The man from mima takes over at Baltic

Aug 14 2008 by David Whetstone, The Journal

Baltic has appointed its fourth director in just over a decade. David Whetstone talks to Godfrey Worsdale about his plans.

BALTIC has a new boss. The trustees of the Gateshead centre for contemporary art cast their net worldwide and ended up recruiting a man from down the road – Godfrey Worsdale, founding director of mima in Middlesbrough.

He will become the fourth Baltic director in November when he takes up the post vacated suddenly at the end of last year by Peter Doroshenko.

On the face of it, Gateshead’s gain is Middlesbrough’s loss.

Since Middlesbrough Council appointed him as director of galleries in 2002, Godfrey Worsdale has overseen the construction of the town’s fabulous new art gallery – mima standing for Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art – and established himself as both a safe pair of hands and a man with interesting ideas.

Significantly, in the light of Baltic’s problems of a year ago (see panel), staff speak highly of his man management skills.

But yesterday, at a Baltic teeming with visitors, he explained how both institutions could be winners.

“Baltic is a bigger institution and a slightly different institution, because it operates without a collection. While mima concentrates on the whole of 20th Century art, Baltic is most concerned with very contemporary art.

“But what I’d say is that these two institutions complement each other fantastically well.

“I have a fairly broad background in that I’ve worked in art museums but I’ve also come from a contemporary art curatorial background.

“I feel one of the benefits of my coming to Baltic is I can help to unify the North East arts scene and ensure that the relations between these two institutions are really strong. Together we can guarantee a really fabulous offer in the visual arts.

“There have always been exchanges but I think there can be much more dialogue between the two places.”

He said it would be “slightly impolitic” to reveal if he had applied for the post or been headhunted.

But he said: “One of the greatest things about transferring from mima to Baltic is that I get to stay in the North East. This is the one job I could move to that allows me to stay.”

Now aged 40, Godfrey Worsdale grew up in Doncaster and went to school in Armthorpe where Kevin Keegan kicked a ball around as a boy. His father was an art teacher, his paternal grandfather a pitman. His mother worked for the council.

He recalled a school trip to Leeds City Art Gallery. “I saw a lot of contemporary art and it changed my life.

“One of the reasons I like to work in museums and galleries is that it gives me the opportunity to expose lots of other people to the same experience I had.”

He began his career in the early 1990s at the British Museum in its department of prints and drawings. At the same time he established a new independent gallery for contemporary art in London. In 1995 he moved to Southampton City Art Gallery as curator and, within three years, was appointed director.

While proving adept at running big organisations, he was forging relationships with leading contemporary artists including Tracey Emin, Chris Ofili, Martin Creed and, from the North East, twins Jane and Louise Wilson.

The opening exhibition at mima, called Draw, featured the work of Damien Hirst, Gavin Turk and other stars of the contemporary art world.

Yesterday he spoke of taking Baltic into the next phase.

“I think Baltic has grown up now. It has had its fifth birthday (in fact it opened six years ago) and I think what is important now is that it establishes really solid international partnerships.

“There are galleries around the world which work in a comparable way to Baltic and I’d like to see them coming together to the benefit of all.

“I think the critical thing for me is to identify what Baltic does very well and retain and enhance that, and then add to it. I think one of the things I’d like to bring is to strengthen the spine of the exhibitions programme.

“One of the joys of having so much space is that you can sustain the institution’s cutting edge while also building a solid core to the programme.”

Baltic’s trustees were prepared to appoint both a chief executive and an artistic director but now they have a man who feels he has proved himself in both capacities.

He said: “I feel it’s important for an arts organisation that those two functions should be intermingled. That’s how I’ve had success at Southampton and at mima.” He said there was “work to do on the financial side” at Baltic but didn’t want to say much about it until he had taken up his post.

He said he was impressed with the amount of work being done at Baltic with children and young people

“To me that’s one of the most important parts of a gallery’s work. It’s critical that you engage young people because then they are your audience for life, and they are a great audience. But I’m a supporter of art education in all forms.”

Currently living in Stockton with wife Alia and two-year-old daughter Lily, he said he felt no need to move nearer Tyneside. But he did pledge to stay in his new post for at least five years. “This is a job in which I can put down roots,” he declared.

Baltic chairman Sir Ian Wrigglesworth said yesterday: “Against stiff competition, I am thrilled and excited that it is a candidate from our own region that has come through.”

Mark Robinson, executive director of Arts Council England, North East, said: “Godfrey has been an exceptional director at mima and we are confident his experience and skills will serve Baltic well into the future.”

Jan Richmond, chief executive of Middlesbrough Council, said: “Godfrey has overseen mima from its inception to its current status as a major institution on the national arts scene.

“He leaves us with a well established gallery with a strong and very effective team and an exciting programme of exhibitions planned for the next two years.

“That is a great foundation, but we will also move very quickly to ensure the gap Godfrey leaves is filled to ensure continuity of leadership.”

It’s critical that you engage young people because then they are your audience for life, and they are a great audience

Baltic's management ups and downs

NOVEMBER 1997:

Sune Nordgren, a Swede, chosen from six shortlisted overseas candidates as founding director of the new art gallery resulting from a conversion of Gateshead’s Baltic Flour Mills with a £33.4m lottery grant.

JULY 2002:

The gallery, now known as Baltic, opens at one minute past midnight on the 13th. Thousands queue outside.

JANUARY 2003:

News emerges of an Arts Council investigation into Baltic’s finances revealing an absence of accounts due to the organisation being "overwhelmed". Financial task force set up to oversee trading.

JULY 2003:

Sune Nordgren announces his departure for a new job in Norway; Baltic welcomes its millionth visitor.

DECEMBER 2003:

Belfast-born Stephen Snoddy, founding director of Milton Keynes Gallery, appointed as Baltic’s second director.

AUGUST 2004:

Stephen Snoddy suspended on the 10th after being arrested at Baltic following an allegation of indecent assault.

OCTOBER 2004:

Police say Stephen Snoddy will not face charges but the following month he resigns, later being appointed to run the new Walsall Art Gallery.

APRIL 2005:

Peter Doroshenko, an American who most recently ran an art gallery in Belgium, appointed as Baltic’s third director.

DECEMBER 2005:

Baltic welcomes its two millionth visitor.

JULY 2007:

Baltic’s fifth anniversary celebrations marred by negotiations to resolve a staff dispute arising from grievances relating to Peter Doroshenko’s management style.

DECEMBER 2007:

Baltic announce that Peter Doroshenko has left to run the Pinchuk Art Centre in Kiev.