Ngaire Blankenberg Explained

Ngaire Blankenberg (born [1]) is a Canadian-born South African museum designer, consultant, and administrator.[2] She is a former director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art.

Early life and education

Blankenberg's parents are South African and she was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba.[1] Her mother is White and her father is Coloured (and albino); they had relocated to Canada as their interracial marriage was illegal in South Africa at that time.[1] [3] She earned a journalism degree from Carleton University and worked for 12 years in television and documentaries, including a year as a videographer on the CBC newsmagazine series Road Movies,[4] before moving to South Africa to study media and cultural studies, earning a masters degree from the University of Natal.[3] [5] She moved back to Canada and began working as a museum designer and consultant.[3]

Museum career

Blankenberg has worked with the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Superblue Miami, the museum at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg.[6] She is noted for her expertise in developing decolonization plans for cultural institutions as well as concept development and public engagement.[5]

Blankenberg has worked as a consultant with Dutch design firm Kossmann.dejong and with Toronto-based Lord Cultural Resources, where she was principal consultant.[7] [8] In 2016, along with Lord co-founder Gail Lord, she co-edited Cities, Museums and Soft Power for the American Alliance of Museums.[8] Lord and Blankenberg argued that the concept of soft power should be expanded from the political sphere to include "cultural and urban life."[8]

From 2021 until 2023, she was the director of the National Museum of African Art in Washington, D.C.[9] When she was appointed director on July 7, 2021, she announced her ambition to "redefine, heal and reconcile".[5] During her tenure, Blankenberg was a leading advocate for repatriation of artifacts in the museum's collection,[10] and in 2022 the museum returned 29 looted Benin Bronzes to Nigeria.[11] Blankenberg resigned from her position on March 31, 2023, citing "individual and institutional resistance".[9]

Following her resignation, Blankenberg returned to South Africa.[12]

Selected publications

Notes and References

  1. News: Nolen . Stephanie . Giving voice to the people through art . 11 May 2023 . . 23 September 2005 . en-CA.
  2. Web site: Murphy . Adrian . The people behind museums: Ngaire Blankenberg, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art . MuseumNext . 11 May 2023 . en . 14 January 2022.
  3. Web site: Bowden . Alexander . The Museum Series: The Consultant . The Bowden Report . 11 May 2023 . en . 14 July 2017.
  4. Bill Anderson, "In Road Movies, CBC lets youths tell own tales; Network gets fresh viewpoints - and a TV series for $100,000 an episode". Montreal Gazette, July 17, 1992.
  5. News: Ngaire Blankenberg to Lead National Museum of African Art . 11 May 2023 . . 7 July 2021.
  6. News: Manaleng . Palesa . Constitution Hill hosts 10-day racial reckoning art experience . 11 May 2023 . . 15 September 2022 . en.
  7. News: Tremayne-Pengelly . Alexandra . National Museum of African Art Director Ngaire Blankenberg Quietly Resigns . 12 May 2023 . . 11 May 2023.
  8. Molho . Jérémie . Review of "Cities, Museums and Soft Power," by Gail Lord and Ngaire Blankenberg . The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society . 19 October 2016 . 46 . 5 . 300–302 . 10.1080/10632921.2016.1194793 . 152155287 . 1063-2921.
  9. News: Boucher . Brian . The Smithsonian National Museum of African Art's Director Has Resigned After Less Than Two Years, Citing 'Resistance and Backlash' . 11 May 2023 . . 10 May 2023.
  10. News: McGlone . Peggy . Human bones, stolen art: Smithsonian tackles its 'problem' collections . 11 May 2023 . . 27 July 2022.
  11. News: Germain . Jacquelyne . The Smithsonian Returns a Trove of Benin Bronzes to Nigeria . 11 May 2023 . . October 11, 2022 . en.
  12. News: Stoilas . Helen . The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art is looking for a new director—again . 11 May 2023 . . 9 May 2023.
  13. Reviews of Cities, Museums and Soft Power:

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