What do the classes in the humanities, culture, art, and public institutions - museums, libraries, and parks - have in common? The need and desire to be relevant!
Nina Simon opened Public Humanities Wind Stations - the first symposium of its kind, held on May 17, 2023 at the new Bezalel campus in Jerusalem.
On the day of the study, fields of creativity and spirit known as Public Humanities were discussed, and their great importance to the civil, cultural, economic and research life in Israel.
The symposium consisted of lectures by experts in the field from Israel and the world and practical workshops.
During the day discussions were held on how the academy should train the professional reserves in the field and the possibilities for accessibility and knowledge mediation between the academy and the public sector and different disciplines.
We examined how the public cultural institutions that strive to be relevant can stimulate a loud and critical discourse, and how they can become a social and community resource and serve as wind stations - meeting places between content and society. To this end, we examined the place of technologies and innovation, thinking about the challenges that are on the local and global agenda, and were able to articulate the existing knowledge in Israel in various bodies and communities into a civil cultural anchor, which deals with key questions and challenges in the present and in the future.
First Public Humanities Conference raises issues such as relevance and creativity and their importance to vital aspects of life in Israel
U.S. Ambassador Thomas Nides opened the event, together with the president of Bezalel, Professor Adi Stern.
During her opening lecture, guest speaker, Nina Simon discussed relevant art pertaining to museums and other public institutions.
The day continued with additional lectures and workshops, that linked theory and academic skills to practice and between creativity and humanities to technology and economics.
Thank you to Dr. Tal Rippa and Rotem Ruff our partners at Bezalel.
Our gratitude also goes to the U.S. Embassy Jerusalem and especially to the team in the Department of Public Diplomacy.
Photo: Shlomi Yosef
Nina Simon gives inspirational talk on being relevant, at the joint Fulbright Israel and Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Public Humanities Conference
Nina Simon described as a “museum visionary” opened the first Public Humanities Conference, initiated by Fulbright Israel and Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design in Jerusalem in May, Being relevant, she said, is the key to success. It starts by asking who are the audiences or the communities I really care about and what do they value. Because, she said, we can’t say “we exist for everyone,” if the people coming in the door do not look like everyone in our community.
Nina discussed relevant art pertaining to museums and other public institutions and how, as the Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, she led an institutional turnaround based on grassroots community participation. The participants were particularly moved by Nina’s account of her project working with foster children, who were paired up with artists for a year, so as to present their personal stories through exhibits. The children initiated, curated, developed and guided the exhibition that, as stated by one of the children, was about, from and for them. This was the most viewed exhibition ever seen at the museum and each of the children established long-lasting ties with other community members.
Nina has spent over twenty years as an exhibit designer, museum director, nonprofit CEO, mentor and advocate for community participation in the arts and is also the author of several books.