Tamworth Regional Gallery and museums in the running for three state-wide 2021 IMAGinE Awards

Tamworth Regional Gallery and museums are in the running for a number of top spots at the 2021 IMAGinE Awards, an initiative run by Museums and Galleries of NSW.

Project's nominated include the gallery's 2021 Blindspot and Collection Conversion exhibitions and Sky Canvas, a joint initiative between the Tamworth Astronomy and Science Centre and Tamworth Regional Museum.

The gallery's education officer Emma Stilts curated Blindspot - a collaboration between five local artists held in March - which has been nominated for the 'Innovation and Resilience' category.

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Ms Stilts said the recognition was really great after what's been a disrupted year which saw artists adapt to the challenges of the pandemic.

"The five regional artists had been planning a show since 2018 but then with COVID-19, we had to really reconsider the design of the exhibition, and the elements of the show had to be altered for the safety of visitors," she said.

"So we designed a one-way path with an infinity curtain where people could only walk through the exhibition to ensure the flow was in one direction.

"We had automated triggers to allow the videos and projection elements of the exhibition to run so people didn't have to press anything for the exhibition to be activated."

Artists focused on issues important to them such as climate change, habitat and local species extinction, First Nations language loss, personal grief and loss and domestic violence.

"Finally all these elements were couched in a feeling of hope and renewal and in accepting that with grief around these big issues, change can occur and things can get better," Ms Stilts added.

The IMAGinE awards highlight the resilience, innovation and creativity of museums, galleries and Aboriginal cultural centres and recognise the people who work in them.

Award winners will be announced on November 25 at the University of Sydney.

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