New chief executive for Royal Academy of Arts

Image: courtesy of Museums Association

Simon Wallis, the founding director of the Hepworth Wakefield in West Yorkshire, has been appointed as the new secretary and chief executive of the Royal Academy of Arts (RA) in London, reports the Museums Association.

He will take up the role in September, 11 months after the institution’s former director Axel Rüger stepped down in order to join the Frick Collection in New York.

“The RA is at a pivotal moment of development and positive change,” Wallis said in a statement. “I am excited by the opportunity to foster further inspirational creativity, entrepreneurial spirit and reach new audiences for what is a unique and deeply valued institution.”

Simon Wallis was appointed in 2008 as the founding director of the Hepworth Wakefield and oversaw the delivery and opening of the £35m David Chipperfield designed building in 2011. He was awarded an OBE for services to the visual arts in 2015. During his 17 years in Wakefield, Wallis led the team who won the Art Fund Museum of the Year; grew the art collection by over £30m through philanthropy; devised the exhibitions and learning programme; delivered a Tom Stuart-Smith designed garden; and contributed to the culture-led regeneration of the town’s waterfront through fairs, markets and events for creatives. He was previously director of Chisenhale Gallery in London, senior exhibitions organiser at the ICA in London; curator at Tate Liverpool; and curator at Kettle’s Yard, University of Cambridge. Wallis studied Fine Art at Chelsea School of Art and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, US and has an MA in art gallery and museum studies from the University of Manchester.

Earlier this year, RA staff staged protests outside its central London home against plans to cut 60 roles – about 18% of the workforce.

The arts organisation, which doesn’t receive any public funding, said that “cost savings” were required amid increasing costs and changing visitor behaviours.

More than 607,000 people attended exhibitions at the RA in 2023/24 according to its annual report ending 31 August 2024, up from 545,748 the previous year but still significantly below the 846,000 who visited pre-Covid in 2018/2019.

In 2018/19, the RA’s total income was £39.8m and its expenditure was £38m. Last year, its income was £36m and expenditure remained around the £38m mark.

While its income is rising year-on-year, the annual report notes: the RA had been “significantly impacted by the challenging macro-economic situation” with higher rates of inflation, pay pressures, energy price volatility and higher interest rates all having an impact on the cost side.

It continued: “And with further pressure on the income side, including the cost of living crisis and changing audience behaviour, with a sector-wide drop in visitors experienced, with the RA seeing more than a 30% fall in exhibition attendance.”

It added that without taking “significant measures” then it would be at risk of breaching its available credit facilities and needing to “place a significant call” on its £10.3m unrestricted funds held by the Royal Academy Trust.

The accounts set out three core priorities for the organisation and its new chief executive:

1. Reinforce the academy and reaffirm its commitment as an artist-led, practice-centred academy.

2. Deepen its connection with the world around.

3. Strengthen its resilience and rise to the social, economic and environmental challenges faced.