Maria Balshaw’s tenure as the first female director of Tate lasted nine years and saw as many culture secretaries. Now Jessica Morgan, a former Tate curator and head of the Dia Art Foundation in New York, succeeds her. With record-breaking Frida Kahlo and Tracey Emin shows at Tate Modern, claims that Morgan inherits an institution in “existential crisis” seem overstated. Tate Britain also drew crowds for its Turner & Constable and Lee Miller exhibitions, rebutting criticism that Balshaw focused on obscure artists over bankable stars.
Challenges ahead
After Brexit and Covid, Tate has faced turbulence. London visitor numbers last year remained over 2 million below pre-pandemic levels, with visits by 16- to 24-year-olds from Europe nearly halved. Yet Tate Modern stays among the world’s top ten most visited museums. Tate Liverpool’s reopening, originally scheduled for 2023, has been delayed until 2027 due to lack of funding. Redundancies and staff strikes last year highlighted pressure on the institution.
Legacy and funding
The era when Nicholas Serota opened Tate Modern on the wave of Cool Britannia and the Young British Artists feels distant. Olafur Eliasson’s 2003 Weather Project drew over 2 million visitors, but recent Turbine Hall commissions have lost appeal. The Turner Prize faces criticism for “wilful obscurity” and calls to be scrapped. External challenges include the National Gallery’s plan to drop its 1900 cut-off, encroaching on Tate Modern’s territory, and the possible end of free museum access. Funding remains problematic; Balshaw rightly opposed fossil fuel donations. Morgan, described as “one of the great collection-builders” and “armed with an American unflappability about asking rich people for money,” must balance supporting artists, convincing the public, and inspiring confidence amid tight budgets.
