The Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University has named Ainsley M. Cameron as associate director of curatorial affairs, effective Sept. 1. Cameron joins The Block from the Cincinnati Art Museum, where she most recently served as director of curatorial affairs & initiatives.
As associate director of curatorial affairs, Cameron will lead The Block's curatorial department, shaping exhibitions and publications, collections strategy and interdisciplinary teaching initiatives.
"Ainsley combines deep expertise in ancient cultures, Islamic art and South Asia with an expansive vision that reflects The Block's commitment to global perspectives," said Lisa Corrin, Ellen Philips Katz Executive Director of The Block Museum of Art. "She has regularly woven contemporary artists' voices into her work with historic collections, creating meaningful conversations between the past and the present. Just as importantly, she is a proven mentor who invests in the next generation of scholars. Her intellectual curiosity, collaborative spirit and commitment to research and teaching make her an extraordinary fit for The Block."
Cameron joins The Block from the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM), where she served as curator of South Asian Art, Islamic Art and Antiquities beginning in 2017 before being appointed director of curatorial affairs & initiatives in 2026. Her research interests consider how networks of artistic and cultural exchange inform the art histories of South and West Asia, historically as well as today. At CAM, she built collections through acquisitions and gifts, organized scholarly exhibitions, published and lectured, and collaborated with artists on commissions ranging from site-specific installations to large outdoor murals reflecting the diverse diasporic communities of American cities. She also co-founded the museum's digital committee and cultural property committee and advocates for the ethical stewardship and display of museum collections.
Between 2017 and 2022, Cameron directed a multi-year gallery renovation at CAM, reinterpreting and reinstalling the museum's ancient Middle Eastern, South Asian and Islamic world collections with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
Cameron's recent projects include: "Ancient Queenship: Art, Power and Presence" (2027), a collaboration with scholars at New York University and the British Museum that traces how the image and position of queens shifted across the ancient Mediterranean and West Asia; "Longing: Painting from the Pahari Kingdoms of the Northwest Himalayas" (2026), which presented courtly painting from India through a multisensory exhibition experience; and "Shahzia Sikander: Collective Behavior" (2024), which premiered as a Collateral Event of the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. Her exhibitions have also included "Beyond Bollywood: 2000 Years of Dance in Art" (2022), organized with the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, and "Women Breaking Boundaries" (2019). Her projects have been supported by the Terra Foundation for American Art, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts, alongside other foundation grants and individual donor support.
Before joining CAM, Cameron held curatorial positions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, the British Library and the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. She earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Oxford, a master's degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London and a bachelor's degree from the University of Toronto. She was a fellow in the Center for Curatorial Leadership's 2023 class.
"I am delighted to join Northwestern University's Block Museum of Art as associate director of curatorial affairs," Cameron said. "The Block's collection, exhibition program and staff are emblematic of where museums are headed today. They are nimble, experimental, thoughtful and conscientious, all values I share and uphold.
"With The Block's emphasis on fearless storytelling and cultivating impactful experiences, this position offers the opportunity to participate in creating a strong artistic program reflective of today's global conversations. I am honored to have the opportunity to learn, teach and grow among the faculty and students at Northwestern University and am particularly excited to collaborate on the strategic, creative and visionary profile of The Block within the region, nationally and internationally."
