Clark Art Institute Names Chief Curator
Caroline Shields Robert and Martha Berman Lipp Chief Curator
By: Clark - Nov 12, 2026
The Clark Art Institute (the Clark) appointed Caroline Shields to be the new Robert and Martha Berman Lipp Chief Curator effective January, 2027. The announcement followed an international search for an accomplished scholar and curator to oversee the curatorial department of one of the nation’s most distinguished collections of European and American art encompassing paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts.
“In Caroline Shields, we have found an excellent leader and a talented manager of curatorial projects. Caroline is well known to us for her exhibitions and scholarship, and we are confident she will expertly steward our ever-evolving collection,” said Esther Bell, Hardymon Director of the Clark.
Dr. Shields joined the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), Toronto in 2017, and has been Curator of European Art and head of department since 2019. During her tenure, she has prioritized inclusiveness across exhibitions, installations, and acquisitions. Her academic roles include teaching and advising at the University of Toronto, Lesley University, the University of New Haven, Riyadh, and Emerson College.
A specialist in 19th-century French art, her recent major exhibitions include "Cassatt—McNicoll: Impressionists Between Worlds" (2023) which brought together works by American artist Mary Cassatt and Canadian artist Helen McNicoll, and "Impressionism in the Age of Industry" (2019). Past curatorial collaborations include "Tissot, Women & Time" (2024); "Carl and "Naudline Pierre: Written in the Sky" (2023); and "Belmore | Bernini" (2019). Her upcoming co-curated project, “Pointillist Politics: Neo-Impressionism, Anarchy, Utopia,” will go on view at the Clark in June 2027.
Prior to her tenure with the AGO, Dr. Shields held curatorial roles at the National Gallery of Art, Washington; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and the Musée d’Orsay, Paris. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and Art History from Boston College, and a PhD in art history from the University of Maryland with a dissertation on Paul Gauguin and the history of memory.
“I am deeply inspired by the Clark’s institutional commitment to audience engagement, art historical scholarship, and its world-class collection. It is an honor to join the Clark’s extraordinary team of curators and staff across the Institute as it moves into its next chapter,” said Dr. Shields.
The Robert and Martha Berman Lipp Chief Curator is the most recent in a series of high-level posts, promotions and new hires announced at the Clark over the last several months at the behest of Hardymon Director Esther Bell. Construction begins on the Aso O. Tavitian Wing this winter. When complete, it will permanently house the exceptional Tavitian Collection of Early Modern European Art given to the Clark in 2024