About
Promoting Ethical Stewardship
Established by DU's College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences in April 2018, the Center for Art Collection Ethics (ACE) raises awareness of current stewardship issues through digital information and training programs. We examine the latest advances and challenges in art stewardship through our news blog and social media, and train the next generation of curators. Our postgraduate certificate programs welcome graduate students and emerging professionals from a variety of backgrounds. We also feature eminent experts and practitioners in lectures and panel discussions available to the public.
Stay up to date on ACE news, workshops and events.
Our Team
Director, Elizabeth Campbell
Elizabeth Campbell is Professor of History and Founding Director of the Center for Art Collection Ethics (ACE) at the University of Denver. Her most recent book, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, is Museum Worthy: Nazi Art Plunder in Postwar Western Europe (Oxford University Press, 2024). She is also the author of Defending National Treasures: French Art and Heritage Under Vichy (Stanford University Press, 2011), and numerous articles and on Nazi art looting and ethical museum stewardship. Recognizing the importance of ethical art collection stewardship today, she has served as the Director of ACE since 2018.
Graduate Student Assistant, Isabelle Monyak
Isabelle Monyak is pursuing her MA in Art History with a concentration in Museum Studies at the University of Denver (expected 2026). She brings experience in collections management, exhibition research, and curatorial practice from roles at institutions including the Denison Museum, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, and the University of Georgia. Isabelle currently serves as a Graduate Student Assistant with the Center for Art Collection Ethics, where she contributes to research and publications on the legal and ethical dimensions of art collections and helps manage ACE social media. Her professional interests center on provenance research, restitution, and the ethical museum practices.
Assistant Director, Nessa Kerr
Nessa has over a decade of experience in the museum field, focusing on museum registration and collections management. In addition to receiving her MA in Art History from DU in 2015, Nessa served as a staff member (Assistant to the Director for the Vicki Myhren Gallery from 2013-2016; Collections Manager for the University Art Collections from 2016-2022). She also worked in the Collections Management and Registration Departments at the Denver Art Museum from 2013-2024. Nessa has been involved in the broader museum community through the American Alliance of Museums’ Museums Advocacy Day and as a board member for the Colorado Wyoming Association of Museums. She believes that to maintain integrity as custodians of cultural heritage, robust provenance research and repatriation efforts are of paramount importance for museums.
