Julia Burtenshaw

Julia Burtenshaw is Curator & Department Manager for the Art of the Ancient Americas.  Prior to joining LACMA in 2014, Dr. Burtenshaw received her PhD in Archaeology from the University of East Anglia, and an MA and BA from the University of Cambridge, both UK. She previously worked at the British Museum and has curated exhibitions on Panama, West Mexico, and Peru.  Recent projects include the internationally touring exhibition The Portable Universe/El Universo En Tus Manos: Thought and Splendor of Indigenous Colombia (with Diana Magaloni). Dr. Burtenshaw was Project Director of the exhibition’s catalogue, which won the CAA Barr Award (2023), and the accompanying documentary series Unpacking the Universe: The Making of an Exhibition, won the AAMC Digital Program award (2023). Her ongoing work with the Arhuaco community of Colombia continues to drive a fundamental shift in how International and local museums collaborate with Indigenous communities and rethink the ancestral collections in their stewardship.