The Tweed Regional Museum has taken out top honours for its exhibition Supertonic at the prestigious 2024 Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) Awards.
Supertonic took out the coveted award in the Exhibiting Excellence category for the way in which it explored contemporary music culture across the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast region.
The Museum was also highly commended in the Social Impact category for the Supertonic Song Writers program which offered local musicians aged 12-19 years the chance to write, record and produce their own tracks and vinyl under the guidance of professional musicians such as JK-47.
The AMaGA awards, which celebrate exceptional exhibitions within the museum and gallery sector, were announced at the Australian Museums and Galleries Association’s National Conference, on Wadawurrung Country, in Ballarat, Victoria.
The judges praised Supertonic for its innovative use of augmented reality technology, an interactive dance floor and participatory engagement. They also praised the exhibition’s focus on accessibility.
Collaboration
The exhibition, which ran from November 2023 until March 2024, saw the Museum collaborate with an array of iconic local artists such as the Sunnyboys, Budgerah, The Jezabels, JK-47, Kate Miller-Heidke, Matt Corby, TORA, Amy Shark, Bobby Alu and Ocean Alley.
The immersive exhibition allowed visitors to use their own device to bring parts of the exhibition to life in a digital realm.
On display included objects loaned by artists such as band posters, set lists, autographs, instruments and outfits – as well as an extensive collection of rare Australian-made vintage guitars.
The exhibition also boasted an interactive dance floor, the Supertonic Sequencer, which was activated by the audience’s dance moves – and a 1970s-inspired Lounge Room complete with records and vintage record player.
A festival-ready version of Supertonic featured at the 2023 Splendour in the Grass music festival.
Honoured
Museum Director Molly Green said she was honoured to be recognised and thanked her team for their hard work and ability to reimagine the Museum experience through a modern lens.
‘This award reflects the hard work and creativity of our small but immensely talented team, and we’re thrilled to see Supertonic resonate so strongly with our community and with AMaGA,’ Ms Green said.
‘We will continue to work together in reimagining traditional exhibition experiences – and we hope to develop many more incredibly successful, engaging bodies of work that are on par with what can be found in much larger cultural facilities nationwide.’
Other award recipients included the State Library of NSW for their Pride [R]evolution exhibition and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery for Taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country (TAS).
About the AMaGA awards
The AmaGA awards are designed to serve as a platform for inspiring and acknowledging social impact and innovation within Australia’s museum and gallery sector.
Throughout the long history of this peer-reviewed initiative, the awards have highlighted excellence in the sector, ranging from publications and branding projects to exhibitions and public programming.
This year’s awards were hosted by filmmaker, historian and author Santilla Chingaipe, who presented 19 awards at the ceremony outlining the individual and organisational achievements of Australia’s vibrant museum and gallery community.
For more information about the AMaGA Awards, visit amaga.org.au.
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