Jessica Morgan, current director of the New York-based Dia Art Foundation, has been appointed as the new director of Tate. She will succeed Maria Balshaw in January, taking on a role that oversees Tate’s four national sites while navigating significant financial pressures and a recent history of staff instability.
A High-Profile Return to Tate
The appointment of Jessica Morgan marks a homecoming for the 57-year-old curator, who previously served as the Daskalopoulos Curator, International Art, at Tate Modern from 2010 through 2014. Morgan, who has led the Dia Art Foundation since 2015, was widely considered the frontrunner to replace Maria Balshaw, who stepped down this spring after a nine-year tenure.
Tate’s chair, Roland Rudd, confirmed that Morgan accepted the position despite a very big pay cut.
According to Dia’s tax filings, Morgan earned $814,000 in 2025—a figure exceeding £600,000—which is substantially higher than the £220,000 to £225,000 salary Balshaw commanded at Tate. Rudd noted that he had provided the highest compensation possible under the constrictions he faced.
Navigating Financial and Cultural Challenges
Morgan inherits an institution currently managing the fallout of a difficult period. Tate has faced industrial action, staff redundancies, and declining visitor numbers in recent years. As reported by The Guardian, one senior staffer described morale at the institution as being on the floor.
The financial landscape remains complex. Beyond the need to address internal restructuring, Tate is contending with broader funding issues facing UK national museums, including government discussions regarding potential admission charges for overseas visitors. Last year, the institution launched a US-style endowment campaign with a target of raising £150m by 2030.
Track Record at Dia Art Foundation
During her tenure at Dia, Morgan was recognized for her efforts to diversify the collection and expand its global reach. When she arrived in 2015, the foundation held works by only two female artists. By 2024, that figure had grown to 29% representation. She has frequently cited the importance of restoring history
by acquiring works by artists who were historically marginalized or written out of the 1960s and 70s art narrative.
“At Dia she transformed that museum, but she’s done it in a way where she’s carried people with her and I really like that.”
Roland Rudd, Tate chair
Rudd emphasized that while Morgan is viewed as an agent of change,
she possesses the rare ability to lead staff through institutional shifts without alienating them.
Professional Background and Industry Reputation
Morgan’s career includes fellowships at the Yale Centre for British Art and Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum, as well as curatorial roles at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Her reputation for fundraising and collection-building is well-established; she is credited with co-founding acquisition committees for the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia while previously at Tate.
Her appointment has garnered support from prominent figures in the art world. Artist Cornelia Parker, who received her first US solo exhibition from Morgan in 2000, called the news great news.
Frances Morris, the former director of Tate Modern, characterized Morgan as a hugely hardworking individual with a very strong sense of what’s right.
Strategic Outlook for the Tate
Morgan will officially begin her role in January, with interim director Karin Hindsbo maintaining leadership until that time. Her mandate involves more than just administrative recovery; she must reconcile the museum’s status as the world’s foremost institution for international modern and contemporary art
with the practical realities of managing four distinct sites across the UK.
While the immediate future remains tied to stabilizing finances and staff relations, the long-term question for Morgan will be whether she can successfully integrate a more global, inclusive curatorial vision into an institution that has struggled to define its direction since the departure of long-serving director Nicholas Serota. For now, the board is banking on her reputation for scholarship and her ability to attract both donors and artists to secure the museum’s next chapter.
