The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University announces the departure of Janet Dees, the Steven and Lisa Munster Tananbaum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. Janet will be assuming the role of Assistant Director of Arts at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) in Washington, D.C., starting on October 7, 2024.

Since joining The Block Museum in 2015, Janet has made significant contributions to the museum’s curatorial program. Her expertise in American art and her commitment to inclusive museum methodologies have been pivotal in shaping the museum’s current direction.

Lisa Corrin, Ellen Philips Katz Director of The Block Museum of Art, praised Janet’s impact during almost a decade at the museum: “Janet Dees has transformed The Block Museum with her visionary curatorial work and dedication to collaborative process. She has not only elevated our museum’s profile but has also established herself as a national leader in the curatorial field. Her commitment to the relational work of curatorial practice has set a new standard for how museums can work with their audiences, stakeholders, and artists. We are deeply grateful for her contributions and wish her continued success at the Smithsonian.”

The NMAAHC praised Dees’s background as it looks to its own organizational direction. “Janet brings a unique combination of vision, experience, and creativity that is essential to advancing our visual arts division,” said Dr. Michelle D. Commander, Deputy Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture “We are thrilled to welcome her to our team.”

During her time at Northwestern, Dees also served as affiliated faculty in the Department of Art History and an affiliate of the Center for Native American and Indigenous Research and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program. Trained as a historian of American art, Dees’s research and curatorial work focuses on the ways in which contemporary artists engage with history and archives; artists’ interest in transformational practices; and inclusive museum methodologies. Her work includes commitments to African American, African diasporic, and Native American and Indigenous artists. Prior to her tenure at The Block, Dees was curator at SITE Santa Fe.  Dees is the recipient of a 2018 Curatorial Fellowship from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and was a 2023 fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership.

Acknowledging Janet’s contributions as part of The Block’s curatorial team, Kathleen Bickford Berzock, Associate Director of Curatorial Affairs, said, “Janet is known for her calm manner, generosity, and good humor. She brought a wealth of knowledge and a vision for supportive, collaborative curatorial practice to The Block. She’s led the acquisition of a number of important artworks and helped to articulate our commitment to Indigenous artists. She going to be missed, but it’s thrilling to see her taking on such an important role on the national stage.”

At The Block, Janet curated several acclaimed exhibitions, including “A Site of Struggle: American Art against Anti-Black Violence” (2022), “Hank Willis Thomas: Unbranded” (2018), “Experiments in Form: Sam Gilliam, Alan Shields, and Frank Stella” (2018), “Carrie Mae Weems: Ritual and Revolution” (2017), and “If You Remember, I’ll Remember “(2017).

She is a member of the curatorial team for The Block’s upcoming exhibition, “Woven Being: Art for Zhegagonyak/ Chicagoland,” set to open in January 2025.