Maria Balshaw

On completion, the gallery has doubled its 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."

Previously Balshaw was the director of the Whitworth, University of Manchester and Manchester City Galleries, which includes Manchester Art Gallery and Gallery of Costume. Balshaw was Director of Culture for Manchester City Council. until May 2017.

Balshaw is also on the National Council of the Arts Council England On 12 June 2015, Balshaw was appointed a CBE in the Queen's birthday honours list for Services to the Arts.

Reopening The Whitworth reopened on 14 February 2015, with over 18,000 people attending the new gallery in the first two days 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. The new Whitworth was named RIBA NW building of the year in May 2015.

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.

Balshaw is a director of the Rothesay Pavilion Charity. The charity was set up in 2014 with the aim of raising funds to transform the category A listed Pavilion into a new cultural centre for Bute. In 2015, the charity reached its 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.

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.

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”.

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. The competition was chaired by Tom Bloxham and included Peter Saville as a judge. McInnes Usher McKnight Architects (MUMA) were appointed architects for the project and building work began in 2013.

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.

In 2006, Balshaw was headhunted to become the Director of the Whitworth. Throughout her work at the Whitworth, 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."

In 2004, 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. Balshaw was successful in her application to join the scheme from over 400 other applicants. Since completing the year long course Balshaw has been appointed a member of the Strategic Advisory Board for the Clore Programme.

In 2002, Balshaw left academia to become Director of Creative Partnerships in Birmingham. She worked for Peter Jenkinson OBE, National Director of Creative Partnerships and former West Midlands colleague where he had been founder director of the New Art Gallery, Walsall.

Balshaw married Professor Liam Kennedy in 1997; they have a son and a daughter. The couple separated in 2006. Balshaw married Nick Merriman, director of the Manchester Museum, in 2010. They live in Manchester with Balshaw's children. In 2014, Balshaw’s Vivienne Westwood wedding dress was included in the Something Blue exhibition at the Gallery of Costumes.

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.

Born in Birmingham, Balshaw grew up in Leicester and Northampton. After gaining a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Cultural Studies at the University of Liverpool (1991), she attended the University of Sussex, where she gained an MA in Critical Theory (1992), followed by a DPhil in African American Visual and Literary Culture (1996).

Maria Jane Balshaw CBE (born 24 January 1970) is director of the Tate art museums and galleries. The appointment was confirmed by the UK Prime Minister on 16 January 2017, making her the first female director of the Tate.

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. In June 2017, Balshaw stepped down as Director of the Whitworth to become the first female Director of Tate.