Jill Constantine, Director of the Arts Council Collection to Step Down

28 May 2020

Jill Constantine will step down from her position as Director of the Arts Council Collection at the end of May, having worked with the Collection for many years.

 

Jill first joined the Arts Council of Great Britain more than 40 years ago, initially working as an administration assistant and was promoted to several different roles before becoming Senior Curator in 2000. Jill was appointed Director in 2014 having acted as Head of the Collection since 2013.

During her tenure as Director, Jill has overseen the acquisition of over 250 new artworks, by more than 150 artists, for the Collection and the delivery of various major Arts Council Collection Touring Exhibitions, including projects curated by Ryan Gander and Yinka Shonibare CBE. In 2016, Jill led the delivery of a number of major projects to mark the Arts Council Collection’s 70th anniversary, including a series of newly-commissioned works for the Collection and the launch of the National Partners Programme, now in its second round.

Prior to her appointment to the role of Director in 2014, Jill acted as Senior Curator of the Arts Council Collection, organising a number of key exhibitions including Antony Gormley’s Field for the British Isles, Unpopular Culture: Grayson Perry selects from the Arts Council Collection and Uncommon Ground: Land Art in Britain 1966-1979. During this time, she also worked on getting the Collection online and on the establishment and development of the Collection’s stores based at both Longside, Yorkshire Sculpture Park and in London.

 

Jill Constantine said:

"I am sad to be leaving the Arts Council Collection but I do so with many happy memories and with the knowledge that the Collection has and will continue to play a vital part in the visual arts sector across the country.   I feel very privileged to have worked with such an exciting and diverse collection and my thanks go to my team, our partners and of course those artists  whose contributions  have and will continue to build and strengthen the Arts Council Collection."

 

Ralph Rugoff, Director of the Hayward Gallery, said:

"We are all hugely indebted to Jill's tremendous work as Director of the Arts Council Collection for the past six years, and for her many earlier contributions spanning a tenure whose unparalleled duration speaks of her deep commitment and devotion to the ACC's core mission of bringing art to people across the country whilst supporting the work of our artists.  Jill skillfully steered the Collection through some of the most ambitious undertakings in its history, including the launch of the National Partnership Programme and the 75th anniversary commissions.  Her intelligence, broad knowledge and passion for contemporary art will be sorely missed."

 

The Arts Council Collection team would like to send Jill all of our best wishes for the future.

 

The Arts Council Collection is managed by Southbank Centre on behalf of Arts Council England.

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The Arts Council Collection is the UK's most widely seen collection of modern and contemporary art.

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