Creativity Symposium

An Initiative from the Office of Entrepreneurship and Liberal Arts
Lynn Book, organizer
creativity@wfu.edu

Over 50 panels, papers, performances, and interactive sessions were presented throughout the course of 3 days by over 90 presenters. We're in the process of working on a publication of some of the papers from the symposium. We are also working on a video that captures the true interactive nature of the symposium. Below we are beginning to post some of the proceedings. Please check the site for updates!

The following panels and presentations were given during Creativity: Worlds in the Making: A National Symposium. Following a brief description of the presentation, you will be able to click the links below to view the abstracts and PowerPoint presentations.

Lunch Keynote Address with Emil Kang, Thursday, March 19, 2009

Emil Kang is Executive Director of the Arts at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill after serving as President and Executive Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) as well as positions with the Seattle Symphony, and the American Symphony Orchestra League (ASOL).  In leading Carolina as a ‘creative campus’, he is also known as a national leader and advocate for the arts and their crucial importance in today’s world.  Kang is also Professor of the Practice of Music and co-teaches courses in artistic entrepreneurship and the creative process. Emil Kang gave the following address at 12:30pm on Thursday, March 19.

Click here to read the text from the address.

Interdisciplinarity Critical Inquiry: The Science/Art Interface, Thursday, March 19, 2009

In what new ways can non-specialists participate in scientific knowledge and decision-making in our increasingly complex and interconnected world? Recent examples of interdisciplinary practices will be discussed that are critically challenging traditional assumptions about both art and biology as well as our notions about subjectivity and objectivity, the relationship between amateurs & experts, and the creative basis of knowledge in different disciplines.

Andrew Yang
Assistant Professor of Biology and Liberal Arts, School of the Art Insitute of Chicago

Click here for the PowerPoint presentation.

The Arts as Tool for Community Improvement, Friday, March 20, 2009

This panel discussion will present a brief overview of the “community arts” movement, highlight national and regional examples of such work that serve as a catalyst for community engagement and transformation, and present examples of such projects underway in the Piedmont Triad (NC) area.

Doug Borwick
Director/Fine Arts Division-Salem College | Director/Not-for-Profit Management and Arts Management Programs-Salem College | Director/Piedmont Triad Initiative for Community Arts| composer | consultant in not-for-profit management and arts management
Lia Miller
Director, Center for Creative Aging | Executive Director, Shepherd's Center of Greensboro, NC
Bonnie Poindexter
Executive Director of Piedmont Opera, NC
Lynn Rhodes
Executive Director and Co-founder, Winston-Salem Youth Arts Institute, NC

Click here for the panel abstract and questions, here for the accompanying handout, and here for the PowerPoint presentation.

Case Study of an Interdisciplinary Creative Process: Developing a Model for Teaching Integrated Business Communication in a Global Marketplace, Thursday, March 19, 2009

Our complex world demands that we educate students to think and act globally. This process requires innovative ways of thinking without the silos of academic disciplines and the restrictions of time, place and people. This paper examines the collaborative creative process involved in developing a model for teaching integrated business communication in the global marketplace.

Marilyn S. Sarow
Professor of Mass Communication, Winthrop University
Bonnye E. Stuart
Instructor of Speech and Mass Communication, Winthrop University

Click here for the Sarow/Stuart abstract, click here for an accompanying chart and here for the PowerPoint presentation.

Mental and Creative Literacy: Building a Solid Foundation for Creative Thinking, March 20, 2009

Need a user’s manual for your creative mind? In this results-oriented presentation, we’ll explore the physiology and psychology of the “agile mind”, from an end-user’s perspective. We’ll then explore a Swiss Army Knife of creativity tools, from abstracting to analogizing to empathizing. The goal? To provide the skills to grow your own creative thinking skill set.

Paul Schuytema
Oversees the Office of Creative Software Development for University of Illinois Extension | entrepreneur | computer game developer

Click here for Schuytema's abstract and here for accompanying handout.

Maine Center for Creativity's Art All Around™ Public Art Project, March 19, 2009

The Maine Center for Creativity is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the promoting the growth of the arts and creative industries in Maine. The founder, Jean Maginnis, presented profiles of two public art projects that demonstrate unique arts and industry collaborations through volunteers. The first, an arts and industry event called "Light House," a large scale projection, collaborative community project with FPL Energy and the Cousins Island Power Plant. The secomd is a collaboration with Sprague Energy Corp. to run an international competition, "Art All Around," to transform 8 energy tanks plus tops of tanks into a world-class work of public art (261,000 sq. ft.) located in the International Port of South Portland, Maine. London-based Jaime Gili's design was selected.

Jean Maginnis
Executive Director, Maine Center for Creativity

Click here for the PowerPoint presentation.

The Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at Sonoma State University: Creating Spaces for Interdisciplinary Creativity, March 20, 2009

This presentation examines how the seminar-based Hutchins School of Liberal Studies creates unique spaces for creativity by encouraging both students and faculty to explore interdisciplinary connections, participate in creative activities, and co-create curriculum.

Heidi LaMoreaux PhD
Associate Professor of Field-Oriented Physical Geography in the Hutchins School of Liberal Studies at Sonoma State University

Click here for the paper.

>> Click here to learn more about Creativity: Worlds in the Making, A National Symposium 2009!

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