Maria Balshaw

Biography

Maria is the Deputy Chair Designate of the Governors of University of the Arts London.

She is a museum leader, curator and writer and was Director of Tate Galleries from 2017 to 2026. She helped this world-leading institution engage broader audiences with a programme  based on artistic boldness and inclusivity. Her final exhibition at Tate, Tracey Emin: A Second Life, is one of the most successful contemporary art show in Tate's history. Before Tate, Maria was Director of the Whitworth Gallery, University of Manchester; Director of Manchester City Galleries; and Director of Culture for Manchester City Council. Prior to this she was a lecturer at the University of Birmingham (1997-2002) and the University of Northampton (1993-1997).

Maria holds a BA from the University of Liverpool, a Masters and DPhil in African American Literature and Culture from the University of Sussex. She received a CBE for services to the arts in 2015. She is the author of Gathering of Strangers: Why Museums Matter (Tate, 2024) as well as numerous other publications.