RMIT Artothek program wins prestigious award

RMIT Artothek program wins prestigious award

RMIT Culture is thrilled to announce that the RMIT Art Collection's Artothek program has been awarded Small Project of the Year at the 2024 Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards.

Elizabeth Marsden (Manager, Cultural Collections) accepts the award for Small Project of the Year at the 2024 Victorian Museums and Galleries Awards. Image credit: Sharon Blance.

This recognition celebrates the innovative and impactful work of Artothek, Australia's first university art lending library, which allows RMIT students to bring original art into their homes. 

The judges praised Artothek's ability to make high-quality art accessible to students, noting, "Artothek has made high-quality art accessible to RMIT students... By fostering deep engagement with art and supporting student wellbeing, the program has opened up new opportunities for collections staff and demonstrated a groundbreaking approach to risk management, all while enhancing community engagement and making art more accessible. The program's thoughtful design and strong impact have redefined how cultural assets are shared and appreciated within the university."  

Since its inception, Artothek has played a transformative role in shaping student engagement with art. The idea was initially proposed in 2020 by German-based academic and RMIT Adjunct Professor of Fine Art, Dr. Christoph Dahlhausen, who donated around 250 works on paper to RMIT with the vision of creating an art lending library. Artothek draws inspiration from the artothek model, widely practised in Germany since the late 1960s.  

RMIT's commitment to both art and design, as well as student well-being, makes it the ideal institution to host such an initiative. This award reflects the creativity and dedication of everyone involved in making Artothek a reality and reinforces RMIT's leadership in integrating cultural engagement into the student experience in new and meaningful ways. 

If you would like to support Artothek and help bring art into more students' lives, please consider donating to the program

04 October 2024

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04 October 2024

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