Ariel O'Connor is an Objects Conservator at the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Prior to joining NMAA, Ariel was Senior Objects Conservator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Lunder Conservation Center and held appointments at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Walters Art Museum, Harvard Art Museums, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

Her research fellowships focused on materials and technology in archaeological Asian art, with a particular interest in early metallurgy, casting, and inlay techniques. She completed a Kress Fellowship at the Harvard Art Museums researching casting and inlay on ancient Chinese ceremonial weaponry from the Shang dynasty, a Baird Fellowship studying excavated Shang inlayed bronzes in China, and a Mellon Fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art studying 7th–10th century Southeast Asian Hindu-Buddhist bronzes.  

Her archaeological fieldwork includes seasons at the Aphrodisias Excavations, Mugello Valley/Poggio Colla Archaeological Project, and Gordion Excavations Project. She holds an M.A. and C.A.S. in Art Conservation from Buffalo State College, and a B.F.A. in Dance with a Spanish Language and Literature minor and Pre-Med concentration from Tulane University. She served on the American Institute for Conservation (AIC)’s Objects Specialty Group board from 2017-2019, and was the Washington Conservation Guild board Logistics Co-Chair from 2016-2017. 

Academic Article

• The Analysis of 18th Century Glass Trade Beads from Fort Niagara: Insight into Compositional Variation and Manufacturing Techniques.  Northeast Historical Archaeology.  37. 2008

Article

• Webb, E. Keats, Robson, Stuart, Evans, Roger, and O'Connor, Ariel. 2023. "Wavelength Selection Using a Modified Camera to Improve Image-Based 3D Reconstruction of Heritage Objects." Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2022.2111501. 2023
• Livingston, Richard, O'Connor, Ariel, LaManna, Jacob, Chen-Mayer, Heather, and Turkoglu, Danyal. 2018. "Investigation of a simulated Chinese jade and bronze dagger-axe by neutron radiography and prompt gamma activation analysis." Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 21 99–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jasrep.2018.06.011. 2018
• Shugar, Aaron and O'Connor, Ariel. 2008. "The Analysis of 18th Century Glass Trade Beads from Fort Niagara: Insight into Compositional Variation and Manufacturing Techniques." Northeast Historical Archaeology, 37, (1) 58–68. https://doi.org/10.22191/neha/vol37/iss1/5. 2008

Chapter

• O'Connor, Ariel, Eremin, Katherine, and Chang, Angela. 2019. "Jade in the Lab." In Early Chinese Jades in the Harvard Art Museums. So, Jenny F., editor. 29–37. New Haven: Yale University Press. 2019
• Strahan, Donna, Becker, Lawrence, and O'Connor Ariel. 2014. "“Technical Observations on Casting Technology in First-Millennium Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam”." In Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia. Guy, John, editor. 267–271. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2014

Conference Paper

• Silver or Gold? Surprising Challenges in Cleaning a 19th-Century Persian Water Pipe 2015