Creative Time, Hayward Gallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park Announce New Leaders

Jean Cooney has been appointed executive director at Creative Time, the New York-based nonprofit announced earlier today.

Cooney previously held several senior positions at the organisation and rejoins from Times Square Arts, where she was director, and Times Square Alliance, where she was vice president of arts and culture. She will take up the role next month.

In a statement, Cooney described Creative Time as ‘an organisation that continues to define the field of public art and its limitless possibilities, and champion artists in the creation of the seemingly impossible, completely unexpected, undeniably powerful, and deeply engaging’.

She added: ‘I couldn’t be more excited to work with staff, board, artists, and the broader Creative Time community to bridge the past, present, and future of the organisation’s incredible legacy.’

Creative Time commissions public art in collaboration with artists and other organisations. Since 1974, it has presented over 350 projects both in the U.S. and internationally.

Also in New York, Sally Tallant will depart her role as director of the Queens Museum to take up the position of director at London’s Hayward Gallery, the Southbank Centre announced yesterday. 

She will join the U.K.’s largest art space July, replacing Ralph Rugoff, who held the post for 20 years.

In a statement, the Southbank Centre’s artistic director Mark Ball said he is ‘thrilled’ by the appointment and described Tallant as ‘a visionary leader and curator’.

‘Sally understands how to create world-class encounters that bridge the gap between art and community,’ he said. 

Tallant’s role will see her lead and curate exhibitions at the Hayward, as well as organising visual arts installations across the whole Southbank Centre site.

At the Queens Museum, she oversaw 30 major exhibitions, as well as education and public programmes.

Prior to this, from 2011 to 2019, Tallant was artistic director and CEO of the Liverpool Biennial, the U.K.’s largest international festival of contemporary art, where she commissioned over 120 artists across four biennial editions.

Meanwhile, in the north of England, Joe Hill will take the helm of Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), Europe’s largest sculpture park, as director and chief executive from mid-April. 

He replaces interim director Kevin Rodd, who took the reins from curator Clare Lilley, after she stepped down from the role last July.

A Yorkshire native and trained artist, Hill joins YSP following an eight-year tenure at Towner Eastbourne, a regional art gallery on the south coast of England where he is currently director and CEO. He served on the jury of the 2026 Turner Prize and has held leadership roles in regional networks including Culture East Sussex and the South East Creative Economy Network.  

Hill described YSP as ‘a place I have admired for a long time for its ambition, generosity and deep connection to artists and landscape.’

‘I’m excited to build on YSP’s remarkable artistic programme and to strengthen its long-term resilience, ensuring it continues to support artists and welcome audiences in ever more inspiring ways,’ he said.

The U.K. institution, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year, encompasses 500 acres of parkland in West Yorkshire and hosts exhibitions and site-specific projects dedicated to modern and contemporary sculpture in its outdoor spaces and indoor galleries. —[O]

Main image: Vanessa da Silva, Muamba Posy (2025). Commissioned by Bradford 2026 U.K. City of Culture. Courtesy Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Photo: © India Hobson.