Firstsite

Firstsite
Firstsite art gallery in Colchester
Firstsite is located in Essex
Firstsite
Location within Essex
Established2011
LocationColchester, Essex, England
Coordinates51°53′20″N 0°54′22″E / 51.889°N 0.906°E / 51.889; 0.906
DirectorSally Shaw
Websitefirstsite.uk

Firstsite is a visual arts organisation based in Colchester, Essex, which opened in 1993 as Colchester and District Visual Arts Trust, changing its name to Firstsite in 1995.[1] Its current building was opened in 2011.[2] It was the national Art Fund's Museum of the Year in 2021.[3] The building Firstsite occupies as a tenant was designed by Rafael Viñoly and the freehold is retained by Colchester Council.[4] The building is situated in Colchester's "Cultural Quarter" near The Minories, Colchester, fifteen Queen Street (a creative business hub), the Norman Colchester Castle, the Natural History Museum, Hollytrees Museum and Colchester's Roman Wall.

Its exhibits are on a rolling six-monthly basis, starting with Camulodunum.[5] It cooperated with Essex University to show South American art until 2013.[6][7][8] Firstsite has no permanent art collection of its own.[9]

It was awarded the national Art Fund Museum of the Year prize in 2021.[3] Firstsite is a registered charity under English law.[10]

  1. ^ "Our History". Firstsite. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  2. ^ "firstsite". Firstsite. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 24 October 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Firstsite in Colchester wins the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021 award". BBC. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  4. ^ "firstsite". Colchester Borough Council. 1 January 2018. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  5. ^ "firstsite". Firstsite. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 1 December 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  6. ^ "University of Essex to rehouse its Latin American collection". artinternet.net. 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  7. ^ "Works on Display". ESCALA University of Essex. Archived from the original on 23 June 2016. Retrieved 11 June 2016.
  8. ^ "firstsite". Firstsite. 9 December 2011. Archived from the original on 26 October 2011. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  9. ^ "firstsite". Art Fund. 1 January 2018. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Firstsite Limited, registered charity no. 1031800". Charity Commission for England and Wales.