Waikato Museum wins two national museum awards

In the fifth Annual National Museum Awards last night, Waikato Museum was awarded the Project Achievement Award: Exhibition Excellence – Social History for its  2011 exhibition Red, Yellow and (All) Black and the Judges Award for Sustainability for its innovative temporary exhibition wall fabrication system.

The National Museum Awards honour excellence in innovation and exhibition creation. Acting director Andy Lowe says this is an outstanding achievement for Waikato Museum.

“This is well-deserved recognition for a group of people who are deeply passionate about what they do and I’m really proud of them all,” he said.

The judges described Red, Yellow and (All) Black as, “by far and away the best of the 2011 rugby exhibitions".

"Waikato Museum took a subject that was everywhere in 2011, and turned its rugby theme into a really fresh exhibition, which included information and context for a wide range of audiences. There were sections on how ordinary people were involved with rugby, the science of rugby, analysis of a pro player's routine, of interest for people who knew nothing about rugby and enthusiasts alike. A variety of exhibition techniques included videos of key rugby moments, 'locker room' insights, and good physical interactive elements such as smells and low-tech matching of socks to regions, made this really visitor-focussed. Red, Yellow and (All) Black was by far and away the best of the 2011 rugby exhibitions!"

The temporary exhibition wall fabrication system which won the Judges Award for Sustainability, addresses the issue of waste and sustainability when changing exhibitions. The judges were impressed the museum “recognised the importance of making the best use of resources, re-using materials, and reducing waste without compromising flexibility and usability."

The award judges were Jock Phillips, Heather Galbraith, Greg McManus and Jane Legget.

The National Museum Awards are an initiative of Museums Aotearoa, New Zealand's independent peak professional organisation for museums and those who work in, or have an interest in, museums.