I will be speaking at this event and if you are in or near Syracuse NY, please join us. It is free and open to the public.
Come to a “Day of PLAY!” February 11th.
Discussions and workshops featuring
- Scott Eberle, Vice President for Interpretation at the Strong National Museum of Play,
- Neil Stevenson, the leader of internationally-acclaimed design firm IDEO’s Kid + Play domain,
- Linda Naiman, founder of Creativity at Work,
- Dr. Stuart Brown, founder, National Institute for Play.
Free admission
Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) has announced the second of its Golden Mean Series in the School of Art and Design’s Department of Design. The series, whose name references balance and harmony, will examine “play” as a critical need in design, business, and society. The event will feature a number of guests of national and international acclaim who will present their individual perspectives and then converse together and with the audience.
This second event in the Golden Mean series is themed “Play!” and will feature Scott Eberle, Vice President for Interpretation at the Strong National Museum of Play, Neil Stevenson, the leader of internationally-acclaimed design firm IDEO’s Kid + Play domain, Linda Naiman, founder of Creativity at Work, and Dr. Stuart Brown, founder, National Institute for Play.
Their appropriately playful and “anything but the expected” presentation of this engaging topic will take place on Wednesday, February 11 at 7 p.m. in Stolkin Auditorium (in the Physics Building). The event is free and open to the public. Paid parking is available at the Irving Garage (near the Veterans’ Administration Hospital).
“Day of Play!” will explore how the creative process is serious business. Collectively, Eberle, Stevenson, Naiman and Brown will share how their understanding and application of play has fueled design, business, and the advancement of society. They will also offer highlights from their respective perspectives on how applying the principle of “play” to every aspect of our lives – including our work — can propel more successful results.
Eberle, Stevenson, Naiman and Brown will each present their own ideas and work in individual one hour sessions in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium (in Newhouse 3) beginning with Scott Eberle from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Neil Stevenson will present from 10:30 – 11:30 noon, Linda Naiman 1:30 – 2:30 and Dr. Stuart Brown from 3:00 – 4:00. Their individual presentations are also free and open to the public.
Scott Eberle, Vice President for Interpretation at the Strong National Museum of Play, oversees exhibit development and other interpretive projects. He is also Senior Associate Editor for the American Journal of Play. Eberle holds a B.A. in History and Philosophy, and a M.A. in Social and Intellectual History from Bowling Green State University (Ohio), and a Ph.D. in cultural history from SUNY at Buffalo. After teaching at the University at Buffalo, D’Youville College, and the State University College of NY at Oswego, Eberle began his museum career at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society.
Neil Stevenson is the leader of IDEO’s Kid + Play domain, a group focused on children and play. During his IDEO career, Stevenson has designed videogames, dolls, toys, websites, experiences and spaces, and has built up a large body of knowledge and methodology pertaining to kids, teens, and play. Prior to IDEO, Neil worked in youth-focused media for 10 years, as editor of some of Europe’s leading magazines, including The Face, Mixmag, and Heat. This media experience has given him a deep understanding about sociocultural youth trends and the way brands intersect with popular culture. This knowledge is further informed by an academic background in psychology and social anthropology, with degrees in each from Oxford University.
Linda Naiman, founder of CreativityatWork.com, is recognized internationally for pioneering arts-based learning as a catalyst for developing creativity, innovation, and collaborative leadership in organizations. She works at the intersection of business, art, and design, helping organizations generate breakthroughs in performance, through coaching, training and consulting.
Dr. Stuart Brown was trained in general and internal medicine, psychiatry and clinical research. Brown first discovered the importance of play by discerning its absence in a carefully studied group of homicidal young males. He later became founding Clinical Director and Chief of Psychiatry at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center and an Associate Professor at UCSD in San Diego. He has interviewed thousands of people to capture and catalog their play profiles which demonstrate the active presence of play in the accomplishments of the very successful and also identified negative consequences that inevitably accumulate in a play-deprived life.
The Golden Mean Series is funded by a major contribution from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
For more information, contact
Don Carr, dwcarr@syr.edu
Cookie Caloia at (315) 569-2808 or smartcookie@twcny.rr.com.
For a map of campus, please visit www.parking.syr.edu.
