Fries Museum wins Global Fine Art award for Alma-Tadema exhibition

The Fries Museum won a Global Fine Art Award in New York for its exhibition of work by Dronryp born artist Lourens Alma-Tadema (1836-1912). In the museum world, this award is also known as a 'museum Oscar', NOS reports.

The exhibition, titled Alma-Tadema: classic seduction, featured more than 80 works showing scenes from Antiquity. It attracted more than 158 thousand visitors this winter, a record for the Fries Museum.

Director Kris Callens received the prize in New York. "We are very proud that we are more on the world map and have won this award", he said to Omrop Fryslan. "They did not know us and did not know Alma Tadema either."

The museum won in the category 'Best Impressionist and modern solo artist 1838-WW II'. Their direct competitors were the Gemeentemuseum in The Hague with The discovery of Mondriaan and the American Pulitzer Art Foundation with work by Medardo Rosso.

The @FriesMuseum is ready for the #gfaa gala 2018. pic.twitter.com/pMZWlVtOVb

— Kris Callens (@kriscallens) March 9, 2018

Vannacht nam onze directeur Kris Callens in New York de publieksprijs voor de Global Fine Art Awards in ontvangst! Van de 85 genomineerde tentoonstellingen kwam Alma-Tadema als publiekslieveling uit de bus voor de YOU-2 Award. Dank aan alle mensen die zo fanatiek hebben gestemd! pic.twitter.com/bEM8TcrTLK

— Fries Museum (@FriesMuseum) March 9, 2018