The Concord Museum won the 2023 Prize for Excellence and Innovation from the Decorative Arts Trust for its exhibitions and publication commemorating the upcoming 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
The Concord Museum’s initiative will feature a series of three special exhibitions showcasing the stories of individuals, families and communities during the Revolution. Focused on the theme of “Whose Revolution,” the special exhibitions will explore themes of liberty, community, and memory, tracing the continued legacy of the Revolution today.
The museum will also create a companion digital exhibition to extend the geographical reach of the exhibitions beyond Concord and promote further education and engagement. Additionally, the museum will release the first major publication of its American Revolution collection, from flints and powder horns carried by militia soldiers to textiles, furniture, and ceramics valued and preserved for their role in witnessing a revolution.
The Concord Museum began in the 1850s as the private collection of local resident Cummings Davis, who gathered and preserved the relics of his friends and neighbors as a record of local history. The collection grew throughout the 19th century and was incorporated as the Concord Antiquarian Society in 1886, moving to a new building in 1930 and later becoming known as the Concord Museum.
The museum now houses more than 45,000 objects, with strengths in the decorative arts from the 18th and 19th centuries, the American Revolution, transcendentalism, and other areas relating to Concord and New England history. The museum recently completed a major building expansion and renovation of its permanent galleries, including new spaces for collections, education, and public programs.
The Decorative Arts Trust Prize for Excellence and Innovation, founded in 2020, funds outstanding projects that advance the public’s appreciation of decorative art, fine art, architecture, or landscape. The Prize is awarded to a nonprofit organization in the United States or abroad for a scholarly endeavor, such as museum exhibitions, print and digital publications, and online databases. Past recipients include Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; the Black Craftspeople Digital Archive; and Craft in America.
