The Smith has been shortlisted for the Museums Association Museums Change Lives Awards in the category of ‘Best Small Museum Project’.

During the lockdowns of 2020 when The Smith had to close our doors, we increased our presence on social media and other online platforms. However, we were aware that many members from our local community who did not grow up with the internet, would not be able to see the content that we put out on our digital platforms. So, we created 20 Great Paintings: Highlights from The Stirling Smith’s Collection, a small book showcasing some of our favourite works of art. It was designed with accessibility in mind: with large text and images and easy-to-turn pages. After receiving generous funding from Museums Galleries Scotland to publish the books, we worked with local organisations to deliver them locally. Some of these organisations included Town Break Stirling, local care homes, Forth Valley Welcome, Strathcarron Hospice, and ‘Bags of Hope’ organisations that support isolated members of the community who live by themselves. We felt that this was a great way to bring The Smith to people who may have been missing it the most.

The Museums Change Lives Awards celebrate the achievements of museums that are making a difference to the lives of their audiences and communities across the UK. We are absolutely over the moon that our 20 Great Paintings project has been considered for this award.

This year’s awards will take place in Liverpool on Monday 8th November as part of the Museums Association’s annual conference. Wish us luck!