Firstsite centre for the visual arts, Colchester Building, Architect, Rafael Viñoly England
Firstsite Colchester, Essex Building Award
22 Sep 2021
New Centre for the Visual Arts
Design: Rafael Viñoly Architects
Firstsite Is Winner Of £100,000 Art Fund Museum Of The Year 2021

photograph © Marc Atkins
Firstsite in Colchester, Essex
Firstsite in Colchester, Essex, is announced as Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021 this evening (21 September 2021). Sally Shaw, Director of Firstsite, was presented with the £100,000 prize – the largest museum prize in the world – by broadcaster Edith Bowman at a ceremony in the spectacular setting of the Science Museum, London.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Firstsite is a contemporary arts organisation showing a diverse mix of historic, modern and contemporary art from around the world in an inclusive environment. It has built a strong, critical reputation nurturing long and deep relationships with artists and the local community.
photograph : Jayne Lloyd
During the pandemic it mobilised at speed to support local people, lending its building to neighbouring charity, Community 360 to run a food bank. Within days of lockdown, Firstsite created activity packs which went on to feature over fifty artists and were downloaded by over 92,000 households. The organisation led on The Great Big Art Exhibition which encouraged people to display their own art in their windows during lockdown to create a nationwide gallery, and Michael La...