Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery has been shortlisted for a major national award just weeks after reopening. The Museums + Heritage Awards celebrate the very best in the world of museums, galleries, and cultural and heritage visitor attractions.

The shortlisting is for an earlier stage of the museum's ongoing transformation: the reimagining of the Mineral Gallery, which reopened last summer and is one of six to be recognised in the category of Permanent Exhibition of the Year.

Home to a globally significant array of 12,000 minerals, the museum's collection charts 3,500 years of mining history, documenting the huge range of minerals found in Cornwall and how they have helped shaped the culture and identity of the region.

The transformation of the mineral display was made possible thanks to part funding of £476,000 from Truro’s Town Deal Board and Cornwall Council.

The space was redesigned in consultation with museum visitors including community groups for people with autism, dementia, sight loss and sensory needs.

Engagement manager Lauren Campbell said: “Our objectives were to make geology relevant to broader audiences, create an engaging space which is accessible to all, and to introduce immersive elements without losing a sense of the historical importance of the collection.”

The museum is shortlisted alongside exhibitions in Barnard Castle, Bath, Blackpool, Bristol and London. The competition has attracted entries from around the UK and as far afield as Norway, Egypt and Australia.

Co-director Bryony Robins said: “The whole team is thrilled to have received recognition with a shortlisting for these respected awards. There's a real buzz around the museum right now, as we build on the momentum from our recent reopening and now this fantastic news.”

The ceremony to reveal the winners of the Museums + Heritage Awards will take place on May 15 at Hilton Park Lane, London.