Recognitions of Art Museum of Estonia

The employees of the Art Museum of Estonia are highly respected professionals who have earned both national and international recognitions and awards. The organisation and its five museums actively participate in the annual award contest for Estonian museums and have achieved outstanding results in the award competition.

State Cultural Lifetime Achievement Award, 2024

The state cultural lifetime achievement award was granted to the CEO of Art Museum of Estonia, the art historian Sirje Helme.

Sirje Helme is one of the most acknowledged art historians/curators in Estonia and as the longtime head of Art Museum of Estonia, as well as previously the Estonian Centre of Contemporary Art, is a well-known and esteemed opinion leader in topics regarding the art field, museums and the field of culture as a whole. Helme was nominated to the lifetime achievement award by Viivi Luik, the Estonian Artists Association, the Estonian Museum Association, the Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators, the Foundation Eesti Kontsert, the Haapsalu and Läänemaa Museums, Erkki-Sven Tüür, the Estonian Art Academy and the Estonian Museum of Applied Arts and Design.

The State Cultural Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest acknowledgement through which the Estonian government expresses gratitude and recognises people for their remarkable long-term creative achievements in the field of culture.

Order of the White Rose of Finland

The president of Finland, Alexander Stubbi, granted the Order of the White Rose of Finland of the I Class to Sirje Helme, the Chief Executive Officer of Art Museum of Estonia. The order was granted for accomplishments in the advancement of cultural relations between Estonia and Finland.

Meritorious Cultural Figure of Tallinn Award, 2023

Eha Komissarov, the curator of Kumu Art Museum, was awarded the Meritorious Cultural Figure of Tallinn award by the Tallinn City Council. According to Tallinn’s vice mayor Kaarel Oja, it would be difficult to over-appreciate the long-time work of Eha Komissarov and her activities in the art field: „In addition to curatorial work in Kumu, Eha Komissarov has been a part of organising various key events of the local art world for decades, through which she has greatly contributed to how we are used to seeing art and what we consider to be art.“

The Tallinn city council has been giving out the Meritorious Cultural Figure of Tallinn yearly award since 2008, in order to recognise the figures’ creative activities and contributions to the cultural life of the city.

Best Designed Estonian Books of 2023

The award was granted to the catalogues accompanying the Kumu Art Museum exhibitions „Through the Black Gorge of Your Eyes“ and „Art in the Age of the Anthropocene“.

The book „Art in the Age of the Anthropocene“ explores new viewpoints in the relationship of art and the environment, as well as takes a look at how artists have related to the topics of the environment and sustainability both in the past as well as in our current times.. The catalogue was designed by Maria Muuk.

The book „Through the Black Gorge of Your Eyes“ focuses on the oeuvre of the legendary Estonian women graphic artists in the 1960s – 1980s. The book has been richly illustrated, brings into one texts with a very different style, aims and focus points, and its main goal is to look at the creations of the graphic artists in the exhibition from a contemporary point of view. The catalogue was designed by Brit Pavelson.

The Best Designed Estonian Books contest is an annual award competition for the 25 most well-designed books and 5 most well-designed children’s books of the year, given out by The Estonian Publishers’ Association, the National Library of Estonia, the Estonian Graphic Designers’ Association and the Association of Estonian Printing and Packaging Industry with the aim to acknowledge publications most notable in graphic design and print technical realisation as a phenomenon of intellectual culture.

Tallinn Tourist Deed of the Year, 2023

The large-scale development project of Art Museum of Estonia, „Closer to the sky! Glass lift in the Niguliste tower“ was announced the Tallinn Tourism Deed of Year 2023 at the Tallinn Entrepreneurship Awards gala.

The new glass elevator and sky floor of the Niguliste museum was opened on March 10, 2023. After the reconstruction works, which lasted for a year, the guests were for the first time granted the opportunity to discover the medieval church tower firsthand. The elevator, traversing through four floors, takes one to the sky floor, which grants an unique view to the surrounding old town and the Tallinn Bay. A newly-developed exhibition gallery was also opened on the 2nd floor of the Small Chapel of the Niguliste Museum.

Tourism Object of the Year, 2023

The Estonian Travel and Tourism Association chose Niguliste Museum, one of the daughter museums of Art Museum of Estonia, as the country’s tourism object of the year.

Annual Awards of the National Heritage Board of Estonia, 2023

New in Historic Environment, 2023

The Niguliste Museum church tower development was recognised with the yearly award in the “new in historic environment” category at the National Heritage Board competition. The author of the architectural solution and design was developed by KOKO Architects, the interior designer Liis Lindvere (KOKO) and produced by Tarrest LT.

Best Restorers, 2023

The „best restorers of the year“ title was awarded to the conservators of Art Museum of Estonia Isabel Aaso-Zahradnikova and Aleš Zahradnikov.

The National Heritage Board gives out yearly awards to recognise and highlight the most remarkable people and outstanding achievements of the past year in the field of heritage protection.

Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, 2023

The award was granted to the Kumu Art Museum exhibition „Through the Black Gorge of Your Eyes” (16.06.–05.11.2023).

According to the jury, the exhibition became a wonderful spatial whole that demonstrated, how to bring art historically esteemed graphic artworks into our modern age, put them into thematic order so as to emphasize how even four decades ago the artists were already delving into topics that have now become more relevant than ever: the environment, body, living as a woman and as a mother, closeness, care and intimacy. „The value of collecting, preserving and recontextualising art is rarely as impactfully visible to the public as in this exhibition,“ found the jury.

The exhibition brought together the oeuvre of Estonian women graphic artists of the 1960s–1980s. The exhibition was curated by Maria Arusoo, Eha Komissarov and Eda Tuulberg. The exhibition design was created by Edith Karlson and Maria Luiga and the graphic design created by Brit Pavelson.

Estonian Annual Museum Award, 2023

Museum Rat 2023: Best Exhibition of the Year

Kumu Art Museum’s exhibition “Art in the Age of the Anthropocene” (05.05–08.10.2023, curators Linda Kaljundi, Eha Komissarov, Ulrike Plath, Bart Pushaw, Tiiu Saadoja; curator of green practices Karin Vicente) gained the award of the Museum Rat as the best exhibition of the year.

As the largest-scale exhibition in Estonia to-date exploring the relationship of environment and art, the exhibition looked at the possibilities of art in the times of the environmental crisis. The exhibition united environmental and art historians, artists and architects and studied along with them the pictorial heritage relating to environmental topics in the collections of Estonian museums. A number of new artworks were also born, created especially for the Kumu exhibition. In 2022, Kumu became the first museum in Estonia to gain the Green Museum Certificate. In 2023, by the example of “Art in the Age of Anthropocene”, the Sustainable Exhibition Model was created, paving the way for all local museums to implement more environmentally-friendly practices.

Science Event 2023

The Art Museum of Estonia’s and Niguliste Museum’s series of events organised as a part of the research and exhibition project “Michel Sittow in the North? Altarpieces in Dialogue“ was awarded the title of the Science Event of the Year.

The research project focused on the heritage of the highly-esteemed European court artist Michel Sittow’s Tallinn workshop, and the other international masters who were active here at the same time, as well as the artworks created by them in Tallinn in the beginning of the 16th century.

The series of scientific events, which had a very wide range and was aimed at various target groups, formed a united whole. It including the international conference Michel Sittow in the North? Artistic contacts in the late medieval Baltic Sea region” in Tallinn (02.-03.11.2023), the research seminar “Üle mere – yli meren. Building Artistic Contacts Between Estonia and Finland in the Long Middle Ages” in Helsinki (14.10.2022) and “Art Contacts in Late Medieval Sweden” in Tallinn (19.10.2023), among other events.

The Estonian Annual Museum Awards are a series of yearly awards given out by the Museum Council and the Estonian Museum Association in collaboration with the Estonian Ministry of Culture and the National Heritage Board.

The Swedish Royal Order of the Polar Star

Sirje Helme, the CEO of Art Museum of Estonia was recognised with the Swedish III Class Commander of the Order of the Polar Star, and Tarmo Saaret, the director of Niguliste Museum with the Swedish V Class Knight of the Order of the Polar Star for their services in advancing the relationships between Estonia and Sweden.

The Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, along with the Estonian Alar Karis and Mrs Sirje Karis, visited the exhibition „Michel Sittow in the North? Altarpieces in Dialogue“ in the Niguliste Museum on May 2nd, 2023. The exhibition focused on two altarpieces produced in the workshop of Michel Sittow in Tallinn in the 1510s, the magnificent Bollnäs Holy Kinship altarpiece from Sweden and the Tallinn Passion Altar. Showcasing the Bollnäs altarpiece in Estonia is an extraordinary event and shows the warm and trusting collaboration between the cultural institutions and specialists of Estonia and Sweden.

The Royal Order of the Polar Star was instituted in 1748, and is intended to recognise personal efforts for Sweden or for Swedish interests, especially within public activities, as well as the successful performance of public duties and assignments.

AkzoNobel Art Prize, 2023

The prize was granted to the artist Tõnis Saadoja for the personal exhibition „Tõnis Saadoja. Height Above Sea Level“ in Kumu Art Museum on 11.04–24.09.2023.

The oeuvre of Tõnis Saadoja, focused on getting to know and preserving historical traditions of painting, is always intertwined with the conceptual questions of contemporary painting.

The personal exhibiton in Kumu Art Museum stood out by its high quality, integrity and conceptually interesting solutions, showcasing the artist being in wonderful shape creatively.

Estonian Research Council’s Student Research Award, 2023

Darja Jefimova, the Keeper of the Painting Collection of the Art Museum of Estonia, was awarded a special prize in the Estonian Research Coucil’s student research competition for her project „Mägi’s Materials. The Fragility of Konrad Mägi’s Paintings in the Light of Technical Studies“.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards, 2022

Museum Developer

The prize was awarded to the Art Museum of Estonia for the sustainability-focused project „The Green Transition in the Art Museum of Estonia“. The project was lead by the employees Karin Vicente, Aleksander Meresaar, Ester Kangur, Johanna Lamp, Kaisa-Piia Pedajas, Erki Janvest and Valmar Pappel.
Read more: https://kunstimuuseum.ekm.ee/en/the-art-museum-of-estonias-sustainability-policy/

Developer of the Museum Collection

The award was gained by the collection manager’s group of the Estonian Museum Association for the web-based collections’ work handbook MuuWik, born in collaboration of the Tartu City Museum, Art Museum of Estonia, Estonian Maritime Museum, Virumaa Museums and the Pärnu Museum.
The project was lead by: Kaie Jeeser, Madle Uibo, Kersti Kuldna-Türkson, Piret Pedanik, Pilvi Põldma and Ruth Ristmägi.

Rat Trap

The Department of Tourism of the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency recognised the Kumu Art Museum with a special award for being the first museum in Estonia who gained the Green Museum certificate. The agency’s Tourism Director Rainer Aavik commented: „Sustainability is one of the most important topics in tourism development. Museums have done a great job in popularising environmental topics with their exhibitions, but visitors in Estonia are likewise impressed by the environmentally-conscious activities of the museums themselves. … The addition of green museums likewise strongly contributes to advancing the reputation of Estonia further abroad.“

Deed of the Year by The Estonian Federation of the Blind, 2022

The title was gained by the Art Museum of Estonia for the preparation of descriptive translations of the paintings in Estonian and, for the first time, in Russian.

State Cultural Achievement Award, 2022

The award was given to Kadi Polli, the director of Kumu Art Museum, and the historian Linda Kaljundi for curating the Kumu permanent exhibition Landscapes of Identity: Estonian Art 1700-1945. The permanent exhibition was opened in February 2021 and is focused on the older Estonian art as a part of the country’s multinational history, where the Baltic German, Russian and Estonian traditions are intertwined. A special emphasis is put on the role of art in society and its impact on the self-image of the various communities.

Every year, the government of Estonia gives out three State Cultural Achievement Awards in order to acknowledge exceptional long-term creative activities, as well as five awards for remarkable cultural accomplishments that have reached the wider populace during the previous calendar year.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2021

Science Award in the Publication Category

The award was granted to the exhibition catalogue Universe of the Farmyard: Creators of Southern Estonia, compiled by curator Liis Pählapuu and published by Art Museum of Estonia. „The catalogue of the exhibition by the same name has become a research on the cultural history of Southern Estonia from an entirely new perspective. /…/ In conclusion, a new Southern Estonian phenomenon is created in our art history of which everyone was seemingly aware, yet had never quite pieced together completely,“ the award jury commented.

State Cultural Lifetime Achievement Award, 2021

A curator of Kumu Art Museum, art historian Eha Komissarov received the State Cultural Lifetime Achievement Award. The laureate has worked in the Art Museum of Estonia since 1973, being in this century one of the creators and masterminds behind the Kumu Art Museum’s exhibition programme. She has been a teacher and instructor for many local artists and curators of the younger generation, as well as actively supported both the Tallinn Print Triennial and other important events and undertakings of the Estonian art scene. According to the Estonian Centre for Contemporary Art, she can be considered as the mother of Estonian contemporary art. The way we are used to seeing art and what we consider as art here in Estonia has, by their words, been largely shaped and influenced by Eha Komissarov.

Annual Prize of the Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators, 2021

The annual prize was granted to the research project “Christian Ackermann. Tallinn’s Phidias. Arrogant and Talented” (2016–2020), in which the art historians from Art Museum of Estonia took part, and which was accompanied by an exhibition of the same name in the Niguliste Museum.

The exceptionally thorough and wide-ranged research project focused on Christian Ackermann, the most outstanding artist of Estonia in the end of the 17th Century, and let both art specialists as well as the general public explore his ouevre for the first time. The most visible results of the multi-layered research project were the grand exhibition opened by the Art Museum of Estonia in the Niguliste Museum in late 2020, as well as an extensive monography. The exhibition was also on display in the Tallinn St Mary’s Cathedral in the Summer and Autumn of 2021.

The project was carried out by Hilkka Hiiop, Tiina-Mall Kreem, Anneli Randla, Isabel Aaso-Zahradnikova, Triin Kröönström and Andres Uueni.

The Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators is a voluntary and independent professional union of individuals active in the areas of art theory, art history, art criticism and curatorship.

Annual Award of the National Heritage Board of Estonia, 2020

The team of the research project „Christian Ackermann: Tallinn’s Phidias, Arrogant and Talented“ was awarded the title of the best heritage researchers of the year. The project is a collaboration between the Estonian Academy of Arts, the Art Museum of Estonia and the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church. From the Art Museum of Estonia the Team consisted of Tiina-Mall Kreem, Isabel Aaso-Zahradnikova, Merike Kurisoo and Tarmo Saaret. The aim of the project was to rediscover the artworks of Christian Ackermann – the most controversial and talented sculptor of the Estonian Baroque age. The research project culminated in the exhibition „Christian Ackermann: Tallinn’s Phidias, Arrogant and Talented“ in Niguliste Art Museum (June 11, 2020 – May 2, 2021).

The National Heritage Board of Estonia awarded 14 of the most outstanding restauration works, new buildings in historic settings, people, discoveries and undertakings of the year.

Annual Prize of the Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators, 2020

The prize was granted to the legendary art historian Eha Komissarov, a curator and programme manager of Kumu Art Museum, for her long-time outstanding curatorial work and for curating the exhibition „Open Collections: The Artist Takes the Floor“ (Kumu Art Museum, 05.07-10.11.2019).

The Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators is a voluntary and independent professional union of individuals active in the areas of art theory, art history, art criticism and curatorship.

Villem Raam Stipend, 2020

The stipend was gained by the art historian Merike Kurisoo (PhD), curator of the Niguliste Art Museum, for her on-going research of medieval ecclesiastical art in both the museum and scientific research context.

The Villem Raam Sub-Foundation, a part of of the The Estonian National Culture Foundation, has acknowledged every five years since the year 2000 the outstanding professional work of an art historian researching the medieval period. It is named after Villem Raam (30 May 1910 – 21 May 1996), a well-known Estonian art historian, art critic and conservator-restorer.

Estonian Museum Memento Award (EMMA)

The game Art Memo by the Art Museum of Estonia gained the Estonian Museum Memento Award at the XXIII Estonian Museum Festival. The Art Memo consists of 36 pairs of cards that offer the players a chance to discover a variety of artworks belonging to the collections of the Art Museum of Estonia.

The EMMA a.k.a. Estonian Museum Memento Award is given out once a year for the museum mementos with the best ideas, realisation and design.

Best Designed Estonian Books of 2020

The book accompanying the exhibition „Kaljo Põllu: A Mythological Ancient World“ (November 13, 2020 – March 21, 2021) in the Adamson-Eric Museum was chosen as one the 25 best designed Estonian books of the year. The book was compiled by the exhibition’s curator Kersti Koll (Adamson-Eric Museum), the graphic design was done by Külli Kaats (Art Museum of Estonia, publication department).

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2019

Conservation Work of the Year

The award was gained by the long-time restauration project of the sculptures of Estonian artist Maire Männik for the exhibition „Maire Männik. Estonian Legend in Paris“ in Kumu Art Museum (23.08.2019 – 05.01.2020). The project was carried out by the sculptor restaurators of Art Museum of Estonia, Isabel Aaso-Zahradnikova and Ales Zahradnik. The more than 100 statues by the Estonian sculptor Maire Männik (1922–2003), who had lived and worked in Paris for a long time, were given as a gift to the Republic of Estonia in 2004 by the sculptor’s son Erki Männik. It took 10 years to restore the plaster sculptures made in an untraditional technique, partially in a very large format and some of which were very severly damaged, as well as her portrait artworks and medal designs.

Science Award in the Publication Category

The title for the best scientific publication was gained by the monography „Johann Köler“ by art historian Mai Levin and published by Art Museum of Estonia. The project manager and editor of the book was the head of the publication department of the Art Museum of Estonia, Renita Raudsepp. The book includes a thorough article on the life and creative path of the first professional Estonian-born painter Johann Köler (1826-1899), as well as an illustrated catalogue of his known artworks, in the compiling of which the author included many unpublished archive materials.

Eerik Haamer Art Award, 2019

The award was gained by Juta Kivimäe, the director of the sculpture collection of the Art Museum of Estonia, and conservator Isabel Aaso-Zahradnikova in connection with the exhibition „Maire Männik: Estonian Legend in Paris“ (Kumu Art Museum, August 23, 2019 – January 5, 2020) for saving and making visible the creations of Maire Männik, one of the most important Estonian refugee artists.

The award, founded by the Kuressaare City Council in Saaremaa, is aimed to recognise outstanding achievements in the field of art in the memory of the well-known Estonian painter Eerik Haamer (17 February 1908 – 4 November 1994, born in Kuressaare).

Best Designed Estonian Books of 2019

The monography „Johann Köler“ by Mai Levin, published by Art Museum of Estonia, was selected as one of the 25 best designed Estonian books of the year. It also received the Golden Book award, a special prize of the National Library of Estonia, and was selected as a Reader’s Favourite as a result of a public vote. The graphic design and photo editing of the book was done by Külli Kaats, a graphical Designer in the publication department of the Art Museum of Estonia.

In addition, awards were given to two catalogues accompanying exhibitions of Art Museum of Estonia – „Ars Academica. 100 Works of Art of the University of Tartu“ (in collaboration with the University of Tartu as a part of the exhibition „Ars Academica. The University of Tartu Art Collection“ in Kadriorg Art Museum, November 2, 2019 – March 22, 2020, graphic design by Angelika Schneider) and „Short Term Eternity“ (in collaboration with Lugemik as a part of the exhibition „Gordon Matta-Clark: Anarchitect. Anu Vahtra: Completion Through Removal“ in Kumu Art Museum, February 22 – June 8, 2019, graphic design by Indrek Sirkel).

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2018

Museum Rat

The Museum Rat award for the best temporary exhibition was granted to the exhibition „Michel Sittow: Estonian Painter at the Courts of Renaissance Europe“, held in Kumu Art Museum (08.06–16.09.2018) and curated by Greta Koppel (Kadriorg Art Museum) and John Oliver Hand (Washington National Gallery of Art). The exhibiton introduced the painter of Estonian heritage, Michel Sittow (app. 1469–1525), who was a highly valued portrait artist in the courts of Europe in the 15th and 16th century. 500 years later, for the first time the personal exhibition brought together all of his paintings that have survived and allowed people to see it in the artist’s hometown, Tallinn. The exhibition was extremely successful, being visited by a record number of 65 000 people. The same exhibition was also on display in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, USA (28.01-13.05.2018).

Science Award in the Events Category

The title of the best science event of the year went to the international symposium “Stories of Michel Sittow’s Life and Art. Facts and Fables” held in Kumu Art Museum (14.–15.09.2018). The main organiser of the symposium was Greta Koppel (Kadriorg Art Museum). The symposium was carried out in English and accompanied the exhibition „Michel Sittow: Estonian Painter at the Courts of Renaissance“ (Kumu Art Museum, 08.06–16.09.2018).

Conservation Work of the Year

The title of the conservation work of the year was given to the Art Museum of Estonia for carrying out and documenting the conservation process of the extensively damaged painting „Scenes from Antique Life“ by Ivan Aivazovsky for the exhibition „Aivazovsky. In Pursuit of the Ideal“ in Kadriorg Art Museum (09.03–08.07.2018). The project was carried out by the conservator Alar Nurkse.

Advancer of Museum Education

The title of the advancer of museum education was gained by the project „Let’s Make Art Visible!“ by the Adamson-Eric Art Museum, aimed at making the heritage of the Estonian artist Adamson-Eric accessible for the blind and vision-impaired.

Rat Trap: The Most Visitor-Friendly Museum

The Art Museum of Estonia gained the award for the most visitor-friendly museum for its many-year-long export of culture, invaluable advancement of the country’s reputation, as well as its successful foreign exhibitions in 2018. In this year, the Art Museum of Estonia gained one of its greatest visitor numbers ever and the museum’s exhibitions were visited abroad by over 330 000 people. The award was given out by the tourism development center Visit Estonia, lead by Enterprise Estonia, a national foundation aimed towards developing the economy of Estonia.

Deed of the Year by The Estonian Federation of the Blind, 2018

The title was gained by the Adamson-Eric museum for their project „Let’s Make Art Visible!“. The project was aimed for the blind and vision impaired, allowing them to experience the creative heritage of the artist Adamson-Eric for the first time and bringing a piece of Estonian culture closer to them.

IIC Keck Award 2018

The research and conservation project “Rode Altarpiece in Close-Up” received the IIC (International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works) Keck Award by the Royal British Columbia Museum. A deciding factor in earning the award was the work that promoted the role and speciality of the conservator, as the project helped present the nuances of this profession to a wider audience.

The Royal British Columbia Museum’s international IIC Keck Award has been issued since 1994. The award is presented every two years at the IIC Congress to the individual or group contributing most towards promoting public understanding and appreciation of the accomplishments of the conservation profession.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2017

Conservation Work of the Year

The award was gained by the Art Museum of Estonia conservation project „Conserving the oval-shaped pastel painting on parchment „Girl with a Dog“, most likely from the end of the 1760s, and its frame“. The project was carried out by the conservators Merily Paomets and Sirje Säär.

European Heritage Europa Nostra Award, 2017

The European most prestigious heritage protection award in the category of scientific research was granted in 2017 to the Niguliste Museum’s Rode Altarpiece Research and Conservation Project.
The project was carried out in very close collaboration by an interdisciplinary group of researchers from the fields of both science and the humanities. Their scientific research created valuable new knowledge concerning one of Estonia’s most important works of art. Comparative studies of other works attributed to Rode’s workshop were also incorporated. The new knowledge which has emerged from this research forms the basis for further development in the heritage field in Estonia, Europe and beyond. “This highly complex project has succeeded to coordinate and make use of international resources to restore this splendid altarpiece in situ. The enthusiastic and open-minded team has achieved this incredible result with a relatively modest budget”, stressed the jury.

Recognition awards were given to twenty-nine laureates from eighteen countries for outstanding accomplishments in the conservation of cultural heritage, research, education, training and awareness-raising, and for dedicated service in preserving cultural heritage. The winners were picked by a jury of independent experts from among two hundred and two candidates.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2016

Science Award in the Events Category

The Science Award in the Events Category of 2016 was granted to Niguliste Museum for carrying out the project “Rode Altarpiece in Close-up” (2013–2016). The project was centered around the technical examination and conservation of the retable (1478–1481) of the high altar of the Niguliste church in Tallinn, crafted in the workshop of the master Hermen Rode of Lübeck. The most significant aspect of the project was the inclusion of imaging and information technology solutions, as well as scientific studies, comprehensive documentation and the mapping of information. A great focus was set on the popularisation of science by presenting the study results through educational programmes, workshops and multimedia solutions (website, blog, interactive multimedia programme, Science Web and much more).

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2015

Advancer of Museum Education

The educational curator of Kadriorg Art Museum, Jane Meresmaa-Roos received the award of the Advancer of Museum Education 2015 for the educational programme „Art Speaks to Everyone: Disabled People in the Art Museum“ and the sculpture programme „Tangible Heroes“.

Science Award in the Events Category

The title of the best science event went to Kumu Art Museum’s autumn conference „Shared Practices: The Intertwinement of the Arts in the Culture of Socialist Eastern Europe“, headed by Kumu curator Anu Allas and dedicated to post-World War II art in the Eastern European context.

Curator awards by the Cultural Endowment, 2015

The Cultural Endowment of Estonia recognises Eha Komissarov, a curator in Kumu Art Museum, with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades of outstanding curatorial work in the field of Estonian art and museums, as well as Greta Koppel, a curator in Kadriorg Art Museum, for her bold and thorough criticism and analysis of the specifics of the field in the Sirp cultural newspaper, as well as her conscientious work at the Kadriorg Art Museum.

Deed of the Year by The Estonian Federation of the Blind, 2015

The Estonian Federation of the Blind recognises the Art Museum of Estonia with its Deed of the Year award for making sculpture exhibitions accessible to visually impaired people.

National award for Popularisation of Science, 2015

In 2015, the Estonian Research Council granted the Niguliste Museum project “Rode Altarpiece in Close-up” the second prize in the category “Activities/activity programmes for the popularisation of science and technology” for their promotion of scientific methods, the integration of humanities and natural sciences, and the presentation of cultural heritage to the general public.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2014

Museum Keeper of the Year

The title of the Museum Keeper of the Year was awarded to Liisa Kaljula, Annika Räim and Helen Volber from the Art Museum of Estonia for organising a large-scale multidisciplinary art musealization by adding the installation „Soodevahe Museum“ by Timo Toots to the Contemporary Art Collection of the Art Museum of Estonia. The project was titled „The Museum Acquires a Museum“.

Estonian Museum Memento Award (EMMA)

The title was gained by the Kadriorg Art Museum for the product range „Eveline von Maydell. A World in Black and White“. The products were made for an exhibition of the same name (29.03.–07.09.2014).

Cultural Award by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2014

The Cultural Award in 2014 was granted to Sirje Helme (PhD), the director general of Art Museum of Estonia, for organising the annual conference of the European Museum Forum and the European Museum of the Year award gala, as well as her long-term work introducing world culture. Only museums that have previously received the European Museum of the Year title are eligible to host the European Museum Forum annual conferences; Kumu Art Museum was awarded this title in 2008.

Deed of the Year award by the Estonian Federation of People with Physical Disabilities, 2014

The board of the Estonian Federation of People with Physical Disabilities (ELIL) named the Art Museum of Estonia as the recipient of the 2014 Deed of the Year award. The Museum received the title of the Promoter of Universal Design 2013, which is awarded for taking people with special needs into account in the planning of public space.

TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2014

The Niguliste Museum was recognised by the well-known travel info website TripAdvisor based on the positive feedback given by visitors. The award has previously also been gained by the Kumu Art Museum and Kadriorg Art Museum.

The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence honors select accommodations, attractions, and restaurants that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2013

Science Award in the Publication Category

The award was granted to Art Museum of Estonia for the publication „Friedrich Ludwig von Maydell’s Baltic History in Images“. The book was put together by the historian Linda Kaljundi and the curator and collections’ keeper of Kadriorg Art Museum, Tiina-Mall Kreem. The book accompanied the exhibition „When the Artist Met Clio. Historical Scenes from the 19th Century” (07.09.2013–09.03.2014) in the Kadriorg Art Museum.

Best Innovator of Foreign Language Instruction, 2013

The prize was awarded to the Art Museum of Estonia for its „Komm herein“ language immersion project. The main purpose of this acknowledgement of European language instruction is to recognise and popularise initiatives related to linguistic innovation, updating language instruction and raising the quality of teaching. Initiatives that innovatively teach foreign languages, and value and introduce other languages and cultures are recognised.

Kristjan Raud Art Award, 2013

The award was presented to Juta Kivimäe for researching and introducing Estonian sculpture, as well as for her long-term work as the Keeper of the Sculpture Collection at the Art Museum of Estonia and as the gallery curator at the Vabaduse Gallery from 2007 to 2013.

The Kristjan Raud Art Award, named after the prominent Estonian symbolist artist Kristjan Raud (1865-1943), is the oldest art prize in Estonia and has been awarded jointly by the Estonian Artists Association and the Tallinn City Government annually since 1973.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2012

Museum Rat

The award for the best exhibition project of the year was granted to the curators Eha Komissarov and Berit Teeäär from Kumu Art Museum for the exhibition „Fashion and the Cold War“ (13.09.2012–20.01.2013). The exhibition researched fashion and related phenomenons in Estonia in the 1950s-1970s, giving a fascinating view into the life of the Soviet Estonian woman, as well as the dialogue with Western fashion. The exhibition was accompanied by a book of the same name.

Science Award in the Publication Category

The title was gained by Elnara Taidre, a Curator of the Graphic Art Collection, for the publication „Tõnis Vint and his Aesthetic Universe“. The publication received praise for being a multi-faceted research of the ouevre and theoretical concepts of Tõnis Vint (b. 1942), one of the classics in 20th century Estonian Art. The book was published adjoining an exhibition of the same name.

Development and Media Stipend in the Field of Integration by the Estonian Ministry of Culture

The development stipend in the category of „Introducing the cultures and preserving the cultural traditions of different nationalities living in Estonia“ was gained by Aleksandra Murre, curator of the Kadriorg Art Museum, for the exhibition “Estonian Icon Painting” (07.05.–02.10.2011) and the concurrent art historical programmes in Kadriorg Art Museum.

Letter of Thanks from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, 2012

The grand prize in the 2012 national competition for educational materials in the category of applied didactics was given to a team of educators from the Kumu Art Museum for the art educational study material „Ready! Set! ART!“, compiled by Kristi Laanemäe, Anu Lüsi, Anu Purre, Elena Chekulayeva and Ingrid Putk. The competition was held by the Estonian Research Council.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2011

Conservator of the Year

The title of Conservator of the Year was awarded to Hilkka Hiiop, a conservator of the Art Museum of Estonia. The recognition was prompted by the exhibition „Samson and Delilah. A History of an Italian Painting“ (13.11.2010-30.04.2011) and the multimedia project „Four Paintings Magnified – Tracing Bosch and Bruegel“ (namesake exhibition held 22.10.2011-04.03.2012).

Science Award in the Publication Category

The 2011 annual Science Award in the publication category was awarded to Greta Koppel, the curator in Kadriorg Art Museum, for successfully organising the international technical art history project “Four Paintings Magnified – Tracing Bosch and Bruegel”.

Museum Marketer of the Year

The title was awarded to Kadi Polli, the director of Kadriorg Art Museum, for managing the marketing of the exhibition “Four Paintings Magnified – Tracing Bosch and Bruegel“ (22.10.2011–04.03.2012)

Science Award, Special Prize

The Special Prize of the Science Award for 2011 was awarded to Aleksandra Murre from the Kadriorg Art Museum for the best scientific publication related to an exhibition – the catalogue „Estonian Icon Art“, which accompanied an exhibition of the same name in the Kadriorg Art Museum (07.05–02.10.2011).

Product Development and Marketing, Special Prize

The Special Prize for the promotion of museum shops in 2011 was awarded to Art Museum of Estonia and its store manager Marge Kõiv.

Estonian Museum Memento Award (EMMA), Second Prize

The award was granted to the product „Kumu brooch“ by Kumu Art Museum for the multifunctionality of the item as well as clever design innovation that ideally fitted the museum’s theme. The exclusive item of jewellery of Art Museum of Estonia (author: Katrin Amos) was related to the exhibition „Geometrical Man: the Group of Estonian Artists and Art Innovation in the 1920s and 1930s“ very well, and although the material is of high quality, the idea is extremely symbolic of the era, using QR-code as its motive.

Best Designed Estonian Books of 2011

„Urmas Ploomipuu’s White House“, Kumu Art Museum

The book “Urmas Ploomipuu’s White House”, written by the artist Tõnis Saadoja and designed by Indrek Sirkel, was selected as one of the 25 most well-designed books of 2011. The book was published by Art Museum of Estonia to accompany an exhibition of the same name in the Kumu Art Museum (13.4.–23.10.2011). The book included schematic drawings by Tõnis Saadoja and was praised by the jury for being „an intelligent and discreet recording of an extraordinary art project characterised by an excellent and compact use of various types of paper“.

„Female Artists in the Önningeby Artists’ Colony in Åland“ – Adamson-Eric Museum

The book „Female Artists in the Önningeby Artists’ Colony in Åland“, authored by Kjell Ekström, edited by Kersti Koll from Adamson-Eric Museum and designed by Tiit Jürna was selected as one of the 25 best designed books of the year. The book was published by Art Museum of Estonia accompanying a namesake exhibition in Adamson-Eric Museum (24.3.–3.7.2011) as a part of the long-lasting collaboration between the Adamson-Eric Museum and the Önningeby Museum in Åland, started in 2006. The jury praised the publication as „a diverse book where the cover, organised with rhythmic precision, combines well with the alternation of light and darkness inside; plus agreeable execution and a good choice of paper“.

The Annual Prize of the Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators, 2011

The prize was awarded to Greta Koppel, a curator of Kadriorg Art Museum, and Hilkka Hiiop, a conservator of Art Museum of Estonia, for the exhibition „Bosch and Bruegel. Four Paintings Magnified“, (22.10.2011–04.03.2012). The monumentaal exhibition of the Kadriorg Art Museum stood out for the thoroughness in its preparation and the innovation in its ideas and fulfilment. The exhibition focused on popularising various methods used to research the history of painting by incorporating modern multimedia solutions, which gave guests of any age the opportunity to get to know all levels of an artwork’s research and its meanings.

The Annual Prize of the Estonian Society of Art Historians and Curators is an award awarded yearly for people’s outstanding contributions to the field of art history.

Friend of Tourism Award, 2011

The Friend of Tourism Award in 2011 was awarded to the Art Museum of Estonia for its excellent cooperation with tourism organisers, by Enterprise Estonia, a national foundation aimed towards developing the economy of Estonia.

Annual Award of the Estonian Association of Interior Architects, 2011

The annual award of the Estonian Association of Interior Architects in the category of Best Exhibition Design went to Kumu Art Museum’s exhibition „Pavel Filonov. The Russian Avant-Garde and Afterwards“ (10.06.–18.09.2011) and its room designer Terje Kallast-Luure.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2010

Science Award in the Publication Category

The Annual Science Award is in the publication category was awarded to the book „Kadriorg. Palace’s Story“ and its authors Aleksandra Murre, Jüri Kuuskemaa, Kadi Polli and Mart Kalm.

Heritage Protector in a Museum

In 2010, the title of Heritage Protector was awarded to the director of the Niguliste Museum Tarmo Saaret for a noteworthy contribution to the convergence between the museum and heritage protection.

Advancer of Museum Education

The title of Advance of Museum Education was granted to Jelena Tšekulajeva, the educational curator of Kumu Art Museum, for a contemporary art educational programme carried out with the 4K method.

Estonian Museum Memento Award (EMMA)

The award for the best souvenir by an Estonian museum was presented to the Kumu Art Museum for its retro-style net shopping bag, also known as avoska – one of the most typical items symbolic of the Soviet era.

Cross of Recognition by the Republic of Latvia, 2010

The Cross of Recognition by the Republic of Latvia was presented by Latvian President Valdis Zatlers to Ülle Kruus, the Director of the Adamson-Eric Museum for introducing Latvian culture internationally.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2009

Large Museum Rat

At the annual Museum Awards competition, the prize for the best exhibition went to the Kumu Art Museum exhibition “Ülo Õun. Artist Interrupted” (19.06-01.11.2009), curated by Juta Kivimäe. The exhibition received praise for thoroughly introducing the creative nature and the oeuvre of the Estonian sculptor Ülo Õun to the public, for its emotionally affecting room design, great educational and movie programmes as well as the high-quality catalogue that accompanied the exhibition.

Small Museum Rat

The Small Museum Rat award was granted to the joint exhibition „Treasures of Lost Times

Egyptian, Greek and Near-East Antiquities in the Museums and Private Collections of Estonia“ (07.02.–31.12.2009) for the innovative partnership between museums and private collections and for its educational programme, which was developed in close collaboration with local history teachers and based on the national curriculum of Estonian schools.

Kristjan Raud Art Award

The annual awart was given out to the director of the Adamson-Eric Museum Ülle Kruus and the curator Kersti Koll for extensive activities related to exhibitions that are integrated in an interesting manner with the profile of the Adamson-Eric Museum and accompanied by high-quality literary activities and productive work with the public.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2008

Large Museum Rat

The award for the best exhibition project of the year was presented by the Estonian Ministry of Culture to the Adamson-Eric Museum, a branch of the Art Museum of Estonia, for its exhibition „Beautiful Frame – Frame’s Beauty“. Exhibition put together by: Sirje Säär, Frame Conservator-Restorer at the Art Museum of Estonia; Alar Nurkse, Painting Conservator-Restorer at the Art Museum of Estonia; and Ülle Kruus, Director of the Adamson-Eric Museum (art historian).

Letter of Thanks from the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research, 2008

The recognition was awarded to the Art Museum of Estonia for developing educational programmes, conducting art projects for young people and for creating conditions for acquiring art-related knowledge and skills in an informal learning environment.

European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA), 2008

The Kumu Art Museum was declared the winner of the European Museum of the Year Award 2008, an award. Of the 140 nominated candidates, thirty-eight candidates from a total of 20 countries were invited to make presentations about their museums at the final event, which took place at the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin. The award in question has previously been given out to such museums as The Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao etc.

The European Museum of the Year Award is an annual award given out by the European Museum Forum, formed by the European Council.

Estonian Annual Museum Awards 2007

Small Museum Rat

The Museum Rat of the year, an award for the best exhibition project at an Estonian museum, was awarded to the exhibition „From Design to Costume. Estonian National Opera 100“, born in collaboration of the Adamson-Eric Museum, Estonian Theatre and Music Museum and Estonian National Opera. The exhibition was theatrically staged and enriched with interesting workshops and discussion evenings that helped to expand on the topic of the exhibition. Curators: Kustav-Agu Püüman, theatrical designer; Seidi Raid, theatrical scholar; and Ülle Kruus, Director of the Adamson-Eric museum. Educational programme prepared by Liisi Lauer, Educational Coordinator at the Adamson-Eric Museum.

Recognition by the European Copper in Architecture Campaign, 2007

In 2007, The European Copper in Architecture Campaign acknowledged the new building of the Art Museum of Estonia, Kumu Art Museum, for the interesting use of materials and elegant overall design of the Kumu building.

The Chicago Athenaeum International Architecture Award for Best Global Design, 2007

The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design awarded the Kumu Art Museum as one of the buildings deserving of the award for best global architectural design in the year 2007.

The „Best of 2006“ award by the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association (EHRL)

The members of the EHRL recognised the completion and opening of Kumu Art Museum, the new headquarters of the Art Museum of Estonia, as deserving of the „Best of 2006“ award.

The Achievement of the Year by the Estonian Union of Persons With Mobility Impairment, 2006

The token of thanks was presented to the Kumu Art Museum for providing a friendly environment for people with reduced mobility.

Nordic Pearl of Light, 2006

The 2006 Nordic Pearl of Light award was awarded to Kumu Art Museum by the Tallinn City Government for the lighting solution in the museum.

UNICEF Annual Bluebird Prize, 2006

The Annual Bluebird Prize was awarded to the Art Museum of Estonia by UNICEF for its achievements in working with children.

Annual Award of the Cultural Endowment of Estonia, 2006

The recipients of the Annual Award of the Figurative and Applied Arts Foundation included Tiina Abel, a curator of Kumu Art Museum, and the Kumu Education Centre.

Acknowledgement by Estonian Association of Security, 2006

The acknowledgement was given out by the Estonian Association of Security Companies for the security solution in the Kumu building, opened in 2006.

Concrete Structure of the Year, the Special Builder’s Award, 2005

An award given out by the Concrete Association of Estonia. The winners of the 2005 Concrete Structure of the Year Awards were announced at the 6th Concrete Day, held at Kumu Art Musuem. Sixteen projects were submitted to the competition. The construction firm Merko Ehitus was awarded the Special Builder’s Award for the construction of the Kumu building.

Certificate of Honour from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2004

Awarded to Ülle Kruus, the Director of the Adamson-Eric Museum, for introducing Latvian visual culture in Estonia.

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