Staff
All Block Museum staff emails conclude with @northwestern.eduLisa Graziose Corrin
The Ellen Philips Katz Executive Director
phone: 847.491.2562
fax: 847.467.4609
email inquiries to ronnie.toca
About Lisa
Kathleen Bickford Berzock
Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs
phone: 847.467.5047
email: kathleen.berzock
she / her
I lead collaboration on The Block’s collection, exhibition, and publications programs in support of the museum’s cross-cultural and interdisciplinary mission. My areas of interest include Africa’s art and visual culture, Global medieval studies, and decolonial museum practices.Lois Taylor Biggs
Assistant Curator and Terra Foundation Curatorial Research Fellow
email: lois.biggs
she/her I am part of the curatorial team for an exhibition focused on the Indigenous art history of Chicago. I am assisting with exhibition research as well as our implementation of a community-centered curatorial process. I am happy to connect with students, faculty, and visitors to discuss socially engaged art history, Indigenous curatorial practice, and interdisciplinary museum learning.Lindsay Bosch
Associate Director of Communications, Marketing, and Digital Strategy
phone: 847.467.4602
email: lindsay.bosch
she/her
I lead collaboration and strategic meassaging to expand the museum's reach and elevate the impact of The Block and its partners. Contact me for press and media inquiries, staff interviews, online resources, and inquiries about our work. I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to cultural marketing best practices, non-profit organizations, brand development, PR, digital and content strategy, and audience engagement and evaluation.
Kristina Bottomley
Assistant Director of Collections and Exhibition Management and Senior Registrar
phone: 847.491.5601email: k-bottomley
she/her
Contact me for information on exhibition logistics, incoming collection artworks, or collections management. I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to logistics of packing and shipping artworks, insurance for artworks, traveling exhibitions, how we take care of artworks in the Block’s collection through preservation planning and proper storage.Lori Boyer
Contract Registrar
email: lori-boyer
Aaron Chatman
Manager of Visitor Services
phone: 847.491.7536email: a-chatman Contact me regarding The Block’s Visitor Services team, catalog sales, and any thoughts or feedback on visitor experience. I would be happy to connect with students and faculty on questions related to customer service within museums, tracking attendance statistics, and ensuring the safety of museum facilities, staff, visitors, and works of art including knowledge of security, fire, CCTV, audiovisual, and climate control systems.Jordan Poorman Cocker
Terra Foundation Guest Co-Curator for the exhibition "Woven Being: An Indigenous Art History of Chicagoland" (working title)
email: jordan.cocker
Jordan Poorman Cocker (Kiowa) is an Indigenous curator, scholar, and artist, an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe and of Tongan descent. She holds a Bachelor of Design from Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, with a focus on spatial design and Indigenous design theory. She received a master’s of Museum and Heritage Practice from Victoria University of Wellington in 2017, where her practicum included the study of Indigenous museum practices with the National Museum of New Zealand. She is a PhD. candidate with Auckland University of Technology. Her Indigenous curatorial methodology and approach utilizes oral histories, multivocality and Indigenous knowledge systems to explore intergenerational relationships within Indigenous Art Forms from community-based lenses. Jordan currently serves as the Block Museum’s 2021-2024 Terra Foundation Guest Co-Curator of Indigenous Art.Janet Dees
Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art
phone: 847.491.8016
email: janet.dees
About Janet
I develop exhibitions in the areas of modern and contemporary art, and as part of the curatorial team work to strategically expand the museum’s collection in those areas. My research foci include contemporary art in the Americas, performance art, the construction of race in American art, and the ways in which contemporary artists engage with history, with particular commitments to the production of African American, African diasporic, and Native American and Indigenous contemporary artists.
Ashleigh Deosaran
2022-23 Art History Graduate Fellow
email: AshleighDeosaran2027
Claire Dornbierer
Visitors Services Officer
Christopher Forrester
Communications Coordinator
email: christopher.forresterIliana Garner
Visitor Services Assistant
Corinne Granof
Academic Curator
phone: 847.491.4980
email: c-granof
Contact me for information on teaching with the collection, graduate fellowships and our undergraduate curatorial internship program. As academic curator, I aim to foster faculty and student engagement with artworks in the museum collection through exhibitions, museum visits, research, and special projects. My background is 20thcentury American and European art, with a focus on Weimar Germany in the 1920s and the United States in the 1960s.Felipe Gutierrez
2022-23 Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow
email: felipegutierrez2024Malia Haines-Stewart
Associate Film Programmer
phone: 847.467.6045
email: malia.haines-stewart
Contact me for information about Block Cinema’s programs as well as opportunities for collaboration with students, faculty, and community partners. I would be happy to discuss the process of film programming, on and off-campus partnerships, student work positions, and any logistical questions related to the Block’s online screenings.Tristen Ives
Projectionist
phone: 319.573.0244
email: tristen.ives
they/them/theirs
I work as the Head of Projection in the Block Cinema booth. You can count on me for film/video/audio tech needs or just a good geek out session about film.Isabella Ko
Engagement Coordinator
phone:
847.491.4852email: isabella.ko
she/herAlongside my colleagues América and Erin, I plan and create public programs; contribute to event promotion and broader outreach; and provide departmental administrative support. I seek to work at the intersection of contemporary artistic/cultural production, education, and community-building. Always happy to connect!
Mark Leonhart
Lead Preparator
email: mark.leonhart I’m responsible for the physical handling and installation of artworks and exhibitions. I can consult with students, faculty, and university and museum colleagues on best practices and innovative solutions.Michael Metzger
Pick-Laudati Curator of Media Arts
phone: 847.491.2448
email: michael.metzger
About Michael
My role at The Block encompasses curation of media art in the galleries and in the Block’s auditorium. I direct Block Cinema, a film series that showcases contemporary global cinema and revival screenings, often featuring in-person discussions and collaborations across campus. Across curation, writing, and teaching, I seek to generate knowledge, experience, and community through the moving image. I’m always eager to partner with students and faculty on film programs, guest filmmaker visits, class screenings, and curriculum development.Erin Northington
Susan and Stephen Wilson Associate Director, Campus and Community Education and Engagement
phone: 847.467.5034
email: erin.northington
she/her
I lead collaboration on The Block’s education and engagement programs for campus and community partners. My areas of interest include higher education, interdisciplinary teaching and learning in academic art museums, co-curricular programming, and how museums can support identity formation and development for college students.Rocio Olasimbo
Visitors Services Officer
I welcome and direct visitors to the galleries and answer readily any questions they may have pertaining to the galleries, exhibits, programs, and events. I enjoy meeting the vast variety of people with different cultural backgrounds and art preferences.Annalise Peterson
Visitor Services Assistant
Elisa Miller Quinlan
Director of Development
phone: 847.491.4178
email: elisa.quinlan
My role at The Block is to oversee the museum’s fundraising efforts to ensure we have the resources we need each year to accomplish our goals and realize our mission. I work as part of Northwestern’s Alumni Relations and Development team. My areas of expertise and interest include helping donors create lasting impact through their philanthropy, non-profit development, non-profit management, and arts and higher-education fundraising.Aimee Resnick
Visitor Services Assistant
Essi Rönkkö
Associate Curator of Collections
phone: 847.467.5896
email:
essi.ronkko
she/herContact me with questions about how to incorporate objects in The Block’s collection into teaching at Northwestern. I am also interested in connecting around my research interests related to gender in the ancient Mediterranean and subjects related to curricular programming in the context of academic museums.
Liz Rudnick
Assistant Registrar
email: liz.rudnick
phone: 847.491.7330
she/her
Contact me for information about transportation, packing, and general care for works of art. I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to museum database management, exhibition logistics, and collection care and conservation.América Salomón
Manager of Public Programs
phone: 847.467.6046
email: america.salomon
she/her/ellaContact me about public programs offerings at the Block, and with collaborative programmatic inquiries. My interest areas include museum education and engagement, interdisciplinary teaching and learning through art, and artmaking/artistic practice.
Joseph Scott
Collections and Exhibitions Coordinator
phone: 847.467.0734
email: joseph.scottContact me with questions about the collection, collection care, potential collection visits, and rights and reproduction requests. I am able to consult widely on exhibition details and planning.
Rita Shorts
Business Administrator
phone: 847.491.4002email: d-shorts
she/herI am responsible for payroll, accounts payable, purchasing, procurement, and supporting finance and budget, and providing support to the museum staff in various administrative capacities. Please contact me if you have any questions in these areas. I particularly look forward to meeting and onboarding our students at the beginning of each fiscal year.
Dan Silverstein
Associate Director of Collections and Exhibition Management
phone: 847.491.4592email: d-silverstein
he/him I lead a collaborative team of talented collections and exhibitions logistics staff at The Block Museum and I would be happy to consult on topics such as exhibition design, implementation, and planning, as well as collection care and management. I am particularly interested in how art-related ideas are translated into both physical and digital spaces.Jeff Smith
Senior Business Administrator
phone: 847.467.3969email: jeffsmith I would be happy to connect with student and faculty researchers on subjects related to finance, budget, facilities and security in the arts.Warren Smith
Visitors Services Officer
James Stauber
Visitors Services Officer
My main objective is to keep both the art and visitors safe. I enjoy meeting new people during my workday.Melanie Garcia Sympson
Curatorial Coordinator, Collections Information and Digital Interpretation
phone: 847.467.6310
email: melanie.sympson
she / her
Contact me for research inquiries about objects in The Block’s collection. I would be happy to connect with students, faculty, and colleagues with an interest in digital humanities projects, cataloguing practices, object-based research, and adult learning.Vincent Taylor
Visitors Services Officer
My role at the Block Museum is to ensure a positive visitor experience. My interest lies in the world arena of different cultures.Ronnie Toca
Executive Assistant to the Director
phone: 847.491.5893
email: ronnie.toca
he/him/él
Contact me for inquires relating to the Director’s Office. I am also happy to connect with visitors, students, staff, and faculty regarding general museum questions and requests. Kate Hadley Toftness
Senior Advancement Manager, Grants and Collection Council
phone: 847.491.5209
email: kh.toftness
Please contact me regarding foundation relations and grants management. My areas of expertise and interest include arts nonprofit fundraising, strategic planning, and collection-based programs and initiatives, including serving as the museum’s liaison to our Collection Council.Amelia Mylvaganam (Radio/Television/Film & Computer Science 2023)
Curatorial Research Aide
she / her
I work on projects related to The Block's collection database and provide research support for the Curatorial department.Karino Wada
Visitor Services Assistant
Installation Crew Spring 2023
- James Baroz
- Matt Byler
- Steve Lalik
- Cassandra Meek
- Izah Ransohoff
- John Santoro
- Sophie Wallace
- Christine Wallers
Visitors Services Assistants Spring 2023
- Lucy Beirne
- Angelena Browne
- Iliana Garner
- Adele Marchiando
- Annalise Peterson
- Aimee Resnick
- Bettina Sanchez
- Sylvia Sanchez
Curatorial Interns 2022-2023
- Vitoria Monteiro de Carvalho Faria ( '23 Art History, Economics)
- Elizabeth Vazquez ( '24 Anthropology, History)