Will Gompertz
William Edward Gompertz (born 25 August 1965) was the BBC's arts editor[1] before moving to a position as the Barbican Centre’s Artistic Director from 1 June 2021.[2]
It was announced on 4 August 2023 that he will take over as Director of London's Sir John Soane’s Museum from January 2024.[3]
Gompertz attended Dulwich Preparatory School, in Cranbrook, Kent.
Gompertz was previously director of Tate Media, and appeared in a show at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2009 called Double Art History.[4] Gompertz has written extensively for The Guardian and The Times newspapers. He is the author of What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye[5] and Think Like an Artist.[6]
He is the son of general practitioner Hugh Gompertz OBE and a second cousin of Simon Gompertz, the personal finance correspondent to BBC News.[7] He was born in Tenterden, Kent, and attended Bedford School. He did not take any A-levels.
Gompertz married Kate Anderson (daughter of Sir Eric Anderson) in 1993 and they have three sons and one daughter.
References
- BBC News appoints Will Gompertz as first Arts Editor BBC Press Office, 28 August 2009
- "Barbican appoints Will Gompertz as new Director of Arts and Learning | Barbican". www.barbican.org.uk. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 27 March 2021.
- "Will Gompertz to take over as Director of the Sir John Soane's Museum". ianVisits. 4 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
- BBC News hires Tate Media's Will Gompertz as arts editor The Guardian, 2 September 2009
- Lewis, Ben (9 September 2012). "What Are You Looking At?: 150 Years of Modern Art in the Blink of an Eye by Will Gompertz – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2012.
- Kampfner, John (19 July 2015). "Think Like an Artist review – where's the big picture?". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- Will Gompertz: "We're brought up to be intimidated by art" The Observer 25 July 2010 Retrieved 29 March 2011