Joanna Drew

Joanna DrewCBE(1929–2003) was an English art gallery director and arts administrator.She worked for theArts Councilfor nearly four decades, and was director of theHayward Galleryfrom 1987 until 1992. She was once described as "unquestionably the most important individual in the British art scene".

Life

Joanna Drew was born inIndia,the daughter of BrigadierFrancis Greville Drew,later militarygovernor of Eritrea,and the artistSannie Drew.She was educated atEdinburgh Ladies' CollegeandDartington Hallbefore studying a course in the history and practice of art taught jointly by theUniversity of EdinburghandEdinburgh College of Art.

Drew joined the Arts Council in 1952 as an exhibition organizer. She helped organizeFernando Gamboa's 1953 exhibition ofMexican artat theTate Gallery,and went on to organize the 1960Picassoexhibition (where takings were too large to count at the end of the day), the 1964Miróexhibition and the 1968Henry Mooreexhibition at the Tate.She became director of exhibitions at the Arts Council in 1975 and director of art in 1978. She was made director of the Hayward Gallery in 1987, and stayed in that role until she retired in 1992.

Outside of her work at the Arts Council, Drew was a trustee of the Elephant Trust and theHenry Moore Foundation.

Drew was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December 2002, and died in April the following year.