In another six weeks, just long enough to push through another issue of The Art Newspaper, Jane Morris, its long-time editor, will be stepping down after eight years in charge of the venerable arts publication. Succeeding her will be Javier Pes, who has been TAN’s Deputy Editor since 2010.
Morris joined TAN in 2005, becoming co-editor of its art fair daily editions and working on the art market, museums, and comment sections of the main paper, before becoming editor in 2008. When reached by artnet News, she says she plans to continue her affiliation with TAN as an editor-at-large, while also working on independent projects, such as “digital, video, podcasting and writing again—including, some long-form work.”
Under Morris’s editorship, TAN grew its page count by nearly fifty percent, partly—says the outgoing editor—because art’s globalization means simply “there’s more to cover.” Under her tutelage, TAN’s coverage has expanded to include regular special reports, daily art fair editions, and the annual survey of global museum attendance. Despite being identified mostly as a subscription-based print newspaper, TAN has also launched a website, a daily digital news service, and an interactive app.
In speaking about her departure, Morris invoked the “production treadmill” aspect of regular publication work, and said she recently realized that she “needed a change—a sort of creative reinvigoration—more project work, and a bit of a break from the relentless schedule.” She also says she wanted someone to look at the publication “with fresher eyes than me.”
Pes, whose background includes being a museum curator and editor of museum publications before joining TAN, summed up his future expectations as such: “I mean to carry on as seamlessly as possible,” stating that “quality gossip and scholarly reviews of books and exhibitions remain a vital part of the lively mix.”