BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead, England, has announced the appointment of Sarah Munro as its new director.

Munro, who will begin her tenure in November 2015, is the British institution’s first female director since it was founded in 2002.

From 2008 to 2012, Munro was artistic director of Tramway in Glasgow, curating over 200 exhibitions, performances and offsite projects that increased attendance at the venue by more than two thirds. Most recently, she has been Head of Arts at Glasgow Life since 2012, and was responsible for leading the bid that will bring the Turner Prize to Scotland for the first time this year.

BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, in Gateshead.
Photo: Courtesy BALTIC.

“I am thrilled to be given this opportunity, not only of leading one of the best contemporary art spaces in Europe, but of playing an exciting role in supporting the cultural regeneration of the city region,” Munro said in a statement. “There is a really energized artistic community growing in confidence and ambition among both artists and cultural organisations in Gateshead and Newcastle which makes this an incredibly exciting time to join BALTIC.’

“[Munro’s] undoubted success in developing the lively and world class arts and cultural scene in Glasgow makes her the ideal person to join BALTIC and build on the achievements we have made over thirteen years,” Peter Buchan, chair of the institution’s board of trustees, said in a statement.

Munro is taking over Godfrey Worsdale, who announced in April that he would be leaving the directorship after a seven-year tenure in order to take up the role of director at the Henry Moore Foundation in Leeds.

Godfrey Worsdale.
Photo via: Ideas Tap.

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