MARIA Balshaw, a gallery director who has been credited with transforming Manchester’s cultural scene, has been named the first female chief of Tate.
The 46-year-old will succeed Sir Nicholas Serota in the role, one of the most powerful in the arts.
Serota, who has been at the Tate for almost 30 years and was the force behind the creation of Tate Modern, the world’s most popular modern art museum, is leaving to become chairman of Arts Council England.
Balshaw, whose appointment was approved by the Prime Minister, will oversee four galleries in her new post – Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, as well as Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives.
She said that, as Tate’s ninth director, she will focus on developing its reputation as “artistically adventurous”.
“I am honoured to be asked by the trustees of Tate to become the new director,” she said.
“Under Nicholas Serota’s leadership, Tate has changed forever how we all think about art and artists and has made visual art a central part of a vibrant cultural life in the UK.
“I am tremendously excited to be leading the Tate in the next chapter of its life. I look forward to developing Tate’s reputation as the most artistically adventurous and culturally inclusive gallery in the world.”
As director of the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, in the deprived area of Moss Side, Balshaw spearheaded its praised £17 million revamp, winning it Museum of the Year in 2015.
Installations and shows on her watch included a performance artist spending 65 hours non-stop in front of a live audience, eating, sleeping, washing and drawing, to explore the city’s history of textile production.
She is also director of Manchester Art Gallery and the Gallery of Costume, and director of culture for Manchester City Council, leading the cultural strategy and its investment in the arts.
Balshaw, who has an interest in live and performing art, has been a key figure in the launch of The Factory, a new £110 million arts venue in Manchester for art, theatre, dance and music events to be built on the site of the former Granada TV studios. She has experience of expanding the collections of galleries and takes up her new post on June 1.
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