Reyahn King
{{short description|British curator and museum director}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
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| occupation = Museum curator
Director
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| alma_mater = Boston University
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- National Portrait Gallery
- Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
- Herbert Art Gallery and Museum
- National Museums Liverpool
- Heritage Lottery Fund
- York Museums Trust
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Reyahn King is a British curator and museum director. She is the chief executive officer of York Museums Trust.{{cite web |url=https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/28052015-reyahn-king-joins-york-museum-trust-as-chief-executive |title=York Museums Trust appoints Reyahn King as chief executive |author1=Atkinson, R. |date=28 May 2015 |publisher=Museums Association |accessdate=19 February 2018}}
Early life and education
King grew up in Surrey. From the age of 11, when her family went to Tanzania, she divided her time between there and boarding school in the UK. She studied for an undergraduate degree in modern history at Oxford University and, briefly worked at the National Portrait Gallery in London, before attending Boston University to study for a master's degree.{{cite news |url=http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/14289112.Gallery_and_museums_boss__my_mission_to_make_our_heritage_available_to_all__despite_those_charges/ |date=19 February 2016 |title=Gallery and museums boss: my mission to make our heritage available to all, despite those charges |author1=Lewis, S. |publisher=York Press |accessdate=19 February 2018}}
Career
King worked as curator of prints and drawings at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery before moving to the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry. She returned to Birmingham Museums as a manager before, in 2007, joining National Museums Liverpool as director of art galleries. From 2012 to 2015 King worked for the Heritage Lottery Fund as the head of the West Midlands region. She chaired the Jury for the John Moores Painting Prize in 2008 and 2010, and was a judge for Liverpool Art Prize in 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.aestheticamagazine.com/aap-aesthetic-ventures-reyahn-king/ |title=AAP: Aesthetic Ventures, Reyahn King |date=23 June 2017 |publisher=Aesthetica |accessdate=19 February 2018}}
King was appointed as chief executive of York Museums Trust in November 2015. She was only the second CEO of the Trust, following Janet Barnes who had held the role from its inception in 2002.{{cite web |url=https://www.yorkmuseumstrust.org.uk/news-media/latest-news/new-chief-executive-of-york-museums-trust-announced/ |title=NEW CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF YORK MUSEUMS TRUST ANNOUNCED |publisher=York Museums Trust |accessdate=19 February 2018}} As chief executive of York Museums Trust in 2017, King led the bid to secure £4.9 million funding of Arts Council England. The Trust will also receive £1.35 million over four years to continue as a Museum Development Sector Support Organisation, which offers expertise and advice to other museums in the region.{{cite news |url=http://www.bqlive.co.uk/yorkshire/2017/06/29/news/yorks-cultural-sector-celebrates-arts-council-funding-26361/ |title=YORK’S CULTURAL SECTOR CELEBRATES ARTS COUNCIL FUNDING |author1=Wilcock, B. |date=29 June 2017 |publisher=Business Quarter |accessdate=19 February 2018}} She was photographed in 2016 by Rankin along with the team from York Art Gallery as part of the gallery's shortlisting for the Art Fund Museum of the Year.{{cite news |url=https://www.yorkmix.com/visitor-numbers-york-art-gallery-fall-100k-expectations-first-year-charging/ |title=Visitor numbers to York Art Gallery fall 100K below expectations in first year of charging |date=17 August 2016 |work=YorkMix}} In February 2022 it was announced that King would stand down as Chief Executive of the Trust in summer 2022 to take up the post of Director of Heritage Properties for National Trust for Scotland.{{cite news |url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/19948700.york-museums-trust-boss-reyahn-king-step/ |title=York Museums Trust boss Reyahn King to step down |date=24 February 2022 |work=York Press |accessdate=26 May 2022}}
King is a member of the National Museums Director's Council;{{cite web |url=https://www.nationalmuseums.org.uk/members/york/ |title=Our members: Reyahn King |publisher=National Museum Director's Council |accessdate=19 February 2018}} in April 2021 she was elected to its executive committee.{{cite news |url=https://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/19229325.new-national-role-york-museums-chief/ |title=New national role for York museums chief |date=13 April 2021 |work=York Press |accessdate=13 April 2021}} She is also a member of the British Art Network Steering Group.
Publications
- King, R. 1997. Ignatius Sancho: The Man and His Times. London: National Portrait Gallery
- King, R. 2004. "Shemza, Anwar Jalal (1928–1985), artist ", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- King, R. (ed) 2010. Aubrey Williams. Liverpool: October Gallery/National Museums Liverpool
References
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External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mD67-3Cvz94 Sara Wajid and Reyahn King talk on "Access, diversity, representation in the heritage sector"]
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