BALTIC CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART

(Redirected from BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art)



The 'Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art' is a major international centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the river Tyne at the foot of the Gateshead Millennium Bridge in Gateshead, Northern England. It presents a constantly changing, distinctive and ambitious programme of exhibitions and events, and is a world leader in the presentation, commissioning and communication of contemporary visual art.
Dominic Williams of Ellis Williams Architects won an architectural competition in the mid 1990’s to convert the 1950s flour mill into a centre for art. After 10 years in the planning and a capital investment of £50m, including £33.4m from the Arts Council Lottery Fund, Baltic opened to the public at midnight on Saturday 13 July 2002. The inaugural exhibition, B.OPEN, featured work by Chris Burden, Carsten Holler, Julian Opie, Jaume Plensa and Jane & Louise Wilson and attracted over 35,000 visitors in the first week.
Publicly Baltic’s profile has been considered rocky and despite its youth it has experienced three directorial changes and has fallen foul to much public gossip and speculation. The founding director, Sune Nordgren was appointed in 1997 and was integral in Baltic’s pre-launch period, he oversaw the building of the gallery and witnessed the first one millionth visitor through the doors. After close to 6 years, Nordgren left to take up a new post as founding Director of the National Museum for Art, Architecture and Design, Oslo, Norway, where controversy continued to dog him until his resignation after a short period. He was briefly succeeded by Stephen Snoddy who was only with the organisation for one year. The current Director Peter Doroshenko joined in 2005.
Despite its sometimes controversial history, Baltic has in only five years welcomed more than 2.5 millions visitors in person from all over the world and over 1 million virtually in the last year alone through its websites, webcasts, podcasts and Library and Archive facility. Baltic has exhibited nearly 200 artists from 24 countries, including Anish Kapoor, Sam Taylor-Wood, Antony Gormley, Ed and Nancy Kienholz and Spencer Tunick. Baltic remains has commissioned over 30 new works, enabling it to support established and emerging artists.
Later this summer Baltic celebrates its 5th birthday with a Beryl Cook exhibition and the opening of Quay, a new Learning and Community Centre within the gallery. This new resource, created following a generous donation of half a million pounds by Rootstein Hopkins Foundation will enable Baltic to widen its education remit to work both on and off site, encouraging more people, young and old, to interact and experience contemporary art ‘up close and personal’. Each year Baltic provides formal education for over 10,000 school children, during nearly 400 sessions ranging from art clubs, photography courses, artist talks and artist-led workshops.

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External links

★ Baltic staff revolt against "bullying" director - the Times (July 2007)

★ Art critics attack "Tate of the North" over Beryl Cook exhibition - the Independent on Sunday (July 2007)

★ Baltic gallery chief apologises - the Financial Times (July 2007)

★ Boss tries to quell new Baltic Storm - the Journal July 2007

★ Baltic 'unrest' a 'storm in teacup' - the Journal (May 2007)

★ "Why show such a commercial artist in such a publicly funded venue" - criticism of Beryl Cook exhibition, the Sunday Times (May 2007)

★ Gallery attacked over "capricious" decision to scrap art agency show - the Independent

★ Gallery chiefs rebuked over chaotic finances - the Times

★ Baltic fails for profit from man of steel - the Sunday Times

★ Trouble at t'Mill - Meltdown at Newcastle's Baltic?

★ "a troubling vacancy" - the Guardian

★ Baltic Blunders - the New Statesman

★ Ondertussen in het S.M.A.K. (2005)