DESRIST 2022

Keynote: Kim Macuare

“The Canvas to Our Imagination”: Using Art to Shift Perspectives and Enhance Creativity

Creativity starts with observation. As we take in the world around us, we perceive both the challenges and opportunities for improvement as well as the sparks that may ignite our next big idea for meeting those challenges.

In order to take full advantage of the power of observation, we need to confront two important questions. First, how is our vision limited by our own experiences as well as our brains’ mental shortcuts? Then, what habits and skills can we adopt and hone that will allow us to disrupt this seemingly automatic process in order to literally and figuratively see more?

To do this, we will turn to art as a tool for innovating what we see. As noted critic Jonathan Fineberg suggests, “If you want strong abs you do a lot of sit-ups, but if you want to increase the agility of your brain to respond to the unexpected, art is a great form of exercise.”

Kimberly Macuare, Innovation Labs Co-Director + Director of Community Programming

Kim is the co-director of the Innovation Labs at The Dalí and the Director of Community Programming. An experienced educator, curriculum designer and writer, Macuare is the lead program designer and facilitator for the Innovation Labs. In that role, she leads individuals and organizations to build their innovation capacities by developing creativity-focused mindsets and learning creative problem solving skills. Deeply engaged in innovation culture, she has taught courses on creativity and innovation, designed innovative educational programming, and interviewed and written about some of the greatest innovators and innovations of the modern era. In her role as Director of Community Programming, she leads efforts to develop innovative programs and experiences that encourage and support the engagement of visitors with the Museum’s mission to educate audiences about Dalí’s work and serve as an active resource in the cultural life of our community and the world at large. She holds a BA in English from the University of Cincinnati, an MA in English from The Ohio State University, and a PhD in English with a specialization in medieval literature and economics from The Ohio State University.