About me
Monica Shah serves as the Deputy Director of Collections & Conservation at the Anchorage Museum. Her formal training is in archaeology and art conservation, obtaining a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College and M.S. from Winterthur-University of Delaware. As a museum professional, she has worked in collections management, registration, conservation, and curatorial capacities. Before joining the Anchorage Museum, she operated a private conservation practice serving a variety of museums, Alaska Native organizations, and government agencies. Clients included UA Museum of the North, Hoonah Indian Association, Ukpeagvik Native Corporation, Inupiat Heritage Center, and Lake Clark National Park. She has worked at the Smithsonian Institution (Museum Conservation Institute, National Museum of the American Indian), University of Pennsylvania Museum, and the National Park Service (Alaska). She serves as a board member of the Alaska Community Foundation and Western Association of Art Conservators, and is active in assisting museums and tribes across Alaska. She is passionate about heritage access, preservation, and decolonizing museum practices.
