Jessica Morgan is set to assume the role of director at the Tate museums and galleries in London on January 1, 2027, bringing with her extensive experience from both sides of the Atlantic amid a period of financial and cultural challenges for the institution. At 57, Morgan returns to Tate after leading the Dia Art Foundation in New York since 2015 and previously serving as a curator at Tate for 12 years. Her appointment follows the trustees’ desire for a leader closely connected to both artists and donors, with a vision to engage and educate audiences.
Morgan’s tenure at Dia was marked by substantial fundraising success and the expansion of the institution’s physical and artistic scope. She is credited with broadening the canon of Minimalist art by introducing new artists like Steve McQueen and Lee Ufan while securing landmark acquisitions such as Nancy Holt’s “Sun Tunnels,” Dia’s first land art piece by a woman. She also initiated environmentally conscious projects, including collaborations focused on climate resilience, aligning with global efforts within the Gallery Climate Coalition, of which Tate is a participant.
Returning to Tate, Morgan faces an institution grappling with a financial deficit, recent staff redundancies, and low wages—recent job advertisements show curator salaries considerably below those in the United States. Additionally, Tate has seen a decline in international visitors and blockbuster exhibitions, with only one of its top 15 most attended shows since 2020, a 2022 Cézanne retrospective, reflecting a post-pandemic slowdown. These difficulties are compounded by internal labor disputes spotlighting pay stagnation and morale issues.
Staff and artists have expressed optimism about Morgan’s leadership. Tate artist Alvaro Barrington described her as one of the most trusted leaders, while filmmaker Steve McQueen praised her knowledge and commitment to excellence. Morgan’s reputation includes an ability to balance seriousness with engaging spectacle, having curated notable Tate Turbine Hall installations such as Carsten Höller’s slides and Tino Sehgal’s “These Associations.” She is known for resisting sensationalism for its own sake, aiming instead to “thrill and educate,” a quality that trustees specifically sought.
Morgan has emphasized the importance of diversifying the art historical narrative, focusing on artists and histories often overlooked. She highlighted the need to restore and write new histories, exemplified in her arranging a Tate Modern retrospective for Lebanese modernist Saloua Raouda Choucair in 2013. This approach reflects a broader postcolonial and feminist sensibility shared with outgoing director Maria Balshaw, though Morgan brings a more global perspective, having served on international biennale juries and directed major art events such as the Gwangju Biennale.
Despite her interest in expanding the contemporary and global scope of Tate’s collections, Morgan has expressed reservations about an overreliance on repeated shows of modernist stalwarts like Rothko, Richter, and Picasso. Still, Tate’s 2027 exhibition lineup signals a commercial return to established figures, including Monet, Hockney, Munch, and Gainsborough. Former Museum of Modern Art director Glenn Lowry commended Morgan’s openness to a wide range of artistic practices, suggesting a potential balance between historic masters and emerging voices.
Morgan’s coming role at Tate, Britain’s largest museum network with flagship sites in London and regional branches in Liverpool and St. Ives, positions her to address pressing issues such as public funding cuts, ethical dimensions of corporate support, rising operational costs amid a cost-of-living crisis, and the cultural sector’s ongoing debates over its social responsibilities. Her familiarity with Tate and her transatlantic fundraising savvy are anticipated to be key assets as she seeks to navigate the institution through an uncertain cultural climate while maintaining its status as a leading global center for modern and contemporary art.