NEMO takes kids win at first annual Montblanc Museum Awards

Museumtickets.nl and Montblanc hosted a gala dinner and awards ceremony at the first Mont Blanc Museum Awards Thursday, November 11 at the Eden American Hotel in Amsterdam.

The premiere of an annual museum awards event circulated around three award categories set to receive nominations for best children’s museum, best exhibition and best small museum in the Netherlands. There are over 800 museums in the Netherlands — more museums per square kilometer than anywhere else — with almost 20 million visitors per year.

Winners were voted on by the public via online selection weeks before the gala event. announced at the event, with NEMO as Best Museum for Children, Sjoel Elburg for Best Small Museum, and Museum Beelden aan Zee as Best Exhibition.

Along the list of titles winners was a customised cartegory praising a patron in the museum world worthy of receiving attention for their work in the industry. This award, chosen by a panel of museum and art profesttionals, was given to Elise Wessels as a holder of the largest collection of Japanese prints in Europe.

Awards were given with an aim for recognition of the museums and also the overall museum culture in the Netherlands, in an attempt to raise awareness on the importance of museum culture during a time where Dutch government carries on with big slashes on arts and culture funding in the country.

Museumtickets.nl is an online English language site where visitors can order tickets to museums and attractions in the Netherlands.

Go to http://www.montblancmuseumawards.nl for more information on the winners and the Montblanc Awards ceremony.