We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Frances Morris CBE, Director Emeritus of Tate Modern as Chair of our Board of Trustees.

Frances Morris is an internationally respected museum curator, art historian, and writer who has helped shape the global cultural landscape. Over her decades-long tenure at Tate, she played a pivotal role in establishing Tate Modern as one of the world’s leading art institutions. From 2016 to 2023, she served as Director of Tate Modern, having previously led major curatorial initiatives that expanded the museum’s global perspective, championed gender equality, and integrated performance and live art into the collection.

Frances has also been a trailblazer in embedding environmental responsibility into institutional practice. In 2019, she was a key figure in Tate’s Climate Emergency declaration—a landmark commitment to reducing carbon emissions and mobilising the arts to address the climate crisis. Measures introduced under her leadership included a 50% carbon reduction target by 2023, a train-first travel policy, a switch to green energy, and sustainable food sourcing for Tate’s restaurants.

Frances joins GCC at a pivotal juncture in our journey to decarbonise the visual arts sector. As we mark our 5th anniversary—midway between our 2020 founding and the 2030 target to reduce sector-wide CO₂ emissions by 50%—her leadership arrives at a moment of reflection, renewal, and ambition. With her unparalleled experience, international reach, and longstanding commitment to climate justice, Frances will be instrumental in shaping GCC’s next chapter.

We’re excited to welcome Frances on board and look forward to sharing more soon about the projects, collaborations, and strategic developments this new phase will bring.

Frances Morris:

“I am thrilled to be joining Gallery Climate Coalition as Chair at such a critical moment for both the organisation and the wider visual arts sector. The urgency of the climate crisis demands bold, collective action, and GCC has already made remarkable strides in galvanising the art world towards meaningful change. I have long admired the coalition’s commitment to practical, systemic solutions, and I look forward to working alongside the team and its members to accelerate this progress. Together, we have an opportunity—and a responsibility—to ensure that the arts lead by example in building a more sustainable future.”

Heath Lowndes, GCC Co-Founder and Director:

“Frances’s bold leadership and impressive track record of driving tangible climate action within a major institution, along with her unwavering commitment to systemic change, make her the ideal person to help lead GCC forward at this critical juncture.”

About Frances Morris

Frances Morris served as Director of Tate Modern from 2016–2023 and previously as Director of Collections, International Art. Her curatorial work includes major retrospectives of Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama, and Agnes Martin. Recent projects include Phyllida Barlow: unscripted (Hauser & Wirth Somerset) and Agnes Martin: Moments of Perfection (Sorol Art Museum, South Korea). She currently serves as a Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ewha Womans University, Seoul. Frances also sits on advisory boards for Whitechapel Gallery, Mori Art Museum, and Serralves, among others.