Tate
Tate is a network of four public art museums in the United Kingdom that collectively house the nation's collection of British art from 1500 onward alongside international modern and contemporary art dating from 1900.[1][2] The institution comprises Tate Britain and Tate Modern in London, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St Ives in Cornwall, with Tate Modern ranking among the world's most visited art museums due to its distinctive architecture and programming.[2] Founded in 1897 through the philanthropy of sugar refiner Henry Tate, who donated 65 British paintings and financed the original gallery building at Millbank to serve as the National Gallery of British Art, Tate originated as a dedicated space for national artistic heritage previously lacking in public institutions.[3][4] Over time, the Tate has expanded its scope and holdings, incorporating works transferred from the National Gallery and acquiring thousands of additional pieces to form one of the preeminent collections of British and modern art globally.[2]
History
Founding and Initial Collection
The National Gallery of British Art, subsequently renamed the Tate Gallery, originated from the donation by Sir Henry Tate, an industrialist who built his wealth in the sugar refining industry after co-founding Tate & Lyle. On 23 October 1889, Tate offered his collection of 65 modern British artworks—primarily nineteenth-century paintings valued at £75,000 (equivalent to approximately £6.1 million in contemporary terms)—to the nation via the National Gallery trustees.[3] The trustees, constrained by limited exhibition space, accepted only select pieces, leading Tate to propose and fund a separate institution dedicated to British art.[3] Construction of the gallery commenced in 1893 on the site of the demolished Millbank Penitentiary, with architecture by Sidney R. J. Smith and building by Higgs and Hill; Tate provided £80,000 toward the project, initially anonymously in 1892.[2] The facility opened ceremonially on 21 July 1897 under the auspices of the Prince of Wales (future Edward VII) as the National Gallery of British Art, with public admission beginning 16 August 1897; an extension in 1898, also funded by Tate, doubled its size to include nine additional rooms and a sculpture hall.[3] The inaugural holdings focused on Tate's gifted works, emphasizing contemporary and recent British artists such as the Pre-Raphaelites, including John Everett Millais's Ophelia (1851–1852) and J. W. Waterhouse's The Lady of Shalott (1888).[2] These were augmented by transfers and loans from the National Gallery, resulting in an opening display of around 245 pieces across eight rooms, spanning British art from circa 1790 onward and excluding older masters or international works.[2] The collection's scope reflected Tate's personal patronage of modern British painting, prioritizing post-1790 developments over historical precedents.[2]Expansion and Institutional Growth
In the late 1980s, under the directorship of Nicholas Serota, appointed in 1988, Tate embarked on a strategic expansion to decentralize its operations, broaden access to modern and contemporary art, and establish regional outposts beyond London.[2] This period marked a shift from a singular national institution to a networked family of galleries, with the original Millbank site refocused on British art while new venues prioritized international modern works and local artistic legacies.[2] Tate Liverpool, the first extension, opened in May 1988 within a converted warehouse at the Royal Albert Dock, conceived as a "Tate of the North" to exhibit modern art and prioritize educational programs for younger audiences.[5] The venue quickly attracted over 600,000 annual visitors, fostering major European exhibitions and contributing to the revitalization of Liverpool's waterfront.[5] Tate St Ives followed in 1993, housed in a purpose-built structure overlooking Porthmeor Beach in Cornwall, to showcase the modernist St Ives School artists, including Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson, drawing on the area's post-war artistic community.[2] This site extended Tate's reach into regional heritage while accommodating growing demands for displaying its expanding collection of 20th-century works.[2] The most transformative development culminated in Tate Modern, with plans announced in December 1992 for a dedicated gallery of international modern and contemporary art in the redundant Bankside Power Station, selected in 1994 and redesigned by Herzog & de Meuron.[6] Opened on 11 May 2000, it drew immediate crowds, establishing Tate as a global powerhouse with nearly 70,000 artworks across four sites by that year and laying the foundation for sustained institutional scale through increased public engagement and collection growth.[2][6]Post-2000 Developments and Challenges
Following the opening of Tate Modern in 2000, the institution pursued significant expansions to accommodate growing collections and visitor demand. In 2016, the Blavatnik Building, also known as the Switch House, opened on 17 June as an extension to Tate Modern, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, which increased display space by 60% and introduced new viewing platforms overlooking London.[7] Similarly, Tate St Ives underwent a £20 million redevelopment, reopening in October 2017 after an 18-month closure, doubling its gallery space with underground additions carved into the cliffside to enhance year-round operations and focus on modernist art linked to the St Ives school.[8] Tate Britain received a £45 million refurbishment in the early 2010s targeting its south-east wing for improved conservation and visitor facilities.[9] These developments contributed to substantial growth in attendance, with Tate Modern alone attracting over 115 million visitors since 2000 and transforming the South Bank into a major cultural hub by 2025.[6] The expansions enabled broader programming, including large-scale Turbine Hall commissions and international exhibitions, solidifying Tate's role in global contemporary art discourse.[10] Financial pressures emerged as key challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on revenues. Tate reported an £8.7 million deficit for the 2023 fiscal year and approved a deficit budget for 2023-24 amid rising costs and slow recovery, prompting a 7% workforce reduction announced in March 2025.[11] [12] Annual reports highlighted ongoing cost pressures and dependency on public funding and donations, with trustees noting risks to long-term sustainability.[13] Curatorial decisions have drawn criticism for prioritizing thematic narratives on identity, colonialism, and social issues over artistic merit, with some observers attributing financial strains to diminished broad appeal.[14] A 2023 rehang at Tate Britain, the first in a decade, reorganized 800 works chronologically but faced accusations of subordinating aesthetics to historical and political commentary, reflecting institutional trends toward activism.[15] [16] In 2022, Tate settled discrimination claims with three artists for a six-figure sum, amid broader allegations of bias in artist selection and internal practices.[17] Such controversies underscore tensions between Tate's public mission and perceptions of ideological curation, potentially alienating traditional audiences.[18]Galleries and Sites
Tate Britain
Tate Britain, located on Millbank in London, serves as the primary repository for the national collection of British art spanning from 1500 to the present day.[19] Originally established as the National Gallery of British Art, it was founded through the philanthropy of sugar magnate Henry Tate, who donated a core collection of 65 British artworks and funded the construction of the building.[3] The gallery opened to the public on 16 August 1897, following its official inauguration by the Prince of Wales on 21 July 1897, initially featuring 245 works displayed across eight rooms.[3] Designed in a neoclassical style by architect Sidney R. J. Smith, the structure includes a classical portico, dome, and vaulted galleries, reflecting the era's emphasis on grandeur for public institutions.[3] Expansions occurred early, with the first in 1898, and further developments in the north-east wing between 1968 and 1979 to accommodate growing holdings.[3] In 2000, concurrent with the opening of Tate Modern, the institution was renamed Tate Britain to distinguish its focus on historical and modern British art from the international contemporary emphasis of the new Bankside site.[2] The permanent displays are organized chronologically and thematically, covering Tudor-era works through contemporary pieces, with strengths in Romanticism, Pre-Raphaelite art, and the bequest of J. M. W. Turner, comprising over 300 oils and 300 watercolours bequeathed in 1856 under specific display conditions.[20] Notable holdings include John Everett Millais's Ophelia (1851–1852) and John Singer Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (1885–1886), exemplifying Victorian narrative and impressionistic styles.[21] Temporary exhibitions highlight underrepresented artists and movements, such as the 2019 Frank Bowling retrospective featuring 59 paintings from 1962 to 2018.[22] A major renovation completed in 2013 by Caruso St John restored and reconfigured spaces, introducing a Duveen Hall with commissioned works and enhancing visitor flow while preserving historical elements.[23] The gallery remains free to enter for its collection, drawing on public funding, donations, and enterprise activities, with ongoing displays emphasizing diverse narratives in British art history without privileging ideological reinterpretations over artistic merit.[24]Tate Modern
Tate Modern is an art gallery in Bankside, London, housing the national collection of international modern and contemporary art dating from 1900 onward. Housed in the former Bankside Power Station, an oil-fired facility designed by Giles Gilbert Scott and decommissioned in 1981, the site was selected for conversion in the mid-1990s to accommodate the expanding Tate collection. The transformation into a gallery space was led by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron, with construction commencing in 1997; the building officially opened to the public on 11 May 2000 following a speech by Queen Elizabeth II.[25][6] The gallery's architecture emphasizes industrial heritage, featuring the vast Turbine Hall—a 155-meter-long, 35-meter-high former turbine space repurposed for large-scale temporary installations, such as those in the Unilever Series from 2000 to 2012. Additional spaces include the Tanks, converted underground oil storage areas used for performance, film, and installation art since 2012. In 2016, the Blavatnik Building extension, also designed by Herzog & de Meuron, added 23,000 square meters of display space, including ten new floors and a public viewing platform, increasing the total exhibition area to approximately 60,000 square meters. This pyramid-shaped structure atop the former Switch House contrasts with the original brick edifice while preserving the site's raw aesthetic.[26][27] Tate Modern's permanent collection comprises over 70,000 works by artists including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Yayoi Kusama, displayed across themed floors focusing on chronology, movements, and media such as painting, sculpture, and multimedia. The gallery attracted 5.25 million visitors in its inaugural year, establishing it as one of the world's most visited modern art museums, though numbers fluctuated post-pandemic, reaching 3.88 million in 2022. Admission to the permanent collection remains free, with charges applied to temporary exhibitions; the site operates daily, with extended hours on weekends to accommodate growing audiences.[28][29]Tate Liverpool
Tate Liverpool, established in the 1980s as the "Tate of the North" under director Alan Bowness, opened to the public on 24 May 1988 in a renovated warehouse within Liverpool's Albert Dock complex.[5][30] The gallery was commissioned in 1985 to Scottish architect James Stirling, who preserved the Grade I-listed brick and stone exterior while transforming the interior into exhibition spaces, reflecting his postmodern style in collaboration with Michael Wilford.[5][31] Its purpose centered on displaying modern art from the Tate Collection—the national holdings of British art from 1500 to the present alongside international modern and contemporary works—to engage younger audiences through educational programs amid the rejuvenation of the disused docks, which began in 1981.[5] The gallery has hosted displays from the Tate Collection and temporary exhibitions of modern and contemporary art, attracting over 600,000 visitors annually in its early decades.[5] Notable events include the 2007 Turner Prize, the first held outside London, coinciding with Liverpool's designation as European Capital of Culture in 2008.[5] It participates in the Liverpool Biennial, the UK's largest free contemporary visual art festival, integrating site-specific installations and international artists.[32] As of 2025, Tate Liverpool operates temporarily from RIBA North at Mann Island, featuring two small galleries with displays drawn from Tate and RIBA collections, family activities, talks, tours, and workshops, open daily from 10:00 to 17:50 with free admission.[33] The Albert Dock site closed for a £29.7 million redevelopment by 6a architects, aimed at renewing Stirling's design while enhancing visitor experience; the reopening, initially planned earlier, has been delayed to 2027.[34][31] This project seeks to address structural needs in the landmark building set within the historic docklands, maintaining its role in decentralizing access to the national collection beyond London.[35]Tate St Ives
Tate St Ives is an art gallery located in St Ives, Cornwall, England, situated on a former gasworks site overlooking Porthmeor Beach and the Atlantic Ocean. It opened to the public in June 1993 as the fourth venue in the Tate network, with the primary purpose of exhibiting works by artists associated with the town, drawing from loans in the Tate collection.[36] The gallery's establishment was supported by funding from local community donations, the Henry Moore Foundation, and the European Regional Development Fund, with construction beginning in 1991.[36] In its first six months, it attracted over 120,000 visitors, surpassing the annual target by 50,000, and has since averaged approximately 240,000 visitors per year.[36] The original building, designed by architects Eldred Evans and David Shalev, incorporates forms reminiscent of the site's industrial past, including a rotunda structure integrated into the cliffside.[36] In 2017, the gallery underwent a major refurbishment and extension designed by Jamie Fobert Architects, which doubled the exhibition space to around 1,320 square meters, added new facilities including a café and roof garden, and enabled continuous displays without closure during exhibition changes.[36] [37] The extension features a large, column-free gallery sunk into the cliffs with a concrete roof incorporating light chambers and ceramic tiles, enhancing natural illumination.[37] This redevelopment, costing approximately £20 million, contributed to the gallery receiving the Art Fund Museum of the Year Prize in 2018.[38] Tate St Ives focuses on modern art connected to the St Ives School, a group of artists active in the area from the 1920s onward, influenced by the region's light and landscape. Key figures include Barbara Hepworth, Ben Nicholson, Naum Gabo, Patrick Heron, and Alfred Wallis, with permanent displays of their works post-2017 extension.[36] [39] The gallery also hosts temporary exhibitions and features related sites like the Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, showcasing sculptures and studios preserved as they were at the artist's death in 1975.[40] Ongoing displays such as "Modern Art and St Ives" explore the histories and ideas of these artists through selected Tate collection pieces.[41]Collection and Acquisitions
Scope and Focus
The Tate Collection constitutes the United Kingdom's national holdings of British art spanning from 1500 to the present day, complemented by international modern and contemporary works primarily from 1900 onward.[19] [1] This scope originated from the institution's founding mandate under Henry Tate's 1890 gift of British paintings, which evolved through Treasury directives, such as the 1955 minute vesting responsibility for contemporary international art in the Board of Trustees.[42] The collection prioritizes artistic merit and historical significance over rigid categorical divisions, enabling flexible responses to acquisition opportunities without predetermined allocations between historic and modern holdings.[19] Encompassing diverse media, the holdings include paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, films, videos, installations, performances, and archival materials like letters, sketchbooks, and manuscripts.[19] [43] British works trace artistic developments from the Tudor era through to contemporary practices, featuring key figures such as J.M.W. Turner and William Blake, while international selections emphasize post-1900 innovations across global contexts, with ongoing efforts to expand geographical representation beyond Euro-American dominance.[19] [20] Acquisitions target artists of substantial national or international stature, guided by curatorial assessment of cultural impact rather than market trends alone, ensuring the collection serves both preservation and interpretive purposes.[19]Notable Holdings and Acquisitions
The Tate collection's most prominent holding is the Turner Bequest, comprising nearly 300 oil paintings, around 300 sketchbooks, and over 30,000 sketches, watercolours, and drawings bequeathed by J. M. W. Turner to the British nation following his death in 1851, with settlement in 1856; the majority are displayed at Tate Britain in the Clore Gallery.[44][45][46] This bequest forms the core of Tate Britain's British art holdings, emphasizing Turner's landscapes and seascapes. Other key holdings include Pre-Raphaelite works such as John Everett Millais's Ophelia (1851–1852), depicting the drowning scene from Shakespeare's Hamlet, and John Singer Sargent's Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose (1885–1886), both central to Tate Britain's Victorian displays.[21] Modernist icons at Tate Modern encompass Francis Bacon's Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion (1944), a triptych influencing post-war art, alongside Mark Rothko's Black on Maroon (1958) and Piet Mondrian's The Tree A (c.1913).[47] Notable acquisitions have expanded the collection through purchases, gifts, and bequests. In 2016, Tate acquired 43 drawings and one painting by George Condo, marking a major addition of contemporary American art previously underrepresented in the holdings.[48] The 2007–2008 period saw a record 494 works acquired, valued at £63.1 million, including contributions from collectors and artists via gifts.[49] The Frieze Tate Fund has facilitated targeted purchases, such as four paintings by Nigerian modernist Obiora Udechukwu from the 1970s and early 1980s in 2021, broadening international representation.[50] Recent efforts include 2025 Frieze London acquisitions enhancing geographic diversity.[51]
Administration and Governance
Board of Trustees and Leadership
The Board of Trustees of Tate comprises 14 members, responsible for determining policy, setting strategic direction, and overseeing management of the institution while ensuring stewardship of public funds. Thirteen trustees are appointed by the Prime Minister through an open public appointments process governed by the Commissioner for Public Appointments, with terms of four years renewable once; at least three must be practising artists as mandated by the Museums and Galleries Act 1992, serving a single term. The fourteenth is the liaison trustee from the National Gallery's Board. Trustees serve voluntarily without remuneration, and the Board elects its Chair from among its members.[52][52] Roland Rudd has served as Chair since September 2021, succeeding Lionel Barber, and was reappointed by the Board in December 2024 for an additional three-year term ending in 2027.[53][54] Other trustees include Dame Jayne-Anne Gadhia DBE, who chairs the Finance & Operations and Audit Committees, and Dame Anya Hindmarch DBE. In March 2025, six new trustees were appointed for four-year terms starting March 24: Nick Clarry, Sir Isaac Julien CBE, Jack Kirkland, Tim Richards CBE, Professor Patricia Rubin, and June Sarpong OBE, joining existing members such as Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, Michael Moritz MBE, Diana Noble CBE, and David Ross.[55][52] Executive leadership reports to the Board, with Maria Balshaw serving as Director of Tate since June 2017, holding overall responsibility for strategic direction, operations across sites, and the national collection.[56] Karin Hindsbo acts as Deputy Director of Tate and Director of Tate Modern, chairing the Artistic Leadership Group and managing day-to-day operations at the flagship site.[57] The Executive Group includes roles such as Managing Director and Chief Financial Officer, supporting governance and site-specific directors for Tate Britain, Liverpool, and St Ives.[58]Key Directors and Their Tenures
The position of Director of Tate oversees the strategic direction, collections, and operations across its galleries. Established with the opening of the Tate Gallery in 1897, the role evolved from Keeper to full Director, with appointments approved by the Board of Trustees and, in recent cases, the Prime Minister.[2] Key directors include:| Director | Tenure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sir Charles Holroyd | 1897–1906 | Served as Keeper; focused on early acquisitions including works by Alfred Stevens.[2] |
| D.S. MacColl | 1906–1911 | Keeper; enhanced Pre-Raphaelite holdings and reorganized displays.[2] |
| Charles Aitken | 1911–1930 | First titled Director; introduced entrance fees for financial stability and acquired Blake's Dante illustrations.[2] |
| J.B. Manson | 1930–1938 | Oversaw adoption of the official name "Tate Gallery" in 1932 and installation of electric lighting.[2] |
| Sir John Rothenstein | 1938–1964 | Expanded modern British holdings (e.g., Spencer, Moore) and international modern works by Picasso and Matisse.[2] |
| Sir Norman Reid | 1964–1979 | Acquired key modern pieces including Brancusi and Mondrian; directed the North East Quadrant expansion completed in 1979.[2][59] |
| Sir Alan Bowness | 1980–1988 | Initiated Tate Liverpool and Clore Gallery for Turner; strengthened Surrealist and American collections.[2][60] |
| Sir Nicholas Serota | 1988–31 May 2017 | Longest-serving Director (29 years); led openings of Tate St Ives (1993), Tate Modern (2000, expanded 2016), and rebranding of Tate Britain.[2][61] |
| Maria Balshaw | 1 June 2017–present | First female Director; previously led Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester City Galleries.[2][62][63] |
Funding and Financial Operations
Government and Public Funding
The Tate, as a non-departmental public body, receives its core government funding via an annual grant-in-aid from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which supports operational costs, collection care, and public access across its galleries.[64] This funding is determined through a framework agreement outlining performance objectives, financial management, and accountability, with the Director-General of the Tate accountable to DCMS for its use.[64] In the financial year 2023-24, the grant-in-aid totaled £50.8 million, down from £54.2 million in 2022-23, reflecting adjustments amid broader public spending constraints.[65] Additional public funding includes allocations from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arts Council England, which support specific projects such as exhibitions, conservation, and capital works. For 2023-24, lottery and other public grants amounted to approximately £3.5 million, often tied to targeted initiatives like regional outreach or digital access programs.[42] These sources complement the DCMS grant but represent a smaller share, with total public funding forming about 30% of Tate's overall income in recent years, the balance derived from trading, admissions, and private contributions.[65] Government funding has historically enabled free admission to permanent collections since 2001, a policy mandated by DCMS to promote cultural equity, though temporary exhibitions incur charges to offset costs.[66] In response to post-pandemic financial pressures, DCMS reaffirmed its commitment to core funding stability in 2025, approving deficit budgets while encouraging diversification, amid Tate's total self-generated income reaching £119.2 million in 2023-24.[67] This public support underscores Tate's role in national cultural policy, with oversight ensuring funds prioritize preservation and public benefit over commercial priorities.[64]| Financial Year | DCMS Grant-in-Aid (£ million) | Lottery/Other Public Funding (£ million) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-23 | 54.2 | ~2.6 | Pre-deficit adjustment baseline.[65][42] |
| 2023-24 | 50.8 | ~3.5 | Reflects efficiency measures.[65][42] |
| 2024-25 | Not finalized | ~5.7 (projected) | Includes approved deficit support.[67][42] |