Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Ashley Arico is currently the Elizabeth McIlvaine Assistant Curator of Ancient Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. She received her PhD in Near Eastern Studies with a focus in Ancient Egyptian art and archaeology from Johns Hopkins University, where her research examined Egyptian statues as evidence for interactions between Egypt and the Levant in ancient times. For several years, Ashley participated in excavations at the temple of the lioness-headed goddess Mut in Luxor, Egypt. She previously held positions at the Johns Hopkins Archaeological Museum, the Walters Art Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her interests include tracing how Egyptian artifacts have moved and been interpreted over time from antiquity to today, and particularly in how tourism to Egypt in the late 19th century influenced the formation of Egyptian museum collections throughout the world, including in Chicago.