Julia Peyton-Jones, the former director of the Serpentine Gallery has become a mother for the first time at 64. In October 2015 she announced her departure from the gallery after 25 years of service to work independently in contemporary architecture, and art as well as travel, and return to art making, which she gave up 30 years ago to become a curator.
Peyton-Jones had been Director of the Serpentine Galleries since 1991. In 2006, she was joined by Hans Ulrich Obrist as Co-Director of Exhibitions and Programmes and Director of International Projects. Together they have made the Serpentine one of the most successful galleries internationally, attracting up to 1.2 million visitors a year, and one which is highly respected by leading artists worldwide for championing new ideas in contemporary art. In 2013, the Serpentine expanded its programming to a second gallery, the Serpentine Sackler Gallery, designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, marking a new beginning for the internationally acclaimed arts organisation.
In June 2016, she was awarded a damehood for services to the arts in the Birthday Honours list
A spokesman for Peyton-Jones confirmed the news, according to the Telegraph, but said she would not be sharing further details. Peyton-Jones is reportedly living on the West Coast of America at the moment but is expected to return to the UK to raise her child.
Sara May, a personal assistant to Peyton-Jones at the Serpentine from 2015 posted on Twitter congratulating her “Congratulations to Julia Peyton-Jones, my former boss and one of the most inspirational women I’ve had the pleasure of learning from. Baby Pia will learn so much from her and I am sure will follow in her footsteps as a trailblazing woman and icon.”