In Pictures: Eight museums and galleries share £75,000 for new objects in Art Fund Collect prize

Before the deluge of private buyers and VIPs descended on Collect, the annual fair of outstanding contemporary craft run by the Craft Council at the Saatchi Gallery, a select huddle of curators were allowed exclusive access to the stalls as part of an Art Fund competition.

The Fund gave their shortlisted pickers an hour to whizz around the 37 international galleries on show, choosing and justifying one work for their venue’s collection before justifying their object of desire to the waiting judges.

In an increase on the 2010 tally of five victors, eight recipients returned with shiny new toys this year. There were repeat success for the Middlesburgh Institute of Modern Art, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter and National Museum Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru.

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Leeds Museums and Galleries, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery and Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery also shared a hoard ranging from Italian gold jewellery to copper Japanese enameled vessels and Australian ceramics inspired by emus and kangaroos.

Full list of winners:

• Fiona Slattery and Martin Ellis, Curators of Applied Arts, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery Yukiai (Encounters) (2011) by Naoki Takeyama

• Rachel Conroy, Assistant Curator, National Museum Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru Homura I (Inferno) (2011) by Takahiro Yede
  
  
• Penny Sexton, Curator, and Holly Morgenroth, Assistant Curator of Natural History, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter Secret Life of Plants (2010) Steffen Dam at Joanna Bird Pottery
  
  
• Polly Putnam, Assistant Curator of Decorative Arts at Leeds Museums and Galleries Amalthea (2011) by Michael Eden
  
  
• James Beighton, Curator, and Vicky Sturrs, Education Officer, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art Brooch (2010) by Stefano Marchetti
  
  
• Francesca Vanke, Curator of Decorative Arts, and Dr Andrew Moore, Keeper of Art and Senior Curator, Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery Kangaroo and Emu Lost in Chintz (2010) by Robin Best
  
  
• Pamela Wood, Keeper of Decorative Arts, Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery Brooch (2010) by Giovanni Corvaja
  
  
• Alison Cooper, Assistant Keeper of Art, Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery Hakutai (A Thousand Years) (2011) by Naoki Takeyama