Alistair Burtenshaw, Brice Director and Chief Executive of Watts Gallery Trust has announced his decision to step down after eight years leading Watts Gallery.

Alistair joined Watts Gallery from Charleston, the Bloomsbury Group home, in September 2017. During Alistair’s eight-year tenure at Watts Gallery he has spearheaded vital funding programmes, overseeing the refurbishment of Limnerslease, the Arts & Crafts home of artists George and Mary Watts, the permanent opening of its domestic spaces, the refurbishment and reimagining of its Sculpture Gallery, as well as the completion of many other successful large-scale capital projects.

He has also led on the strategic focus of the Gallery’s renowned community programme, delivering vital health, wellbeing, and creative outcomes across the region including projects with HMP Send, the Woking Women’s Support Centre and through its social prescribing and targeted youth and school support programmes. Alistair has championed an inclusive public programme that has seen numerous highly successful exhibitions, artists’ residencies, and the recent launch of a major new community-focused public Pottery offer. The Artist’s Studio Museum Network, which was founded by Watts Gallery now supports over 100 artist’s studio museums around the globe as it prepares for its 10^th anniversary in 2026.

Alistair Burtenshaw said:

“Watts Gallery is blessed with amazingly talented staff, volunteers, donors and supporters who it has been an honour to work alongside over the last eight years. However now is the right moment for me to take some time with my family as we navigate two sets of life-changing circumstances in recent months.

During my tenure as Watts Gallery Director I am particularly proud of the dynamic and engaging public programme and major refurbishments to the listed heritage buildings that have been delivered by the team. The last eight years at Watts Gallery have seen an important focus on diversity, inclusion and community voices to ensure that we are representative of the local community that we serve.

As I step down from my duties, I am also honored to have been able to play a role in placemaking, culture and community wellbeing in Surrey as a founding Board member of the Surrey Cultural Partnership with its creation of a first cultural strategy for the county, chairing the new Surrey Cultural Leader’s Network to support the delivery of the new strategy, my current work representing the cultural sector on the Surrey Integrated Care Partnership and Health & Wellbeing Board, and my prior community commitments as Chair of Surrey Hills Arts, a Director of Visit Surrey, a Parish Councillor for Compton, and member of the Our Surrey Story board.

Watts Gallery, its collections, people and stunning Surrey Hills location will always hold a special place in my heart. As I pass on the baton for caring for and engaging audiences with the relevance today of this unique cultural asset, I shall be cheering from the side-lines as Watts Gallery and its Art for All by All mission goes from strength to strength.”

Sarah King, Chair of the Trustees of Watts Gallery Trust said

“On behalf of the Board and all at Watts Gallery, I would like to thank Alistair for his leadership for the past eight years and for navigating the many unprecedented challenges that have faced the UK museum sector and wider society. Alistair has overseen a significant transformation at Watts Gallery and we thank him for his steadfast commitment to George and Mary’s founding ‘Art for All by All’ principle and the vital contributions he’s made to Watts Gallery. We wish him every success for the future and I am sure he will return to play a significant role in the sector very soon.”