Sally Tallant is moving from New York to London. After six years leading the Queens Museum, she's been named director of the Hayward Gallery, starting in July. She's stepping into shoes left by Ralph Rugoff, who directed the gallery for two decades.
The Hayward is part of the Southbank Centre, the sprawling cultural complex along the Thames that also houses three performance venues and the National Poetry Library. Tallant's role will extend beyond the Hayward itself — she'll oversee visual art programming across the whole institution.
Mark Ball, Southbank's artistic director, described her as someone who "creates world-class encounters that bridge the gap between art and community." It's a particular kind of leadership the institution seems to value: the ability to make contemporary art feel connected to the people who live nearby, not just the people who already know what to expect from a gallery.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxThe Queens Museum Years
Tallant arrived at the Queens Museum in 2018 at a complicated moment. Her predecessor, Laura Raicovich, had just resigned after the museum hosted an event involving the Israeli government and then-Vice President Mike Pence — a decision that created significant internal conflict.
Instead of retreating, Tallant spent the last six years programming exhibitions and building relationships. She worked with artists like Mierle Laderman Ukeles, Christine Sun Kim, and Aki Sasamoto — the kind of roster that signals a commitment to experimental, community-engaged work. The Queens Museum, located in Flushing, Queens, serves one of New York's most diverse neighborhoods, and Tallant's curatorial choices reflected that context.
Before Queens, she'd already built a track record in this kind of work. She directed the Liverpool Biennial, one of the UK's most ambitious contemporary art events, and ran programs at the Serpentine Galleries in London. She's a Leeds native returning to the UK after years of working in America.
The move suggests something about how cultural institutions are thinking right now. The Southbank Centre is betting on a director who understands that galleries aren't just display spaces — they're civic institutions. What happens next at the Hayward will likely reflect that same philosophy.
