The Georgia Museum of Art (GMOA) at the University of Georgia recently received two national awards for its publications: first prize for Facet, its quarterly newsletter, in the American Association of Museums (AAM) Publications Design Competition, and first runner-up for its book “One Hundred American Paintings” from the Eric Hoffer Book Awards in the “Art” category.
“We are thrilled but not humbled by these national awards,” said the museum’s director of communications, Hillary Brown. “We firmly believe that our publications stand with the best in the country, and we are pleased to have them recognized as such.”
The museum has never won first prize at AAM before and competed this year against such institutions as the Jewish Museum and the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). Athens firm The Adsmith redesigned the newsletter and christened it Facet when the museum reopened its expanded and renovated building in January 2011. The current format allows for significant space to reproduce works of art and original content on donors, acquisitions, exhibitions and educational programs.
The American Association of Museums has been bringing museums together since 1906, helping to develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum community. It is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape. AAM is the only organization representing the entire scope of museums and professionals and nonpaid staff who work for and with museums. It represents more than 18,000 individual museum professionals and volunteers, almost 3,000 institutions and 250 corporate members.
For more than 25 years, AAM has recognized and encouraged excellence in the graphic design of museum publications through the Museum Publications Design Competition, the only national, juried competition of its kind. Winners are chosen for their overall design excellence, creativity and ability to express an institution’s personality, mission or special features. The panel of judges includes graphic designers, museum professionals and publishers.
“One Hundred American Paintings,” by GMOA’s chief curator and curator of American art, Paul Manoguerra, serves as an introduction to one of the museum’s greatest strengths. The Eric Hoffer Award for short prose and books was established at the start of the 21st century as a means of opening a door to writing of significant merit. It honors the memory of the great American philosopher Eric Hoffer by highlighting salient writing, as well as the independent spirit of small publishers.
For a high-resolution image to accompany this story, reply to this email or contact Michael Lachowski at 706.542.9078 or mlachow@uga.edu.
Museum Information
Partial support for the exhibitions and programs at the Georgia Museum of Art is provided by the Georgia Council for the Arts through appropriations of the Georgia General Assembly. The council is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Individuals, foundations and corporations provide additional museum support through their gifts to the University of Georgia Foundation. The Georgia Museum of Art is located in the Performing and Visual Arts Complex on the East Campus of the University of Georgia. The address is 90 Carlton Street, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 30602-6719. For more information, including hours, see www.georgiamuseum.org or call 706.542.GMOA (4662).
