Dated: 20/10/2009

York Museums Trust Wins Prestigious Award for The Grand Tour in York

York Museum Trust has won one of Yorkshire’s most prestigious awards for tourism.

The Trust won the White Rose Award in the Tourism Event of the Year category for its innovative project hanging replicas of famous paintings on the streets of York.

Titled The Grand Tour the project, a collaboration between York Art Gallery and The National Gallery, was a major success in the summer of 2008.

York Museums Trust will now be entered in the national Enjoy England Awards.

A total of 49 full life size recreations of paintings from the National Gallery and York Art Gallery adorned the city’s streets for 17 weeks.

Masterpieces, from Monet to Van Gogh, were recreated and the idea won national and international interest.

The project beat off stiff competition from across Yorkshire to win the White Rose Award at a glittering ceremony at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

Charlotte Dootson, head of marketing, said: “We’re delighted. It is recognition for all the hard work so many people put into this highly innovative and successful event.”

The paintings for The Grand Tour were reproduced through innovative imaging and printing solutions from Hewlett-Packard who also sponsored the project.

Each picture was in a replica frame and had an information plaque next to it, just like in real gallery. A total of 45 of the paintings came from The National Gallery. The other four came from York Art Gallery, including the world renowned painting of racehorse whistlejacket, by George Stubbs.

The event was called the Grand Tour in reference to the cultural tours members of the upper classes would take around Europe in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

The photograph shows Michael Woodward, Director of Business Development, receiving the award on behalf of the Trust.