One of Britain’s newest galleries, The Lightbox in Woking, Surrey, has scooped the UK’s largest single arts prize in recognition of the design of its building, the quality of its international and local collections, and “the general air of enthusiasm and professional attention to detail shown by the staff and its many volunteers”. The £100,000 Art Fund Prize, formerly The Gulbenkian Prize, aims to celebrate excellence and increase public appreciation of the UK’s museums and galleries.
The gallery, which opened last year, operates on the principle of continually offering local residents something new. It hosts a programme of exhibitions, changing monthly, which include contemporary art by local and nationally famous artists and loans from museums and galleries in the UK and overseas. It is also home to a permanent display exploring the town’s history. The prize money will be spent on extending exhibition and event space, making improvements to visitor accessibility and an art commission.