Taupo Museum recognised at ServiceIQ Museum Awards
Taupo Museum has received an award for the most innovative public programme at the ServiceIQ Museum awards for an exhibition about dogs.
During the award-winning exhibition, two displays were run simultaneously after being put together by exhibitions officer Kerence Stephen. These included both canine owners and their dogs visiting the museum to see various dog-related works by artists. Dog Show and Exhibition for Dogs ran from mid-February, with some sculpture based-content utilising recycled materials displayed until the beginning of April.
The ServiceIQ Museum awards recognise the best museum displays and exhibits throughout the country across many categories each year.
The judges said although the idea of dogs in a museum didn't fit with normal gallery and museum protocols they admired what was an innovative and simple idea.
"We liked the fact that Taupo Museum took a risk, they broke the rules and it paid off, the community loved it, visitation went up by 500 compared to the same time the previous year. The programme was a good fit for the community and encouraged a whole new audience to engage with the museum. It showcased local creativity from the community and the works produced were innovative and the participants took it very seriously. What we all enjoyed was the fact that participants - human and canine - looked like they were having a great time."
Head of Community, Culture and Heritage, Dylan Tahau, said the award was a great reflection of the innovative way the team approached their work.
"It's nice to see their out-of-the-box thinking has been rewarded at a national level," he said.
May 23 2018
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