Director Firstsite
Sally Shaw MBE has been Director of Firstsite since 2016, where she led the gallery’s remarkable transformation from an institution that had lost its Arts Council England funding to winning the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2021. Under her leadership, Firstsite has become nationally and internationally recognized for combining exceptional contemporary art programming with deep community engagement, proving that artistic excellence and social purpose are inseparable.
Shaw has curated major exhibitions with groundbreaking artists including Sarah Lucas, Grayson Perry, Lubaina Himid, Gillian Wearing, and Antony Gormley, alongside championing emerging and regional talent such as Elsa James, Emily Mulenga, and Gee Vaucher. Her approach centres on showing world-class artists from around the globe alongside those working in East Anglia, creating a program that is both internationally significant and locally rooted. She was awarded an MBE in 2020 for her services to the arts during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to Firstsite, Shaw held significant curatorial and leadership positions including Head of Programme at Modern Art Oxford, Deputy Head of Culture for the Mayor of London where she oversaw the Fourth Plinth programme, and Chief Curator for Art on the Underground. She is currently South East Area Chair for Arts Council England and holds an MA in Curating Contemporary Art from Goldsmiths. Her commitment to equity, artist development, and the transformative power of contemporary art makes her an exceptional judge for work that demonstrates both creative ambition and meaningful engagement.