Art Fund Prize denies claims of political bias
Rebecca Atkinson, 15.06.2011
Role of the public poll also defended
The Art Fund Prize, which will be announced tonight, has said that claims of political bias are unfounded following criticisms that the winner of the public poll did not make the shortlist.
The People’s History Museum (PHM) in Manchester, one of 10 longlisted museums, received 26.3% of the online public vote but didn’t make it on to the final shortlist, which was announced on 19 May. Commentators on Twitter and the Museums Association’s website criticised the decision and questioned the role of the public poll.
There were also claims of political bias, based on the fact that former Conservative MP Michael Portillo was this year’s judging panel chairman.
Commenting on the Museums Association’s (MA) website, Collette wrote: “With a high-profile former Conservative MP at the helm of the judges and the subject-matter of the PHM being undeniably working-class focused, you cannot therefore escape the perception (and perceptions are important) that somehow personal political beliefs came into play.”
Mike, a member of the MA and the Art Fund, added: “I too think that the reason the PHM did not make the shortlist was political basis. I do think that the result of the ‘peoples vote’ should have been given more weight.”
On Twitter, @chagandbm wrote: "Here's an idea; if judges are going to ignore public vote for Art Fund Prize why not fund a public prize?"
However, a spokeswoman for the Art Fund Prize has fervently denied the claims and said the shortlist of four museums was a unanimous decision this year.
“The claim of a political bias is unfounded,” she added. “Each year, the Art Fund Prize trustees select a panel of judges that comprises experts in their field, with representatives from inside and outside the museum world.
"The judges discussed all the strengths of each application and a rigorous process was used to ensure that each one had an equal chance of getting through to the next stage. The judges' political views are, in general, a private matter and no political point was raised in any of their discussions.”
She also defended the role of the public poll: “To ensure fairness in the judging process, as members of the public are unlikely to have visited all 10 longlisted institutions, the public poll is used for information only to help the judges assess one of the five criteria – the criteria about winning the support and enthusiasm of visitors.”
Katy Archer, director of the PHM, said she was was disappointed the museum didn’t make the shortlist, especially as it led the public poll throughout the whole process.
“In our minds, we thought this would stand us in good stead because it demonstrated public support for the museum,” she added. “But we are very proud to been on the longlist – it has been a great experience and has helped raise our profile with the media, stakeholders and the public.”
The winner of the 2011 Art Fund Prize will be announced at a ceremony at Tate Britain tonight. The final four museums in the running to win the £10,000 Museum of the Year award are: the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum; the Roman Baths Museum; the British Museum, for a History of the World; and the Polar Museum.
The People’s History Museum (PHM) in Manchester, one of 10 longlisted museums, received 26.3% of the online public vote but didn’t make it on to the final shortlist, which was announced on 19 May. Commentators on Twitter and the Museums Association’s website criticised the decision and questioned the role of the public poll.
There were also claims of political bias, based on the fact that former Conservative MP Michael Portillo was this year’s judging panel chairman.
Commenting on the Museums Association’s (MA) website, Collette wrote: “With a high-profile former Conservative MP at the helm of the judges and the subject-matter of the PHM being undeniably working-class focused, you cannot therefore escape the perception (and perceptions are important) that somehow personal political beliefs came into play.”
Mike, a member of the MA and the Art Fund, added: “I too think that the reason the PHM did not make the shortlist was political basis. I do think that the result of the ‘peoples vote’ should have been given more weight.”
On Twitter, @chagandbm wrote: "Here's an idea; if judges are going to ignore public vote for Art Fund Prize why not fund a public prize?"
However, a spokeswoman for the Art Fund Prize has fervently denied the claims and said the shortlist of four museums was a unanimous decision this year.
“The claim of a political bias is unfounded,” she added. “Each year, the Art Fund Prize trustees select a panel of judges that comprises experts in their field, with representatives from inside and outside the museum world.
"The judges discussed all the strengths of each application and a rigorous process was used to ensure that each one had an equal chance of getting through to the next stage. The judges' political views are, in general, a private matter and no political point was raised in any of their discussions.”
She also defended the role of the public poll: “To ensure fairness in the judging process, as members of the public are unlikely to have visited all 10 longlisted institutions, the public poll is used for information only to help the judges assess one of the five criteria – the criteria about winning the support and enthusiasm of visitors.”
Katy Archer, director of the PHM, said she was was disappointed the museum didn’t make the shortlist, especially as it led the public poll throughout the whole process.
“In our minds, we thought this would stand us in good stead because it demonstrated public support for the museum,” she added. “But we are very proud to been on the longlist – it has been a great experience and has helped raise our profile with the media, stakeholders and the public.”
The winner of the 2011 Art Fund Prize will be announced at a ceremony at Tate Britain tonight. The final four museums in the running to win the £10,000 Museum of the Year award are: the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum; the Roman Baths Museum; the British Museum, for a History of the World; and the Polar Museum.
Add your comment