Contemporary art centre attacked over erratic collections
Published on: 10-Jul-2007
The director of the Baltic Centre of Contemporary Art in Gateshead has reportedly been forced to apologise to staff for his management style, while also facing a barrage of criticism over his exhibition choices from leading UK art critics.According to reports in the Independent, the American director of the centre, Peter Doroshenko, apologised to staff for unpopular decisions which had seen high staff turnover levels at the gallery.
Doroshenko still seems unable to get things right at the Gateshead centre, however, as leading art citric William Varley has now come out with scathing criticism of a contemporary art policy which has been seen to veer between being overly-intellectual and then far too simple.
"They must be panic-stricken at the lack of numbers, so they swing from remote concepts with no artistic reward to Beryl Cook. Showing Beryl Cook flies in the face of everything," Mr Varley told the paper.
The contemporary art centre opened to much fanfare in 2002 and, although visitor numbers have remained strong, the low number of locals people attending exhibitions has been a constant concern for gallery officials.
Mike von Joel, editor of the quarterly State of Art, added: "A lot of Geordies think what is being shown is a load of rubbish. It's not for them.
"People who are interested in local arts complain that everything shown they can see in London, so they also feel short-changed."
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