Dr Maria Balshaw (born 24th January 1970) [1] is the director of the Whitworth, University of Manchester and Manchester City Galleries, which includes Manchester Art Gallery and Gallery of Costume.
Dr Balshaw is responsible for the artistic and strategic vision for each gallery holding internationally important collections of fine and decorative art totalling more than 100,000 objects. [2]
Dr Balshaw is also on the National Council of the Arts Council England [3] and Director of Culture for Manchester City Council. [4]
Dr Balshaw was appointed Lecturer in Cultural Studies at University College Northampton in 1993. In 1997, Balshaw joined the University of Birmingham as Research Fellow and Lecturer in Visual Culture. [6]
In 2002, Balshaw left academia to become Director of Creative Partnerships in Birmingham. [7] She worked for Peter Jenkinson OBE, National Director of Creative Partnerships and former West Midlands colleague were he had been founder director of the New Art Gallery, Walsall. [8]
As part of the newly formed Creative Partnerships, Dr Balshaw was tasked with bringing arts organisations and artists into partnerships with schools. A role which taught Dr Balshaw “a tremendous amount about how to inspire, persuade and cajole unlike partners into common goals” [9]
In 2004, Dr Balshaw was selected as one of the inaugural fellows for the Clore Leadership programme Initiated by the Clore Duffield Foundation, the Programme is the UK's first cross-disciplinary leadership programme for the cultural and creative sector. [10] Dr Balshaw was successful in her application to join the scheme from over 400 other applicants. [11] Since completing the year long course Dr Balshaw has been appointed a member of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Clore Programme [12]
Upon completion of the Clore Leadership Programme, Dr Balshaw acted as Regional Director of the West Midlands Creative Partnerships programme and then worked for nine months as Director of External Relations and Development for ACE: West Midlands. [13]
In 2006, Dr Balshaw was headhunted to become the Director of the Whitworth. Throughout her work at the Whitworth,Dr Balshaw has featured a broad range of disciplines championing art from around the world in particular West and South African art and the work of female artists. She has been quoted as saying "We do have a lot of women artists on show at the Whitworth, but only because they’re really good. That’s fair." [14]
Dr Balshaw's appointment at the Whitworth made her the second female director in the history of the gallery. Margaret Pilkington being the only other female director from 1925 - 1945. [15]
During her time as Director at the Whitworth, Dr Balshaw has been responsible for commisioning a wide range of exhibitions. Some of the most notable include:
Balshaw started the process of reviving the Whitworth in 2007 with the launch of a new capital build project. Funding for the ambitious project totalling £15m came from the University Of Manchester, Heritage Lottery Fund, Arts Council England, trusts and foundations including Clore Duffield, Wolfson Foundation, Headley Trust, The Granada Foundation as well as Friends of the Whitworth and private donors. [31] [32] [33]
In 2009, with the support of the Royal Institute of British Architects, Balshaw ran an international competition, that attracted 139 submissions from architects from all over the world. [34] The competition was chaired by Tom Bloxham and included Peter Saville as a judge. [35] McInnes Usher McKnight Architects (MUMA) were appointed architects for the project and building work began in 2013. [36]
On completion, the gallery has doubled it's exhibition space and opened up the gallery to Whitworth park. As The Guardian reported: "At the front, they have softened the forbidding entrance with a sculpture forecourt and an inviting sequence of steps, ramps and benches; but the real meat of the project is saved for the back, where MUMA have extended the symmetrical composition with a pair of wings that project out into Whitworth Park, framing a new sculpture garden. “It’s about having open arms and saying: ‘This place belongs to you.’” says Balshaw. “Before, we turned our back with a blank brick wall – now you can see what’s going on inside.” [37]
Dr Balshaw commissioned landscape architect Sarah Price to design two new areas of landscaping named the Art and Orchard garden [38] with other new facilities including a study centre, learning studio and a collections centre. [39]
Reopening The Whitworth reopened on February 14th 2015 with over 18,000 people attending the new gallery in the first two days [40] to explore new exhibitions from Cornelia Parker and Cai Guo-Qiang. In just six weeks over 100,000 visitors had explored the new gallery in the park. [41] The new Whitworth was named RIBA NW building of the year in May 2015. [42]
In 2011, Balshaw took on the role of Director of Manchester City Galleries alongside her duties at the Whitworth. This dual directorship brought the two institutions collections of historic and modern art into alliance for the first time in their history. Upon the appointment, Richard Leese leader of Manchester City Council, said creating a joint director role for the two galleries would “not only safeguard, but significantly enhance the city’s cultural reputation”. [43]
During her time as director, Manchester Art Gallery has hosted a wide range of contemporary and historical exhibitions including:
In 2012, Balshaw led the partnership of Manchester City Galleries, Whitworth Art Gallery and The Manchester Museum in their application for £5.3m of funding from the Arts Council England. [51] [52]
During 2014, as part of her role as Director of Culture, Balshaw worked to persuade George Osborne to commit significant funding to building a new artistic and cultural centre in Manchester. In 2014, the government announced funding of £78m for The Factory, a brand new artistic hub on the old Granada Studios site in the city’s Castlefield district. [53]
Maria married Professor Liam Kennedy in 1997. They have two children, Jake Kennedy (1997) and Lily Kennedy (1999). They separated in 2006. Maria married Nick Merriman, Director of the Manchester Museum, in 2010. They live in Manchester with Maria's children and part-time with Nick's children Robert and Lucas Merriman. [54] They have a dog called Ruby. [55] In 2014, Balshaw’s Vivian Westwood wedding dress was included in the Something Blue exhibition at the Gallery of Costumes. [56]
Balshaw is a director of the Rothesay Pavilion Charity. The new charity was set up in 2014 with the aim of raising funds to transform the Grade A listed Pavilion into a new cultural centre for Bute. In 2015, the charity reached it's funding target of £8m. The new development will upgrade the main auditorium and add a second performance space for young people. There will also be new gallery space, a bistro, shops and bars along with a new multi purpose rooftop space. [57]