The first annual World Art Awards has selected the 20 Best International Galleries and Museums for 2023. Selections were based on years established, industry reputation, online interest, location, size, aesthetics, socially relevant exhibits, motivational and educational programs, represented artists as well as artist, client and visitor references, among other criteria.
World Art Awards: “We chose a museum over 140,000 sq ft, and some contemporary art galleries much smaller. We selected some European historical museums with art and antiquities going back thousands of years, and also some with masterpieces by Botticelli, Mantegna, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rubens, Rembrandt, Renoir, Monet, Gauguin, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, etc.. We selected buildings hundreds of years old, and to balance, we selected some very new and contemporary hotspots in diverse countries and cultures representing important young work, from painting to digital to photography to sculpture. We decided on large, modern art centers in Ghana and Zambia. In China / Hong Kong, we opted for a boundary-pushing contemporary facility with an influential international presence. In Israel and Latvia we went with stunning underground crypt and subbasement venues which are cherished tourist attractions.”
World Art Awards annually awards 20 museums and/or galleries, and with their critique months later, awards nearly 500 deserving contemporary artists from 60+ countries: painters, photographers, sculptors and digital artists.
World Art Awards is launched by the similar prestigious online competition, American Art Awards, presided over for 15 years by award-winning actor, author, painter, film-maker Thom Bierdz. https://www.AmericanArtAwards.com
Thom Bierdz: “World Art Awards chases beauty. What a privilege it is for us to work with the most beautiful galleries on Earth and the most beautiful contemporary artworks.”
World Art Awards 20 Best Galleries & Museums for 2023 are:
BEST IN ITALY: LE GALLERIE DEGLI UFFIZI
BEST IN FRANCE: THE MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS DE LYON
BEST IN CANADA: VANCOUVER ART GALLERY
BEST IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: WOLVERHAMPTON ART GALLERY
BEST IN HUNGARY: KOLLER GALLERIA
BEST IN ISRAEL: CHELOUCHE GALLERY FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
BEST IN LATVIA: GALERIJA ROMAS DARZS
BEST IN CHINA & HONG KONG: DE SARTHE GALLERY
BEST IN SWEDEN: WETTERLING GALLERY
BEST IN ARMENIA: EDVARD ISABEKYAN GALLERY
BEST IN GHANA: THE SAVANNAH CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART
BEST IN ZAMBIA: THE HENRY TAYALI ART GALLERY
BEST IN DENMARK: GALLERY POULSEN
BEST IN BELGIUM: SHOOBIL GALLERY
BEST IN USA: CODA
BEST IN TAIWAN: 1839 CONTEMPORARY GALLERY
BEST IN SPAIN: GALERIA AZUR
BEST IN THAILAND: LA LANTA FINE ART
BEST IN PORTUGAL: BALCONY CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERY
BEST IN AUSTRIA: GALERIE BRUNNHOFER
Gallery and museum descriptions and web sites:
Best in Italy: Almost 140,000 sq ft. The most important Italian museum, the most visited, largest and best known in the world, Le Gallerie Degli Uffizi exhibits a collection of priceless works, particularly from the period of the Italian Renaissance. Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, as well as masterpieces of European painting, especially German, Dutch and Flemish. https://www.uffizi.it/gli-uffizi
Best in France: The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon is located in the heart of the Presqu’île de Lyon, in the magnificent setting of a 17th century abbey and its cloister, now a sculpture garden. The encyclopedic collections of the museum present in five departments and 70 rooms, spread over 75,000 sq ft, a panorama of great civilizations and artistic schools from Antiquity to the present day. Painting, sculpture, works of art, coins and medals, graphic works: they offer an exceptional journey through 5,000 years of art and history with masterpieces by Veronese, Rubens, Rembrandt, Poussin, Renoir , Monet, Gauguin, Chagall, Matisse and Picasso. https://www.mba-lyon.fr/fr
Best in Canada: 41,000 sq ft. Over 90 years, Vancouver Art Gallery has been recognized as one of North America’s most respected and innovative visual arts institutions. Not-for-profit, ground-breaking exhibitions, extensive public programs, historical and contemporary art of British Columbia, First Nations artists, Asia Pacific regions through the Institute of Asian Art, and more… https://www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/
Best in the United Kingdom: Since 1884, Wolverhampton Art Gallery has awed and served its community with grand paintings by 18th century greats to thought provoking contemporary pieces. See 300 years of voluminous treasures, for free: painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, multi-media, and more. Permanent galleries feature work by English landscape and portrait genius Gainsborough. https://www.wolverhamptonart.org.uk/visit/wolves/
Best in Hungary: Koller Galleria is the oldest private gallery of Hungary, situated in the Castle District of Budapest. The Gallery represents Hungarian and international contemporary and modern art, from antiques to photography, at an artistically high standard. At the top floor of the three storied atelier-house, there is a memorial room for the Hungarian artist Amerigo Tot. https://www.kollergaleria.hu/
Best in Israel: For almost 40 years, Tel Aviv’s Chelouche Gallery For Contemporary Art has been one of the most prominent and leading galleries in Israel, representing both young and established Israeli artists alongside stellar international artists, displaying works in new media, video art, sculpture, painting, installation and photography. The gallery, artists and work have also established an ongoing relevant and important presence at international exhibitions, Art Fairs and biennales. https://chelouchegallery.com/
Best in Latvia: In the very center of Liepāja, on the first floor and in the basement of the building of a former hotel built by the architect MP Berči, there is the treasure of Galerija Romas Darzs (Gallery Roma Garden). International visitors marvel at works of outstanding 20th century Liepaja artists (Valters Uzticis, Jānis Sudmalis, Artūrs Baumanis, Stanislavs Dingēlis, Kārlis Sauka, Jānis Lauva, Kārlis Lejnieks, etc. – also valuable paintings by Augustus Annus, Kārļis Fridrih Šaumanis, Jānis Gaiļis, Miķelas Golt, Egīlas Radziņas and Visvalž Ziediņas. http://galerijaromasdarzs.lv/
Best in China & Hong Kong: DE SARTHE Gallery is a pioneering platform for boundary-pushing contemporary art from Asia. Founded in 1977, the gallery (many locations) has also had an influential international presence in Modern and Post-war art since its establishment. In 2017, on its 40th anniversary, DE SARTHE moved into the heart of Hong Kong’s thriving southside art district. https://www.desarthe.com/
Best in Sweden: Founded in 1978, Wetterling Gallery is one of the leading galleries for contemporary art in Scandinavia, exhibiting highly internationally acclaimed artists (Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist and Frank Stella, etc.) as well as upcoming talented Swedish artists, in around six exhibitions annually in the large Stockholm space. Wetterling also has a showroom located in Gothenburg, they’re active in international art fairs, and produce art books and catalogues. https://www.wetterlinggallery.com/
Best in Armenia: Edvard Isabekyan Gallery was founded in 2004, opened in 2013. Edvard’s son Aram donated 28 paintings to the city of Yerevan for permanent exhibition. The large epical works show how history transforms today’s power, pride, virility and the spirit of past victory. Director Irina Isabekyan organizes events, lectures and meetings that are aimed to discover Edvard Isabekyan as a painter, writer, educator, caring citizen but foremost as a patriot. http://eduardisabekyan.com/?lang=ru
Best in Ghana: The Savannah Centre for Contemporary Art (SCCA) is an artist-run project space, exhibition and research hub, cultural repository and artists’ residency located in Tamale, Ghana- dedicated to art and cultural practices which emerged in the 20th Century. https://www.sccatamale.org/
Best in Zambia: The Henry Tayali Art Gallery was named as a tribute to late artist Henry Tayali, the foremost Zambian artist recognized in the international art scene. With a social and political conscience in all his work, it reflected African nationalism, and deep concern for Africa’s urban masses uncomfortably uprooted from their traditions. The gallery was officially opened in 1995 located on Lion Lane in the Lusaka Showgrounds, and is home to authentic art from many Zambians. https://henrytayaliartgallery.wordpress.com/
Best in Denmark: Took over an abandoned slaughterhouse in the meatpacking district of Copenhagen, where cobblestone streets lead to museum-quality exhibitions. Besides the 8-10 annual in-house shows, gallery owner Morten Poulsen is popular at international art fairs (Volta New York, Basel, Pulse Miami, Seattle Art Fair, etc.). Gallery Poulsen’s passionate young artists harness a vast array of skills in their pursuit of new storytelling languages to represent the complex forces that make up contemporary life. https://www.gallerypoulsen.com/
Best in Belgium: Shoobil gallery exhibits primarily Sculpture with a focus on Conceptual Art and is located at Museumstraat, Antwerp South, amidst the museums MHKA, FOMA, and KMSK. The non-profit organization founded in 2015, an initiative of Serena Baplu and Tosca Schuermans, mother and daughter. “From an honest idealism we invest in a stage; a siding, a new way of thinking, We create a material, intellectual and social framework.” https://www.shoobil.com/
Best in USA: A Palm Desert landmark for 35 years, CODA contemporary El Paseo gallery has a vast collection of paintings, photography, sculpture, glass, and ceramic works by a wide range of established, mid-career, and emerging artists. Brimming with color and life, the art mirrors the personality of the gallery’s beloved founders Connie and David Katz, avid collectors and philanthropists. https://codagallery.com/
Best in Taiwan: The only gallery in Taiwan that has focused on the art of photography for over 14 years, Taipei-based 1839 Contemporary Gallery takes its name “from photography invention in 1839 to now.” High-ranking artists to exhibit are Michael Kenna, Jock Sturges, Michael Wolf, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Daido Moriyama, Nobuyoshi Araki, Toshio Shibata, Kenro IZU, Eiji Ina, Yoshihiko Ito and Photographer Hal. Another 75 professional photographers from the United States, Germany, Britain, France, Poland, Japan, South Korea, China, Taiwan and elsewhere have been beautifully showcased in the museum-like gallery here. https://english.1839cg.com/
Best in Spain: Galeria Azur has established a winning reputation and 5 stunning locations in just 12 years: Madrid Las Letras (Spain), Madrid Chueca (Spain), Berlin (Germany), Miami (USA), Buenos Aires (Argentina). The modern-and-contemporary global galleries’ solo and group exhibitions promote emerging and established artists in conceptual art, installation, sculpture, abstract, geometric, figurative painting, as well as contemporary photography. https://galeriaazur.art/
Best in Thailand: ‘Lalanta’ is translated from the Thai word meaning ‘beauty in abundance’. Since its inception in 2006, La Lanta Fine Art has become one of the most successful galleries in Thailand with strong presence in international art fairs in major cities including Singapore, Hong Kong, London, New York, Miami, and Basel. The gallery offers contemporary artworks by internationally acclaimed artists and also up-and-coming artists. https://lalanta.com/
Best in Portugal: Balcony Contemporary Art Gallery appeared in 2017, adding one more reference to the art map of Lisbon. Located in Alvalade, in an old store of Edifício América, it was transformed into a stunning 2,400 sq ft museum-like showplace, with two floors allowing the creation of different circuits and exhibition room. The Gallery presents emerging artists, both Portuguese and foreign, and avidly participates in national and international art fairs, presenting various interdisciplinary projects. https://balcony.pt/
Best in Austria: 26 years ago, Elisabeth and Stefan Brunnhofer founded Galerie Brunnhofer, which shows contemporary, young art with a focus on painting, sculpture and installation. The Gallery gives artists the opportunity to position themselves on the global art market, further expanded through cooperation with international galleries, especially in Germany and the USA, and Brunnhofer’s powerful presence at international art fairs (Cologne, Frankfurt, London, Miami, Berlin and Los Angeles, etc.). https://www.brunnhofer.at/
