Tweed Regional Museum wins national award
29 October 2020
Land | Life | Culture exhibition recognised for originality and innovation
The rich geographical and cultural history of the Tweed has proven to be a winner on a national level, with Tweed Regional Museum picking up a prestigious Australian Museums and Galleries Association award for its Land | Life | Culture exhibition.
The Museums and Galleries National Awards, or MAGNAs, recognise originality, innovation and best practice in exhibition, public programs and sustainability projects.
Tweed Regional Museum’s Land | Life | Culture exhibition in Murwillumbah won the category for permanent exhibitions from a strong national pool.
The exhibition introduces visitors to the unique natural and cultural heritage of the Tweed and is the largest undertaken by the Museum since the multi-million dollar redevelopment of the site was completed in 2014.
“We know from feedback from the many people we worked with to deliver this project, and from those that have visited the Museum since the exhibition launched in late January this year, that this project is special,” Museum Director Judy Kean said.
“The interactive elements of the exhibition which explore landscape formation, place-based cultural stories and key species provide visitors with ‘aha’ moments.
“It’s a powerful representation of complex geological and cultural stories that really helps visitors understand this special landscape.”
Mayor of Tweed Chris Cherry congratulated Museum staff and contributors to the exhibition on winning the award.
“The interactive nature of this exhibition and the animation of our caldera’s formation gives such insight into our region,” Cr Cherry said.
“Apart from the success of the physical exhibition, this award also recognises the process of exchange and learning that was essential to realising Land | Life | Culture.
“In particular, it recognises the contributions of members of the local Aboriginal community who generously shared cultural knowledge and helped guide design and development.”
Ms Kean said the project also reflected values recognised in the listing of Tweed landscapes as representing outstanding examples of major stages of the Earth's evolutionary history, ongoing geological and biological processes and exceptional biological diversity.
"One of the most satisfying aspects of this project has been the opportunity to bring together different forms of knowledge and expertise and to explore how these could be reflected in one exhibition,” Ms Kean said.
Funding from the NSW Government through the Restart and Heritage grant programs, Murwillumbah Historical Society, Friends of the Tweed Regional Museum, Tweed Heads Historical Society and generous private sponsors Ian and Teena Fox contributed to Land | Life | Culture becoming a reality.
The Museum accepted the award at a national hybrid online and in-person event hosted by the Australian Museum and Galleries Association on 28 October 2020.
You can view the exhibition at Tweed Regional Museum, 2 Queensland Road, Murwillumbah 2484.
For details, visit museum.tweed.nsw.gov.au
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Caption: Tweed Regional Museum's Erika Taylor, Kirsty Andrew and Judy Kean with project collaborators Brendan Meddings and Kyle Slabb from Banaam Applied Cultural Intelligence.