Jessica Morgan Named Next Director of Tate
On July 22, Tate's board of trustees announced that Jessica Morgan, a British curator, will take on the role of director starting in 2027. Morgan previously worked at Tate from 2002 to 2014, serving as the curator of international art at Tate Modern from 2010 to 2014. After more than ten years leading the Dia Art Foundation, she returns to London. Her prior experience includes positions as chief curator at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston and a curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. She succeeds Maria Balshaw, who concluded her nine-year term amid various challenges, including a 27% drop in admissions. However, Morgan's arrival coincides with positive developments, such as record ticket sales for the Frida Kahlo exhibition and the reopening of Tate Liverpool. Roland Rudd, the chairman of the Tate board, commended Morgan's transformative leadership at Dia as perfect for ushering Tate into a new phase.
Key facts
- Jessica Morgan appointed next director of Tate, starting in 2027.
- Morgan worked at Tate from 2002 to 2014, including as Tate Modern curator of international art.
- She has led the Dia Art Foundation for over a decade.
- Previous roles include chief curator at ICA Boston and curator at MCA Chicago.
- Tate faced a 27% decline in admissions, staff strikes, and layoffs under outgoing director Maria Balshaw.
- Tate Modern had record ticket presales for the Frida Kahlo exhibition in summer 2026.
- Tate Liverpool reopens after a four-year renovation.
- At Dia, Morgan expanded the collection by over 50 artists and increased endowment by over $100 million.
- Dia staff unionized in 2022 and ratified a contract in 2024.
- Roland Rudd, Tate board chairman, praised Morgan's leadership.
Entities
Artists
- Frida Kahlo
- Ana Mendieta
- Tracey Emin
- Agnes Martin
- Meg Webster
- Hélio Oiticica
- Lee Ufan
- Roni Horn
- Tehching Hsieh
- Senga Nengudi
- Cornelia Parker
- Steve McQueen
- On Kawara
- Jessica Morgan
- Maria Balshaw
- Mona Hatoum
- Roland Rudd
- Karin Hindsbo
- Donald Judd
- Dan Flavin
- Martin Kippenberger
- John Baldessari
- Carsten Höller
- Nicholas Serota
- Frances Morris
- Keir Starmer
- Sir Keir Starmer
- Helio Oiticica
- Delcy Morelos
- Carl Craig
- Camille Norment
- Lucy Raven
- Allora & Calzadilla
- Nancy Holt
- Cameron's Rowland
- Mary Corse
- Sam Gilliam
- Joan Jonas
- Robert Morris
- Charlotte Posenenske
- Dorothea Rockburne
- Robert Ryman
- Kishio Suga
- Anne Truitt
- Saloua Raouda Choucair
- Gabriel Orozco
- Urs Fischer
- Cameron Rowland
- Allora and Calzadilla
Institutions
- Tate
- Tate Modern
- Tate Britain
- Tate Liverpool
- Dia Art Foundation
- Dia Chelsea
- Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago
- Hyperallergic
- Bourse de Commerce
- SMAC San Marco Art Centre
- Cambridge University
- Courtauld Institute of Art
- Groucho Club
- Yale Centre for British Art
- Fogg Art Museum
- Harvard University
- Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago
- Institute of Contemporary Art Boston
- Gwangju Biennale
- The Art Newspaper
- The Gentlewoman
- San Marco Art Centre
- Venice Biennale
- Haus der Kunst
- Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona
- Khao Yai Foundation
- Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre
- Tate St Ives
- The Guardian
- SMAC Venice
- University of Cambridge
- Artnet News
- SMAC
- MACBA
- Yale University
- Bourse du Commerce
- National Gallery of British Art
- Tate Gallery
- New York Magazine
- Yale Center for British Art
- Artribune
- Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles
- Malba
- Centre Pompidou
- Artlyst
Locations
- London
- New York
- Boston
- Chicago
- Liverpool
- United States
- Germany
- St Ives
- Paris
- Venice
- Soho
- Gwangju
- Europe
- Asia
- Middle East
- North Africa
- South Asia
- Korea
- Italy
- France
- Munich
- Barcelona
- Spain
- Thailand
- India
- United Kingdom
- Chelsea
- New York City
- Mumbai
- Bankside
- Millbank
- South Korea
- Los Angeles
- Puerto Rico
- Buenos Aires
- Beacon
- Argentina