THE STORY SO FAR
The notion of BALTIC began in 1991 when Northern Arts (now Arts Council England North East) announced its ambition to achieve ‘major new capital facilities for the Contemporary Visual Arts in Central Tyneside’.
The notion of BALTIC began in 1991 when Northern Arts (now Arts Council England North East) announced its ambition to achieve ‘major new capital facilities for the Contemporary Visual Arts in Central Tyneside’.
Construction began in 1998: only the south and north facades of the original 1950s building were retained. A new structure consisting of six main floors and three mezzanines was secured between the facades which contained 3000sqm of arts space (four galleries and a flexible performance space), artists' studios, cinema/lecture space, shop, a library and archive for the study of contemporary art and the Rooftop Restaurant on Level 6.
An additional two-storey structure: The Riverside Building, was constructed to the west of the main building, providing the main entrance into BALTIC, which looks out across Baltic Square and the Gateshead Millennium Bridge.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art opened 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.
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art opened 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.
Since then BALTIC has presented over 40 exhibitions and welcomed 2 million visitors.
Sune Nordgren left BALTIC in 2003 after working on the project for nine years, he is now Director of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, Norway. He was succeeded by Stephen Snoddy, who was with BALTIC until 2004 and is now Director of The New Art Gallery Walsall. The most recent Director was Peter Doroshenko who joined the organisation in 2005.
Sune Nordgren left BALTIC in 2003 after working on the project for nine years, he is now Director of the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design in Oslo, Norway. He was succeeded by Stephen Snoddy, who was with BALTIC until 2004 and is now Director of The New Art Gallery Walsall. The most recent Director was Peter Doroshenko who joined the organisation in 2005.
