Maria Jane Balshaw CBE (born 24 January 1970) is director of the Tate art museums and galleries. The appointment was confirmed by the UK Prime Minister on 16 January 2017, making her the first female director of the Tate.
Previously Balshaw was the director of the Whitworth, University of Manchester and Manchester City Galleries, which includes Manchester Art Gallery and Gallery of Costume. Balshaw was Director of Culture for Manchester City Council until May 2017.
Projects
- Cornelia Parker: Major Solo ShowOriginal Article from The Whitworth Website, 2015 The Whitworth reopened with a major solo exhibition from one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, Cornelia Parker – and her work invites you to witness the transformation of ordinary objects into something compelling and extraordinary.
- Marina Abramović Presents3-19 July 2009 The Whitworth, Manchester Marina Abramović brought a specially curated group of international artists specialising in long durational work to MIF09 for a life-altering four hours of live art. Kitted out in lab coats, the audience was taken through a communal drill by Abramović before being left to wander the Whitworth and experience performances over several hours.
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Projects credited in
- Uniqlo Tate Lates | 2016–2020On the last Friday of every month, Tate Modern comes to life after-hours for Tate Lates with a mix of free art, music, film and workshops. Emerging and established DJs selected by NTS Radio soundtrack the night, alongside artist-led workshops, pop-up talks and film screenings.
- Female Creative Leaders 2017 - Meet the 150 women redefining the creative industriesTo celebrate International Women’s Day 2017 we asked 15 incredible female leaders in design, advertising, illustration, tech, film, fashion, arts, social enterprise and more to nominate the 10 women that they believe will redefine the creative space over the coming years - all with the aim of inspiring the next generation of female creative leaders. Discover, connect and be inspired by these amazing women, listed below and stay up to date with our 2018 list of women redefining the creative indu71
- Article: Maria Balshaw, the first woman at the top of the Tate: 'We need to speak to the whole of society'I don’t feel daunted’ … Balshaw, with (from left) Frances Morris of Tate Modern, Alex Farquharson of Tate Britain, Francesco Manacorda of Tate Liverpool and Anne Barlow of Tate St Ives. Photograph: Peter Nicholls/Reuters (Article originally published by The Guardian here, Friday 7 July 2017 10.35 BST) The terror attacks, Grenfell Tower, the election: the Tate’s new boss has not had a quiet easing-in period. But she’s determined to make the galleries central to these tumultuous times Maria Balsh
- Tate Exchange workshop "Drop in and join our temporary art school in Tate Exchange. All new students are welcome to enrol. There is to be no selection or interview process, simply a requirement that you commit to action." This event, created by the Central Saint Martins Art program, invited students, staff and alumni to show to the public their vision of the future of art school. I hosted there a lesson involving every student's imagination but also his ability to interact with the material given as a game. Each stud
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Work history
Director of the Tate museums & galleriesTATE
United KingdomFull Time
DirectorManchester Art Gallery
Manchester, United KingdomFull Time
In 2011, Balshaw took on the role of Director of Manchester City Galleries alongside her duties at the Whitworth. This dual directorship brought the two institutions collections of historic and modern art into alliance for the first time in their history. Upon the appointment, Richard Leese leader of Manchester City Council, said creating a joint director role for the two galleries would “not only safeguard, but significantly enhance the city’s cultural reputation”
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Skills
- Art
- Galleries
- Gallery
- Production
- Production/project Management