The Concord Museum Awarded Prize for Excellence and Innovation
The Decorative Arts Trust is thrilled to announce that the 2023 Prize for Excellence and Innovation was awarded to the Concord Museum in Concord, MA, for their exhibitions and publication commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2025–26.
The Concord Museum’s initiative will feature a series of three special exhibitions showcasing the stories of individuals, families, and communities during the American 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 that were valued and preserved for their role in witnessing a revolution.
Visitors viewing powder horns on display in the 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 19, 1775 gallery, Concord Museum.
One of the two lanterns hung in the steeple of the Old North Church on the night of Paul Revere’s famous ride April 18, 1775 on display in the 𝘈𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘭 19, 1775 gallery, Concord Museum.
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 a significant collection of over 45,000 objects, with particular 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 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 gallery, Concord Museum.
General Benjamin Lincoln’s Society of the Cincinnati Tea service, about 1790, China. Concord Museum Collection, Gift of Hilda Smith Hollis, Benjamin Lincoln Smith, Farnham Wheeler Smith, Philip Loring Smith, Elizabeth Farnham Johnson, and Donald McRuer Smith; C788.
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. Nominations are accepted through June 30, annually.
The Trust looks forward to following the Concord Museum’s progress on this exciting project and to sharing updates with our members.
About The Decorative Arts Trust Bulletin
Formerly known as the "blog,” the Bulletin features new research and scholarship, travelogues, book reviews, and museum and gallery exhibitions. The Bulletin complements The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust, our biannual members publication.
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