Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest has won a prestigious MAGNA (Museums and Galleries National Award) at the Museums Australia National Conference on May 15.
The MAGNAs recognise excellent work nationally in exhibition, public programs and sustainability projects across five award categories.
The gallery won the Travelling and Temporary Exhibition category for the three-month exhibition and program of events for Gravity (and Wonder). The award was given against some tough competitors including national and state galleries and recognises Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest’s commitment to delivering exhibitions and programs that are diverse, stimulating and relevant to our audiences, community and contemporary environment.
Gravity (and Wonder) marked the beginning of a long-term partnership between Penrith Regional Gallery & The Lewers Bequest and the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS).
The project collaborators were also joined by education partner Western Sydney University, bringing its Penrith Observatory and academic expertise into the project alongside citizen science events to intrigue the community.
Gravity (and Wonder), curated by the Gallery’s Director Dr Lee-Anne Hall and MAAS Curator Katie Dyer, brought together rare scientific instruments and inventions, specialist objects and archival material from the MAAS collection alongside the work of contemporary artists who examined gravity as phenomena and effect, mass and attraction, motion and acceleration, time and space and – ultimately - transcendence.
Dr Lee-Anne Hall said: “Katie Dyer and I were delighted to accept the award on behalf of the Gravity project team at both Penrith Regional Gallery and MAAS. To be recognised in front of our peers is an honour. We look forward to our next institutional partnership in 2018.”
