11:45AM, Tue Jul 17, 2012

Honour For Gateshead's BALTIC Director

By Hugh Macknight Location: Gateshead

The Director of BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead has been awarded an Honorary Degree from Northumbria University for his work in the field of contemporary art.

Following on from BALTIC’s tenth birthday celebrations, Godfrey Worsdale collected his Honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws alongside students from the School of Arts and Social Sciences.

Godfrey began his curatorial career at the British Museum before taking up a position at Southampton City Art Gallery where he worked as both curator and then director. He moved to the North East to be founding director of mima, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, and in 2007 the building opened to widespread critical acclaim.

In 2008 Godfrey moved to BALTIC with a vision to present great contemporary art that would challenge visitors but would be made accessible to the widest possible audience. BALTIC attracts over half a million visitors each year and its hosting of the Turner Prize recently attracted 150,000 visitors.

In addition to his professional role, Godfrey chairs both the Visual Art & Galleries Association and the Contemporary Visual Art Network, he has lectured at galleries and universities in the UK and overseas, and has been on the judging panel for the Turner Prize. He is an honorary member of the Contemporary Art Society, a trustee of the Northern Canon Art Collection, patron of the homeless charity Crisis Commission and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Godfrey said: "It is a tremendous honour to have been presented with this award. Northumbria University is such a forward-thinking institution and its commitment to contemporary art education is recognised across the country.

"I have been very fortunate to work in some outstanding galleries over the past 20 years, which has been a golden age for contemporary art and artists in the UK."