Sting Backs Gateshead Baltic with Major Donation
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, also known simply as the BALTIC, is a centre for contemporary art located on the south bank of the River Tyne in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. The architectural design of Baltic was devised by Dominic Williams of Ellis Williams Architects, who won a competition to design the new contemporary arts centre in 1994.
The building features exhibition spaces, a visitor centre, a rooftop restaurant and external viewing platforms which offer views of the River Tyne. Baltic’s current director, the centre’s fifth, is Sarah Munro, who joined in November 2015.
The centre was developed in the 1990s, which was a time of regeneration for the local area—the Sage and Gateshead Millennium Bridge was also being conceived of in this period. The vision was to turn Baltic Flour Mills into a major force by:
supporting and promoting the creation of original work in the contemporary visual arts in the UK
presenting work in ways that respects both the artists’ intention and promotes further understanding of the visual arts
encouraging new talent and create new audiences
It hosts a frequently changing variety of exhibitions, events, and educational programmes with no permanent exhibition, and has welcomed over 8 million visitors to date.
The building features exhibition spaces, a visitor centre, a rooftop restaurant and external viewing platforms which offer views of the River Tyne. Baltic’s current director, the centre’s fifth, is Sarah Munro, who joined in November 2015. As of January 2022, Baltic had welcomed over 8 million visitors.