Leslie Carlson

Leslie Carlson is the director of art preparation and logistics at the Art Institute of Chicago. Since joining the museum in 2016, she has overseen the preparation and mounting of objects for all major exhibitions and permanent collection displays. Some of her favorite exhibitions include Hélio Oiticica: To Organize Delirium, Gauguin: Artist as Alchemist, Helen Frankenthaler Prints: The Romance of a New Medium, and Andy Warhol—From A to B and Back Again. Leslie also enjoys working with her team to develop best practices for art handling, art storage, and shipping logistics.

Prior to joining the Art Institute, Leslie pursued art handling and logistics in the commercial realm, including several years at Terry Dowd, Inc., and U.S.Art. From 2014 to 2016 she was the registrar and installation manager at Kavi Gupta Gallery.

In addition to over two decades as an art preparer and handler, Leslie is also an artist, focusing on painting, drawing, and book making. She holds a Master of Arts degree from New York University and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Leslie Carlson, Director of Art Preparation and Logistics, Collections and Loans

With trust, communication, and “just the right amount of nerves,” she leads the museum’s team of art handlers, getting works from here to there and on the gallery walls.

Leslie Carlson and Allison Langley

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