The Future of Museums Dialogue Series
As the world rapidly changes around us, old frameworks for the development of cultural centers looks less and less relevant. During the Summer and Fall of 2020, AIA New York will look specifically at museums, questioning what would happen if we were to take this unprecedented time to explore new missions, visions, and (spatial) programs for existing and new museums. What will 21st-century museums be like? Join us for this Fall line-up of conversations as cultural forecaster and museum expert David van der Leer, Principal of DVDL DD, speaks with museum professionals from around the US and beyond.

For the past two seasons we have talked to seasoned museum professionals about the future of their institutions. While these leaders may have a lot of experience to offer, it is the next generation of museum professionals who will really be at the forefront of transforming our museums into the cultural centers of tomorrow. In this week’s installment, Van der Leer will be joined in conversation by young museum professionals from the US and beyond.

Speakers:
Naiomy Guerrero, Independent Curator
Lisa Kennedy, Curator Team Leader, The Science Museum in London
Alice Power, Assistant Curator, V&A Museum, London
David van der Leer, Principal, DVDL DD

About the Speakers:

Naiomy Guerrero is a Ph.D. student in art history at the City University of New York’s Graduate Center. She is a Posse Foundation scholar, and holds a B.A. in Art History from DePauw University. Naiomy was the inaugural Diversifying Art Museum Leadership Initiative Walton and Ford Foundation Curatorial Fellow at the Perez Art Museum of Miami (2018—2020).

Lisa Kennedy is a curator who advocates for the inclusion of wider perspectives within museums and the study of history. Working across the museum and arts sectors, Kennedy is interested in interrogating the relationship between cultural institutions, artists, and the general public which stems from her academic studies in History and Socially Engaged Practices in Museums and Galleries. Kennedy is currently a Curator Team Leader – managing a team of Assistant Curators – at the Science Museum in London, and she is one of the co-founders of the Museum of Dissent Collective. In her spare time, Lisa writes a weekly blog sharing her experiences of cultural institutions and heritage sites in the UK and abroad. 

Alice Power has worked at the V&A Museum for four years, mainly working on contemporary collecting strands such as Rapid Response Collecting. She is also co-chair of the Museums LGBTQ Working Group having spent 10 years working on various LGBTQ heritage projects, and is currently working on a project about the experiences of working class museum staff.

David van der Leer is a consultant, curator, educator, moderator, researcher, strategist, and writer. He is the principal of DVDL DD, a New York City and Rotterdam-based agency of cultural forecasters, institutional strategists, and design matchmakers, where he advises institutions, government agencies, corporations, and individuals in reinventing the institutions of yesterday and building the most inspirational institutions of tomorrow. Along with his consulting work, David van der Leer is a professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture Planning and Preservation where he teaches a course called (Re)Programming Museums.

Explore all events in the series and register for upcoming programs here.

Organized by AIANY Cultural Facilities Committee and DVDL DD. The Future of Cultural Centers Dialogue Series is Sponsored by Microsol Resources.