Credit by Christopher Thomond
With the new year, artists and the art world really have to ask themselves some real questions about what they want to achieve. Thankfully, things are off to a good start with the appointment of Maria Balshaw as director-elect of the Tate. Currently, the head of Manchester’s Whitworth, Balshaw will succeed Sir Nicholas Serota, who has been taking care of the UK’s most important arts job for the past 30 years. It has been a dream ambition for her, stating in an interview: “Who wouldn’t, in the art sector, want that kind of job?” Basically all set to go, she is only waiting for the approval of that well-known arts lover, Theresa May.
Novel writer and memoirist, and fellow Mancunian, Jeanette Winterson says of the choice: “She is high art but she’s democratic. There’s no dumbing down, there’s no apologies but she is also saying this is for everybody. That’s why I love her… forward thinking but no compromises.” Given that the position has been held by the same person longer than most art students have been alive, this change, although daunting, considering Serota’s immense legacy, will see the Tate move into new, uncharted, yet highly exciting waters.
But what do we know about Maria Balshaw and what can we expect from her stewardship of the Tate? Let’s find out.
Maria Balshaw. Photo by Benjamin McMahon
She Reinvigorated Manchester’s Arts Scene
As the second most influential city in the UK, Manchester is oft beset by a lack of resources in the arts. As patron of the Whitworth, Balshaw contribution was crucial in obtaining the $78 million grant that was necessary for building The Factory, a multi-purpose arts space that has done and will do as much for the local service economy as for young artists. Additionally, she obtained an extra $15 million in order to rebuild the Whitworth, in the process increasing its collection and improving the number of visitors. This is a remarkable achievement, given, as she says: “Galleries that have collections like ours don’t usually reside in Moss Side”
This commitment to art in the north makes her an exciting leader of the Tate, as Tate Ives and Tate Liverpool are often overlooked in favour of the two London museums. For those who can’t afford to make the trip down south, or for those who live in Cornwall — England’s most impoverished area — the importance of having art centres away from the capital is highly important. Balshaw is likely to spread funds evenly, making sure that the Liverpool and St Ives museums are seen as just as important as the London ones.
Cornelia Parker At The Whitworth
She Has Staged Exhibitions By World Famous Artists
Balshaw’s great relationship with artists — a talent which won her personality of the year by Apollo magazine in 2015 — has led to numerous talents showcasing their work at her galleries. For example, when she was trying to convince one of Britain’s best artists, Cornelia Parker, to stage an exhibition at the gallery, she, according to the artist, “made it impossible to turn down.” Other must-see events that she has overseen over the years include artists such as Marina Abramovic, Elizabeth Price and Sarah Lucas. To see what she has achieved so far, it appears that the sky is the limit when it comes to luring world-famous artists to the Tate Museums.
She Sees The Bigger Picture
Being head of the Tate also carries not just an artistic duty, but a patriotic one. Representing how the world sees Britain and its culture, the Tate leader has to balance a commitment to the arts with building infrastructure to help the country thrive. Yet it seems if Maria Balshaw can do so well in Manchester, perhaps she can take those skills nationwide. As artist Jeremy Deller says: “She’s one of these people that can see the micro and the macro in the same picture. She gets the bigger political context and sight of the levers to pull to make very big things happen, but she also gets right down to the grassroots to what is required to make a museum work for its community. I don’t think it’s strategic, I think it’s instinctive.”