Jupiter Artland nominated for Museum of the Year

Jupiter Artland sculpture garden near Edinburgh has been nominated for the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year.

The outdoor gallery, situated in the grounds of Bonnington House in West Lothian, is the first Scottish nominee for the £100,000 prize since 2013. Founded by Robert and Nicky Wilson, Jupiter Artland has been nominated for its "continued commitment to artists, nature, and education, as well as developing innovative ways to reach new audiences". Read our interview with Nicky Wilson on the 2016 programme at Jupiter Artland.

Welcoming their nomination, Jupiter Artland co-founders Robert and Nicky Wilson said: "We are so proud to think that a place as unconventional and off the beaten track as Jupiter Artland could be recognised with one of the UK museum sector’s most significant honours.

"The next generation is at the heart of everything we do: our education programmes have grown significantly and focus on teaching children simultaneously about the arts, the landscape and nature, helping us to achieve our ambitious goal to reach every child in Scotland. Our annual commissions and exhibitions nurture early career artists, often giving them an entirely new platform for their work. We are incredibly grateful to our team for their enthusiasm and commitment. It is so exciting to consider what we could achieve in the coming years.”

This year's programme at Jupiter Artland features, as part of the 2016 Edinburgh Art Festival, the first permanent UK installation from French sculptor Christian Boltanski as well as new work from 2013 Venice Biennale exhibitor Hayley Tompkins. 

Alongside Jupiter Artland, the nominees for this year's Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year are Arnolfini in Bristol, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, York Art Gallery and The Bethlem Museum of the Mind at Bethlem Royal Hospital in Bromley, south London. 

Jupiter Artland re-opens for 2016 on Saturday 14 May; the winner of the Art Fund Prize for Museum of the Year will be announced on Wednesday 6 July.