WAG-Qaumajuq Receives Best in Heritage Award for Project of Influence
Award recognizes Qaumajuq as a beacon for innovation and sector-leading change
Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 19, 2023: The Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq is the recipient of the Project of Influence award from Best in Heritage 2023. The award is curated from a selection of ground-breaking, award-winning museum, heritage, and conservation projects spanning six continents. The 2023 award recognizes Qaumajuq as a ground-breaking project that highlights innovation and the transformative power of art and culture.
The Project of Influence is awarded to endeavors that have influenced and served as resources of inspiration, representing innovators in the heritage sector. These projects have the power to elevate professional standards and introduce change.
The Best in Heritage juried panel reviewed projects from a wide spectrum of cultural heritage undertakings, with the winning projects collectively representing the forefront of use of new technologies and multimedia in the heritage domain and exploring diverse ways in which innovation can enhance our cultural experiences and interactions.
Qaumajuq is a first-of-its kind centre, connected to the original Winnipeg Art Gallery building on all levels, providing a platform for Inuit voices though exhibitions, research, education, and art making. WAG-Qaumajuq embraces a vision of the future that elevates Inuit voices through a purpose-built space, placing relationships and reconciliation at the heart of the institution.
Quick Facts:
- WAG-Qaumajuq is the recipient of the Project of Influence award from Best in Heritage 2023 for the Qaumajuq project.
- The juried panel reviewed projects from 22 countries, spanning six continents. Winning projects represent the forefront of use of new technologies and multimedia in the heritage domain and exploring diverse ways in which innovation can enhance our cultural experiences and interactions.
- The Project of Influence IMAGINES winner goes to the Symphony project by the La Caixa Foundation in Spain.
- Best in Heritage is a global program featuring award-winning museum, heritage, and conservation projects.
- WAG-Qaumajuq won the Canadian Museums Association Award in 2022.
Quotes:
“It is an honour to receive the Best in Heritage award for Project of Influence for Qaumajuq, the Inuit art centre project. Qaumajuq was a long time in the making. Thanks to the WAG board, partners, donors, and the WAG team, the realization of the centre is one of our proudest achievements, and I am humbled that it has been received so positively around the world for its ability to connect people, stories, and art.”
— Stephen Borys, WAG-Qaumajuq Director and CEO
“The Winnipeg Art Gallery’s ground-breaking project, Qaumajuq, is a testament to the transformative power of art and culture. Jury members identified the Qaumajuq project as an exemplar across a number of the judging criteria. It stood out among a strong field of award-winning projects as a beacon for innovation and sector-leading change.”
— Tonya Nelson on behalf of the TBIH2023 Core programme jury
Support
Qaumajuq was designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture, in consultation with Cibinel Architecture.
Associated Links
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For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Katryna Barske
Public Relations Officer
Winnipeg Art Gallery
204.789.1295
kbarske@wag.ca
About Winnipeg Art Gallery (WAG)-Qaumajuq
WAG-Qaumajuq is a cultural advocate using art to connect, inspire, and inform. Playing a dynamic role in the community, we are a place for learning, dialogue, and enjoyment through art. Opened in March 2021, Qaumajuq connects to the WAG on all levels, celebrating the largest public collection of contemporary Inuit art in the world. The new WAG-Qaumajuq cultural campus is now one of the largest art museums in Canada. To learn more visit wag.ca.
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To plan your visit, check out wag.ca/visit.
