Carolyn Russo is the curator of the art collection, trophy collection, and temporary curator of the poster collection in her capacity as a museum specialist. She is the lead curator of the art gallery and is planning upcoming art exhibitions for its reopening in 2025. With over 30 years of experience at the Museum, Russo is the author of four books: Art of the Airport Tower (Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books, 2015), In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight (New York: powerHouse Books, 2007), Artifacts of Flight (New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2003), and Women and Flight: Portraits of Contemporary Women Pilots (Boston, New York, London: Bulfinch Press, 1997). 

Curated exhibits for NASM include:

• Art of the Airport Tower, November 2015 – to present (traveling tour)
• In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight (co-curated with Anne Collins Goodyear), 2009 to 2015
• Great Picture, April 2014 – November 2014 
• High Art: A Decade of Collecting (Co-curator), July 2013 – December 2013
• Searching for Goldilocks by Angela Palmer, July 2013 – December 2013
• Aircraft: The Jet as Art by Jeffrey Milstein, November 2011 – November 2012
• Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World, July 2009 – January 2010
• Women and Flight: Portraits of Contemporary Women Pilots, 1997-1998, and seven-year tour with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service.

Russo is a 2019 recipient of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation Research Residency and a 2016 recipient of the 9th Julia Margaret Cameron Awards for Women Photographers in the architecture category. Art of the Airport Tower received international photography awards, and the book received second place in the 2016 American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Publications Design Competition. In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight was awarded second prize in the 2008 AAM Publications Design Competition, and Artifacts of Flight received awards in 2004 from the American Institute of Graphic Arts 50 Books/50 Covers Competition and the AAM Publications Design Competition.

In 2009, Russo was invited to Finland by the U.S. Embassy in Helsinki on the State Department Speaker Program and in 2011 was a participant at the International Photography Festival in Lishui, China. Russo has attended artist-in-residencies programs in Finland, Iceland, and Scotland. Russo holds a BFA in photography from the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston, MA, and an M.A. in North American Art History from American University in Washington, D.C.

Blog Posting

• Russo, Carolyn J. 2022. "Hubert Jackson's Tribute to Black Americans in Space." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Feb 27, 2022. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/hubert-jackson-tribute-black-americans-space. 2022
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2021. "Anne Noggle's Photographs of World War II Women Pilots: Portraits of Perspective and Reflection." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Mar 26, 2021. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/anne-noggle-photo-worldwar-women-pilots. 2021
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2021. "The Science of Fred Eversley's Art." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Feb 26, 2021. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/science-frederick-eversleys-art. 2021
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2020. "Alma Thomas, A Colorful Response." "Alma Thomas, A Colorful Response." Washington,DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Jun 12, 2020. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/art-alma-w-thomas-colorful-response. 2020
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2020. "Beneath the Surface, Audrey Flack's Photorealism." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Aug 14, 2020. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/beneath-surface-audrey-flacks-photorealism. 2020
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2020. "Body Art During WWII: From the Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Art Collection." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Sep 9, 2020. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/body-art-world-war-2-tattoo. 2020
• Russo, Carolyn Joan. 2020. "Remembering World War II Through Art." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. May 7. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/remembering-world-war-ii-through-art. 2020
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2019. "Support at PreDawn: The NASA Art Program and James Dean." Air and Space Stories National Air and Space Museum. July 9. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/support-predawn-nasa-art-program-and-james-dean. 2019
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2018. "Photographers on Photographers: Carolyn Russo on Isabel Corthier." Lens/cratch Fine Art Photography Daily California: Lenscratch Fine Arts Daily. August 10. http://lenscratch.com/2018/08/photographers-on-photographers-carolyn-russo-on-isabel-corthier/. 2018
• Russo, Caroyn. 2018. "Photographing an Airport in Transition." Air and Space Stories https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/photographing-airport-transition. 2018
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2018. "Photographing an Airport in Transition." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. January 29. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/photographing-airport-transition. 2018
• Russo, Carolyn J. 2018. "Remembering Astronaut and Artist Alan Bean." Air and Space Stories Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. May 31. https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/remembering-astronaut-and-artist-alan-bean. 2018
• Russo, Carolyn. 2017. "Viewing the Solar Eclipse through Artist's Eyes." Air and Space Stories https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/viewing-solar-eclipse-through-artists-eye. 2017
• Russo, Carolyn. 2011. "Above Water." AIRSPACE BLOG: Behind the Scenes at the National Air and Space Museum Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Dec 2, 2011. http://blog.nasm.si.edu/aviation/above-water/. 2011

Book

• Russo, Carolyn J. 2015. Art of the Airport Tower. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Books. 2015
• Russo, Caroyn, Wagstaff, Patty, and Goodyear, Anne Collins. 2007. In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight. Brooklyn, New York: PowerHouse Books. 2007

Chapter

• Russo, Carolyn J. 2019. "Redefining the Gaze: Shifting the Power, Women Photographers/Photographing Women." In Moves Like Walter: New Curators Open the Corcoran Legacy Collection: American University Museum Collection. 76–78. Washington, DC: American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center. 2019
• Russo, Carolyn. 2014. "On Defying Gravity." In Escape Artist: The Art of Fran Forman. Forman, Fran, editor. 100–101. Arglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. 2014

Review

• Russo, Carolyn J. 2016. [Book review] "Abandoned in Place: Preserving America's Space History, by Roland Miller." Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly, 23, (3), 60–61. 2016

Thesis

• Russo, Carolyn J. 2020. "Alfred Stieglitz's Equivalents: Landscape in the Aviation Age." MA, American University. 2020

Exhibit

• Russo, Carolyn J (Curator). 2009. "Alan Bean: Painting Apollo, First Artist on Another World." Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and traveling tour: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 2010.
• Russo, Carolyn J (Curator). 2015. "Art of the Airport Tower." Washington, DC and traveling: National Air and Space Museum, 2015 to Current..
• Russo, Carolyn J. and Crouch, Tom (Curators). 2013. "High Art: A Decade of Collecting." Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 2013 - 2014.
• Russo, Carolyn J (Curator). 2009. "In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight." Washington, DC and traveling: National Air and Space Museum, 2009 - 2015.
• Russo, Carolyn J (Curator). 2013. "Searching for Goldilocks." Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 2013 - 2014.
• Russo, Carolyn J (Curator). 2014. "The Great Picture." Chantilly, VA: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar Hazy Center, 2015.
• Russo, Carolyn J (Curator). 2011. "The Jet as Art: Photographs by Jeffrey Milstein." Washington, DC: Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, 2011 - 2012.

Presentation

• Russo, Carolyn. 2018. Aerospace Museum of California [presentation].
• Russo, Carolyn. 2017. Art of the Airport Tower: Tundra Towers [presentation]. Alaska Aviation Museum.