Dr Penelope Curtis, curator of the Henry Moore Institute (HMI) and member of the advisory committee for the Government Art Collection, has been named as the new director of Tate Britain.

Curtis, who will replace Tate Britain's outgoing director Dr Stephen Deuchar, has held the position of HMI director since 1999 and is also a member of the art commission committee for the Imperial War Museum. Tate director Sir Nicholas Serota said: "Penelope Curtis has made an outstanding contribution to the study of sculpture and especially to our understanding of British sculpture in the twentieth century."

Deuchar is leaving the position of Tate Britain director in December 2009 after 11 years in the role order to take up the position of director of the Art Fund. He will be succeeded by Curtis from April 2010.