Ngaire Blankenberg

Ngaire Blankenberg is a globally respected thinker and innovator. Named by the Observer as one of the most influential people in the art world, she founded the Institute for Creative Repair in 2023 to repair individuals, communities, institutions and places through arts, culture and heritage, and address challenges of sustainability among cultural institutions in the global south. Previously, she was the Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art (NMAFA). Under her leadership, Ngaire began transforming NMAFA into a 21st Century Global African Art Museum with stronger, equitable partnerships with institutions and individuals on the continent. She has been instrumental in issues of restitution; in her first year as director, she led the Smithsonian’s efforts to return the ‘Benin Bronzes’ in its collections back to Nigeria and was co-lead in the pan-Smithsonian Collections Stewardship Strategic Initiative.

Prior to joining the Smithsonian, she was a ‘museum doctor’, advising more than 55 cultural projects in 35 cities on 5 continents on all aspects of museological practice. In addition to museums, she has advised on integrating cultural spaces in cities and parks, developing art residencies, making archives accessible, engaging communities and decolonizing knowledge production. Clients have included Experience AlUla (Saudi Arabia), National Gallery of Canada, Superblue Miami, Museum and Archive of Constitution Hill (Johannesburg), the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, MEG—Musée d’ethnographie de Genève, Olympique de Marseille football club; Jewish Museum Berlin (Germany); International Rice Research Institute, (Philippines), the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (Sydney); the European Space Agency (Noordwijk); the Bangladesh Navy (Dhaka); the Canadian Museum of History (Ottawa); Dubai Arts and Culture Authority (Dubai); and more.

She is co-editor, with Gail Lord, of Cities, Museums and Soft Power (AAM Press 2015) which urges museums to play a more vital role in creating equitable, inclusive and empowering cities; and co-editor, with Ali Hossaini, of the Manual of Digital Museum Planning, (Rowman and Littlefield 2017) which provides practical guidance for cultural institutes to transform to reflect new digital realities.