch media, critics and even politicians interfering in the polarised debate. The Mauritshuis decided to continue the conversation with the exhibition Shifting Image - In Search of Johan Maurits.

Lea van der Vinde, Barend Verheijen & Jeroen Luttikhuis

Lea van der Vinde is an art historian, specialized in 17th and 18th century Dutch painting. She is a Curator at the Mauritshuis in The Hague, where she has been responsible for many exhibitions. As Partner and Creative Director of Studio Louter, Barend Verheijen is responsible for concept development, storylines and all content productions. Barend has almost 20 years of experience in the museum world. Jeroen Luttikhuis is a partner and creative director at OPERA  Amstredam, where he manages the creative team of designers, develops concepts and their translation into 2D and 3D design, and the development and integration of multimedia and light.

Chinese Museums Association Most Innovative Museums in China Award 2020

Palace Museum of the Manchurian Regime, CHANGCHUN, CHINA

The puppet Manchukuo Palace is the palace where Puyi, the last emperor of the Qing Dynasty, lived when he acted as the emperor of the puppet-state Manchukuo. It is an important historical witness of Japan's military occupation of Northeast China and the implementation of fascist colonial rule. Established in 1962, it is now a first-class Museum in China and a key cultural relic protection unit. With the aim "To be a leader of innovative operation of Chinese museums & scenic spots", it embraces the digital era, explores and expands the functions and boundaries of museums, relying on the collection resources.

Wang Zhiqiang, Director, Palace Museum of the Manchurian Regime

Zhiqiang is a leader of Innovative operation and Chinese Museums & Scenic Spots project and a member of Chinese Museums' Association’s council. He serves as Adjunct professor of Northeast Normal University, extramural academic advisor of Jilin University, and as President of Changchun Puyi Research Association. He is the chief editor of a number of cultural and museological works, planed multiple exhibitions in the past few years, and has rich practical experience in preservation of cultural relics, promotion of social education, optimization of public service, and construction of smart-museums. Guided by innovation, he promotes the overall upgrading of the Palace Museum of the Manchurian Regime.

European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2020 - Conservation

Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, L'AQUILA, ITALY

The return of the Basilica to the community of L’Aquila in 2017 marked a watershed moment in the long process of recovery following the tragic 2009 earthquake. The Superintendence for L’Aquila carried out the project with a team of representatives from three Italian universities and supervised the complex two-year works, entirely funded by a private sponsor. The restoration received the Grand Prix of the “European Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards 2020” as “a model of best practice in the conservation of critically damaged sites all over the world”.

Alessandra Vittorini, Director, Fondazione Scuola dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali

Architect PhD in Territorial and Urban Planning, Director of the “Fondazione Scuola dei beni e delle attività culturali” since September 2020. Former Superintendent for Archaeological, Artistic and Architectural Heritage and Landscape for L’Aquila and its Seismic Crater (2012-2020), she has been mainly involved in cultural heritage restoration after the 2009 earthquake, also directing the Superintendence's team in charge of the restoration of the Basilica of Collemaggio in L'Aquila, completed in 2017. She has done research, exhibitions, scientific conferences and publications on architecture, urban planning and restoration, in Italy and abroad. 

Japanese Association of Museums Award 2020

Showa Era Life Style Museum, KITANAGOYA, JAPAN

The Showa Era Lifestyle Museum exhibits objects of daily lives during the Showa Era (1926–1989) with an emphasis on the post-war challenges and the economic miracle (1946–1970). With a collection of over 100,000 daily life necessities from those times, the museum hosts over 40,000 visitors every year. Exhibits evoke nostalgic feelings and sentiments among visitors, who are encouraged to actively share their memories. With this as a foundation, a new relationship with the elderly in the community was formed by incorporating the reminiscence method into the museum.

Yoshinori Ichihashi, Director, The Showa Era Lifestyle Museum

Yoshinori Ichihashi (MD in Archaeology at Nanzan University, Nagoya City, now specializing in museology) is the director and curator of the Kitanagoya City Museum of History and Folklore. He established the Showa Era Lifestyle Museum with its collection of daily-life materials of the period from 1946 to 1970. His passionate engagement over thirty years sparked new relationships between the museum and the local elderly, incorporating the reminiscence method. Major exhibitions he edited include the special exhibitions "Everyday Life Makes Museum" and "The Reminiscence Method Fosters Cross-Cultural Understanding."

Museums Association United Kingdom Best Lockdown Project 2020

Seven Stories, the National Centre for Children’s Books | Supporting Families in Byker During Lockdown,  NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, UNITED KINGDOM

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, Seven Stories continued to work at the heart of the local community with schools and partners in the voluntary sector to support vulnerable children and families.  Keeping children happy, active and busy through an unsettling time is essential for their mental health but many families had few resources at home to support creative play and keep children entertained.  Children’s books and creative activities were shared online, in schools and delivered to children’s doorsteps, bringing some hope and joy at a time when it was most needed.

Sarah Cotton, Creative Producer, Seven Stories

Sarah Cotton is Creative Producer at Seven Stories: The National Centre For Children’s Books.  She leads Seven Stories’ creative programmes in community settings, working with external partners to deliver impactful engagement activities with and for children and families.   With over 20 years’ experience in the museum sector, Sarah is passionate about connecting communities with museum collections to address inequality and social justice. 

Museums + Heritage Award The International Project of the Year > £1m

OMM - Odunpazarı Modern Museum, ODUNPAZARI - ESKIŞEHIR, TURKEY

OMM - Odunpazarı Modern Museum is a cross-cultural platform where modern and contemporary art from Turkey and abroad is exhibited with a universal perspective. Located in the historical, Ottoman-era neighborhood of Odunpazarı in Eskişehir, northwest Turkey, OMM building was designed by Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA). OMM was founded by architect and art collector Erol Tabanca to create an artistic convergence point in his hometown. Led by Chairperson and Creative Director Idil Tabanca, the museum aims to bring new perspectives to Turkish contemporary art through exhibitions, projects, and workshops that inspire curiosity and connection.

Busra Erkara, Editorial Director, OMM

Busra Erkara is the editorial director at OMM - Odunpazarı Modern Museum, as well as the bookkeeper and a board member at the OMM Foundation. With a background in the media industry, Erkara is also a New York Times-published writer. 

European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2020 - Education, Training and Awareness-Raising

“Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” SPAIN/POLAND

“Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away.” is the world’s largest travelling exhibition about the history and significance of the Nazis’ most notorious concentration and death camp. Produced by Musealia in collaboration with the Auschwitz Birkenau State Museum, it displays more than 700 original objects from more than 20 different international institutions. It opened in Madrid two years ago, receiving some 600,000 visitors. Currently at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, it will move to Kansas City in June 2021.

Luis Ferreiro, Director, Musealia

Luis Ferreiro is the Director of Musealia, a global producer of historical exhibitions that are presented at museums and education centres all over the world. With more than 20 years of experience in this field, the exhibitions he has created are distinguished by their strong narrative character, historical and scientific rigor, emotional impact and educational value. In 2009 he envisioned and led the project to create a new monographic traveling exhibition about Auschwitz and its historical repercussions, together with an international panel of experts and the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum.

Chinese Museums Association Most Innovative Museums in China Award 2020

Jiangxi Provincial Museum, NANCHANG, CHINA

In recent years, Jiangxi Provincial Museum keeps moving ahead and striving for breakthroughs. In September 2020, a high standard, modern and intelligent new venue has been established and opened to the public in which the Museum innovated the ways of collecting and enriched its exhibition. As the largest comprehensive museum in Jiangxi province, it takes the lead in the inheritance of the Red Genes. Meanwhile, it gives full play to the role of “We-media” in correlation and interaction with the public. The innovation of volunteers’ recruitment has set an example of how social volunteers deeply participated in museum exhibition.

Guan Li, Deputy director, Jiangxi Provincial Museum

Li is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Dedicated to cultural relic protection and research, she has completed the site extraction and indoor protection and restoration of more than 10,000 cultural relics unearthed from the Tomb of Marquis of Haihun, a major archaeological project of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage. At the same time , she has presided and participated in several national and provincial projects.

ILUCIDARE Special Prizes 2020

TYPA Print Museum, TARTU, ESTONIA

TYPA is a printing and paper art centre. Not only is it the only museum of print in the Baltic and Finish region. It is a working museum and TYPA’s century-old machines are still in use. It promotes the heritage of print through a hands-on and multi-faceted approach, which includes, educational workshops, exhibitions, residencies and publications. A hub of international activity, TYPA connects Tartu with foreign artists and ESC volunteers. Winner of the ILUCIDARE Special Prize 2020 for Heritage-led innovation, TYPA continues to explore a collaborative approach to museum practice.

Charlotte Biszewski, Manager, TYPA

Charlotte is the current manager and board-member of TYPA. Originally from Bristol, UK, where she completed an MA in multidisciplinary printmaking and became involved in letterpress print. Here she began collecting oral history from the Bristol print industry and passing on intangible skills of industry workers to fellow artists. She is completing a PhD at the Academy of Fine Arts Eugeniusz Geppert, Wrocław; continuing her artistic and research practice. Awards include The Rebecca Smith Award for Printmaking, the Jerzy Grotowski Scholarship for Arts, and the David Cantor Memorial fund.

Museums + Heritage Award Restoration/Conservation Project

Plymouth City Council (The Box) and Orbis Conservation | The Box Naval Figureheads Collection, PLYMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM

The Conservation and Display of The Box Naval Figureheads Collection was an ambitious and transformational project to conserve and restore fourteen degraded, nineteenth century, naval ships’ figurehead carvings and place them on prominent public display as a permanent exhibition suspended within the main entrance of The Box (a museum, gallery, archive and visitor attraction in central Plymouth). The carvings underwent restoration work in the 1950s using untried methods which failed, so The Box proposed to restore the sculptures and suspend figureheads in a huge sweep from the ceiling of the main entrance atrium, creating a memorable visual experience from both within and outside The Box.

Stephen Conway, Maxwell Malden & Hans Thompson

Stephen Conway is Conservator at The Box and was project manager for the figurehead conservation and redisplay project. Stephen’s background is in polychrome wooden sculpture conservation. During his career he has worked on figureheads at the National Maritime Museum, National Museum of the Royal Navy and the Ministry of Defence. Maxwell Malden is a sculpture conservator specialising in large scale stone and wood objects. He has project managed touring exhibitions using his experience of both conservation and installation. Hans Thompson is an object and decorative surface conservator. He has a particular interest in contemporary sculpture. He regularly works with artists in their fabrication process in an advisory role, researching material compatibility when diverse ranges of materials are required.

TBIH2020 IMAGINES "Project of Influence": #NewSelfieWales

Paula Bray, DX Lab Leader, State Library of NSW, AUSTRALIA

Paula has over twenty years' experience working in cultural heritage institutions, including the State Library of NSW, Powerhouse Museum, Art Gallery of NSW and the Australian National Maritime Museum. Paula is currently at the State Library of NSW in the role as DX Lab Leader. Paula develops, manages and promotes an award-winning team that uses existing and emerging technologies to build experiences and exhibitions online and onsite. The DX Lab, Australia's first cultural heritage innovation lab and internationally recognised digital team, is a place where research and collaborative opportunities are explored. 

The Best in Heritage 2020 "Project of Influence": Oodi Library

Harri Annala, Librarian, Helsinki Central Library Oodi, FINLAND

University of Lisbon/Chair ICOM-UMAC, PORTUGAL

Marta C. Lourenço

Marta is the Chair of UMAC, the Committee for University Museums and Collections of ICOM since 2016. She is the director of the National Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon (MUHNAC) and the national coordinator of PRISC (Portuguese Research Infrastructure of Scientific Collections). She has background training in Physics, a MA in Museology and a PhD in History of Technology. She teaches material culture of science at the Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon.

Architect, ddArchitects, INDIA

Vinod Kumar

Vinod Kumar MM is an Architect, running an independent Architectural studio dd Architects in Thrissur, Kerala, India. The work of the studio focuses largely on Urban Revitalization and Heritage restoration projects apart from new design inspired by the art and craft of the region. The studio has also been awarded the UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Award twice. Vinod also, currently, holds leadership roles in organizations like INTACH and IIA in Thrissur, and has attended International seminars as both speaker and participant. His interests include nature, conservation and documenting vernacular systems.

Vice President of Exhibitions & Facilities, Monterey Bay Aquarium, UNITED STATES

Beth Redmond-Jones

Beth is an accomplished and award-winning museum professional with a wide range of management, leadership, and design experience. Her strong suits are strategic planning, exhibitions, museum programming, museum operations, facility maintenance, donor cultivation, grant writing, and fiscal management. Over her 30+ year career, she has held a variety of positions at informal learning institutions, including San Diego Natural History Museum, Aquarium of the Pacific and The Exploratorium. In addition, she has consulted for Carnegie Museum of Natural History, National Aquarium, California Academy of Sciences and many other museums in the United States and Canada.

Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO)/Chair ICOM-ICOFOM, BRASIL

Bruno Brulon Soares

Bruno is a museologist and anthropologist based in Brazil, professor of museology at the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO) and professor in the Post-Graduate Program in Museology and Heritage (UNIRIO/ MAST) where he coordinates the Laboratory of Experimental Museology (LAMEX). He is currently chair of the International Committee for Museology (ICOFOM) and co-chair of the Standing Committee for the Museum Definition (ICOM Define).

Director, IT Projects, State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO, RUSSIA

Alexey Tikhonov

Alexey is the IT projects director at the State Russian Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO in St.Petersburg. He specializes in digital preservation and providing access to digital museum objects, is the main developer of CMS/DAM museum information system “Eidotheque”, lead developer of several award winning multimedia projects. Being a member of The Council for Museum Digital Development under ICOM Russia his main areas of interest are creation and evangelism of digital preservation and open access methodologies for russian museum community.

Web & Digital Engagement Director at the Field Museum, UNITED STATES

Brad Dunn

Brad is a cultural sector leader with 20 years of experience leading digital strategy and creative direction in design, technology, social media, games, content strategy, filmmaking, advertising, and theatre. His work is informed by user testing and data analysis, creative thinking, and gut instinct. He has led teams that have given voice to dinosaurs, pioneered immersive training environments for Marriott International, and conducted innovation workshops for Singapore's Civil Service College. He is a member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.