Waikato Museum amongst New Zealand’s best designers

Waikato Museum has been named a finalist in the BeST Design Awards 2007 on the strength of its exhibition, Mrs Brown’s Big Day Out: Hamilton Women in the 1950s.

The BeST Design Awards are a national award programme of the Designers Institute New Zealand that recognises New Zealand's best graphic, product and spatial design.

Waikato Museum has been selected as a finalist in the Spatial Design/Exhibition/Installation/Temporary Structure category for the innovative and vibrant design of Mrs Brown’s Big Day Out: Hamilton Women in the 1950s which opened at the museum in November 2006.

Mrs Brown’s Big Day Out explored the life of Hamilton women in the 1950s and the factors that shaped these experiences. Exhibition-space design focussed on creating a nostalgic atmosphere in the gallery space, inviting visitors to experience a trip to town that was considered a big day out in 1950s Hamilton.

Design highlights included a recreated 1950s kitchen, milk-bar booth seating and rotating mirrored bases to showcase a range of 1950s shoes from the Museum collection.

Waikato Museum director Kate Vusoniwailala says that the museum’s recognition as a finalist testament to the caliber of design produced by the exhibition team.

“It’s a great privilege for Waikato Museum to have been named as a finalist in the national BeST Awards. This achievement is the result of top-quality collective work from a number of staff, though 3-D designer Steph Chalmers and graphic designer Brooke Baker are deserving of special mention for their work on Mrs Brown’s Big Day out.

“Waikato Museum is committed to hosting exhibitions that offer visitors a full, memorable experience. Achieving exhibition design of the caliber shown in Mrs Brown’s Big Day Out is a critical part of delivering this.”

Winners will be announced at the BeST Award ceremony that takes place at the Aotea Centre, Auckland on 5 October 2007.