Jessica Morgan has been appointed as the new director of the Tate museums and galleries, taking over the role in January. Morgan brings a combination of deep familiarity with the Tate—where she worked from 2002 to 2014—and extensive experience gained in the United States, notably as director of the Dia Art Foundation. Her appointment comes at a challenging time for British cultural institutions, which face funding cuts, debates over corporate partnerships, rising operational costs, and internal labor disputes.
Morgan, 57, left Tate in 2014 to lead Dia, where she expanded the institution’s physical space, broadened its artistic focus beyond Minimalism, and achieved significant fundraising success. At Dia, she introduced artists such as Steve McQueen, Tehching Hsieh, and Lee Ufan, while also acquiring historically significant works including Nancy Holt’s “Sun Tunnels,” marking the institution’s first acquisition of Land Art by a woman. She initiated a large-scale environmental project with landscape architect Sara Zewde to address climate-related challenges at Dia Beacon, signaling her commitment to sustainability in the arts.
Her return to Tate places her at the head of the UK’s largest museum network, encompassing two flagship locations in London and regional galleries in Liverpool and St. Ives. Morgan inherits an institution operating amid a cost-of-living crisis affecting ticket prices and public engagement. Staff morale has reportedly been low due to pay stagnation, and the cultural sector is grappling with ongoing debates about the social and political role of museums. Morgan’s track record suggests she is equipped to navigate these complexities; during her earlier Tate tenure, she enriched the permanent collection with approximately 100 new artists and curated exhibitions noted for both critical acclaim and boundary-pushing content. One such example is the 2012 live installation “These Associations” by Tino Sehgal, which attracted over 1.5 million visitors.
Morgan’s appointment is generally well-received among artists and cultural commentators. Rosalind Nashashibi, an artist and former Tate trustee, praised her approach to audience engagement as serious yet avoiding sensationalism. While some media outlets expressed skepticism about change within the institution, many view Morgan’s leadership as an opportunity to reinvigorate Tate’s cultural and institutional mission.
Morgan has acknowledged that her salary at Tate will be lower than her previous compensation in the United States, reflecting the broader funding disparities between UK and American arts institutions. Nonetheless, she emphasized the Tate’s prominence as a world-leading institution for modern and contemporary international and British art, noting its influence through collections and exhibitions.
As Jessica Morgan prepares to assume her new role, her blend of British institutional knowledge, international perspective, and fundraising expertise positions her to address the evolving challenges facing Tate while aiming to restore a sense of optimism and innovation within one of Britain’s most significant cultural organizations.