10 years, 20 countries, 100 thought leaders

For the next two days, I’m in Central Texas for New Media Consortium‘s The Future of Education: The Horizon Project Retreat.

Since 2002, NMC has brought hundreds of technologists, educators, college and university faculty, museum professionals and corporate representatives together to examine how emerging technologies impact informal and formal learning in the K-12, higher education and museum sectors.  The findings are discussed openly and then freely shared through the resulting reports.

I eagerly read the Horizon Report: 2010 Museum Edition and immediately shared it with my co-workers. It was exciting because the report provided scholarly substantiation for many of the technology-based initiatives the Education Department was trying to establish and served as validation for the forward-thinking programs already in progress.

When the call for Advisory Board members for the 2011 report went out, I gave it a shot. So much time passed between applying and notification that I assumed it just wasn’t in the cards for me. Needless to say, I was thrilled to receive an invitation to serve.

Contributing to the 2011 Museum Edition of the Horizon Report was an unforgettable experience and I’m honored to be part of the collaborative community that has arisen from ten years of helping educators “facilitate global collaboration and encourage smarter discovery and dissemination of emerging learning approaches.”

I’ll try to tweet as much as I’m able but you can follow the conversation on #NMChz. Britt Watwood provided a quick wrap-up of tonight’s opening session (I’m still in awe of how David Sibbet’s visual mapping brought our conversation to life.)

on view: “it could honestly just be drugs”

I constantly hunt for videos related to art and/or museums. Sometimes for professional development but mostly because I can’t stop my inner culture geek from soaking up as much knowledge as possible. Since it’s nice to share, I occasionally post videos here.   (Note: Subscribers will need to navigate to the blog to view.)

Like many others, I’ve been following Damien Hirst’s Gagosian Gallery worldwide takeover.  The idea of a wealthy living artist is fascinating enough but reactions to the fact that Hirst only laid hands on a fraction of his infamous and extremely high-priced Spot Paintings, leaving the detailed work to a crew of assistants, is best described as apoplectic. Hirst is not the first nor will he be the last artist to collaboratively create work so I’m still trying to figure out what the big deal is.  Is the outcry pure haterade or just a smokescreen for the larger issues surrounding inequity in the global art market? The jury’s still out on that one but thank goodness Hennessy Youngman’s around to provide some perspective.

talent round-up day

Detail from "Cattle Roundup" by Thomas Stell, Jr., 1940

 Highlighting nonprofit organizations and individuals doing stellar work!

  • It’s been a long road but the Black Archives of Mid-America finally has a permanent space in Kansas City, Missouri’s historic 18th & Vine District. Slated for a June 2012 opening, the collection of objects (previously relegated to storage bins and boxes) relating to the history of African-Americans in the region is vast and worthy of being seen by all.
  • The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits recently launched Nonprofit Insurance Advisors, a service that assists in securing coverage for nonprofit organizations that is reasonable in cost and tailored to the specific insurance requirements of the sector. The needs of small and mid-sized nonprofits can definitely get lost in the crowd, so this effort is commendable.
  • ArtsFwd, created by arts and cultural collaborative EmcArts, is a one-stop shop for viewing and showcasing innovative nonprofit programs and initiatives. Featuring a blog, case studies, podcasts and resources, the heavy emphasis on user input ensures a constantly-evolving space.