Staff: Block Museum - Northwestern University
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Staff

All Block Museum staff emails conclude with @northwestern.edu
Lisa Graziose Corrin

Lisa Graziose Corrin

The Ellen Philips Katz Executive Director

phone: 847.491.2562
fax: 847.467.4609
email inquiries to beth.welter
About Lisa

 

Kathleen Bickford Berzock

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.
Lindsay Bosch

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

Kristina Bottomley

Assistant Director of Collections and Exhibition Management and Senior Registrar

phone: 847.491.5601
email: 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.
Madison Brown

Madison Brown

2023–24 Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow

email: madison.brown@u.northwestern.edu
she/her

I am a PhD Candidate in Screen Cultures, and my research explores the politics of amateur media through theories of memory, domesticity, and everyday life. As The Block's Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellow, I am curating a small exhibition in the Leffman Gallery for Spring 2024.

Christiana Castillo

Christiana Castillo

Manager of Public Programs

email: christiana.castillo
she/hers/ella

I develop and impliment public programming at The Block alongside my colleagues Erin and Isabella. I seek to create programming that fosters community, is culturally relevant, and speaks to various audiences The Block serves and works with.
Aaron Chatman

Aaron Chatman

Manager of Visitor Services

phone: 847.491.7536
email: 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

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.
Ben Creech

Ben Creech

Film/Video/Audio Technician

email: ben.creech
I run the projection booth in collaboration with the Block Cinema team, casting images onto the screen, managing light and sound for public events, assisting faculty with tech in the auditorium, and overseeing other technical concerns at The Block. I would be happy to discuss film and imaging technologies, how to make best use of the Cinema, and of course movies themselves – good or bad, classic or esoteric – anytime.
Janet Dees

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.

Christopher Forrester

Christopher Forrester

Communications Coordinator

email: christopher.forrester

I manage the museum's blog content creation and aid in digital strategy, assembling the weekly newsletter, helping to manage the website, and penning content for our blog. Contact me with story ideas or to help us tell the story of The Block Museum.
Iliana Garner

Iliana Garner

Visitor Services Assistant

Corinne Granof

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.
Malia Haines-Stewart

Malia 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.
Isabella Ko

Isabella Ko

Engagement Coordinator

phone:  847.491.4852
email: isabella.ko
she/her

Alongside my colleagues Christiana 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

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.
Ruslana Lichtzier

Ruslana Lichtzier

2023–24 Art History Graduate Fellow

I am a doctoral candidate in Art History at Northwestern, as well as a Mellon fellow in MENA Studies, and in Critical Theory Studies. In my capacity as the 2023–24 Art History Graduate Fellow, I am curating together with the Academic Curator, Corinne Granof, the Fall 2024 exhibition centering on the recently acquired photographs of Bev Grant.

Michael Metzger

Michael Metzger

Pick-Laudati Academic Curator for Cinema and 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

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

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.
Elisa Miller Quinlan

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.
Essi Rönkkö

Essi Rönkkö

Associate Curator of Collections and Academic Programming

phone: 847.467.5896
email: essi.ronkko
she/her

Contact 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

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.
Joseph Scott

Joseph Scott

Collections and Exhibitions Coordinator

phone: 847.467.0734
email: joseph.scott

Contact 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

Rita Shorts

Business Administrator

phone: 847.491.4002
email: d-shorts
she/her

I 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

Dan Silverstein

Associate Director of Collections and Exhibition Management

phone: 847.491.4592
email: 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

Jeff Smith

Associate Director of Finance and Business Operations

phone: 847.467.3969
email: 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

Warren Smith

Visitors Services Officer

James Stauber

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

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

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.
Kate Hadley Toftness

Kate Hadley Toftness

Assistant Director of Advancement and Strategic Initiatives

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.
Beth Welter

Beth Welter

Executive Assistant to the Director

phone: 847-491-5893

email: beth.welter

I am here to help in any way I can; I keep the calendar for the Block and the Executive Director, support the museum's office and Board of Advisors, and seek to build strong relationships and ensure efficient communication with our staff and partners.
Installation Crew Spring 2023

Installation Crew Spring 2023

  • James Baroz
  • Matt Byler
  • Steve Lalik
  • Cassandra Meek
  • Izah Ransohoff
  • John Santoro
  • Sophie Wallace
  • Christine Wallers
Visitors Services Assistants Fall 2023

Visitors Services Assistants Fall 2023


  • Angelena Browne
  • Steph-Ann Dejean
  • Iliana Garner
  • Camille Gerville-Reache
  • Kevin Han
  • Anna Humphrey
  • Kaitlyn James
  • Diane Kao
  • Noraan Mohamed
  • Victoria Montinola
  • Claribel Osei
  • Bettina Sanchez
  • Sylvia Sanchez
Curatorial Interns 2023-2024

Curatorial Interns 2023-2024

  • Kelsey Carroll
  • Audrey Bannister
Student Workers 2023-2024

Student Workers 2023-2024

  • Theo Maurino, Curatorial Research Aide
  • Autumn Rose, Student Theater Associate