The Golden Mean Series in Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing
Arts (VPA) will present "Day of Play!"-an exploration of play as a critical need in
design, business and society-in a series of events on Wednesday, Feb. 11, on the SU
campus.
Based in the Department of Design in VPA's School of Art and Design, the Golden
Mean Series, whose name references balance and harmony, explores how critical
good design is to good business. Each event features guests of national and
international acclaim who present their individual perspectives and then converse
together and with the audience.
"Day of Play!" will feature four guest speakers: Stuart Brown, founder of the
National Institute for Play in Carmel Valley, Calif.; Scott Eberle, vice president for
interpretation at the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.; Linda
Naiman, founder of Creativity at Work, a consulting, coaching and training alliance
based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; and Neil Stevenson, leader of the
internationally acclaimed design firm IDEO's Kid & Play domain, a group focused
on children and play. They will share how their understanding and application of
play has fueled design, business and the advancement of society, and offer highlights
on how applying the principle of play to every aspect of life-including work-can
propel more successful results.
The guest speakers will present as a group on Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in Stolkin Auditorium
in the Physics Building. The event is free and open to the public. Paid parking is
available in the Irving Garage.
Each guest speaker will also offer individual presentations Feb. 11 in the Joyce
Hergenhan Auditorium in Newhouse 3. These are also free and open to the public.
Paid parking is available in the Irving Garage. The presentation schedule is as
follows:
Brown was trained in general and internal medicine, psychiatry and clinical research.
He first discovered the importance of play by discerning its absence in a carefully
studied group of homicidal young males. He later became founding clinical director
and chief of psychiatry at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in San Diego and
associate professor at the University of California at San Diego. He has interviewed
thousands of people to capture and catalog their play profiles, which demonstrate the
active presence of play in the accomplishments of the very successful, and also
identified negative consequences that inevitably accumulate in a play-deprived life.
Eberle oversees exhibition development and other interpretive projects at the Strong
Museum. He is also senior associate editor for the American Journal of Play. After
teaching at the University at Buffalo, D'Youville College and the SUNY College at
Oswego, he began his museum career at the Buffalo and Erie County Historical
Society. He holds a bachelor's degree in history and philosophy and a master's
degree in social and intellectual history from Bowling Green State University, as well
as a Ph.D. in cultural history from the University at Buffalo.
In addition to founding Creativity at Work, Naiman co-authored "Orchestrating
Collaboration at Work" (Wiley/Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer, 2003) and is an associate
business coach at the University of British Columbia. She is recognized
internationally for pioneering arts-based learning to develop creativity, innovation
and collaborative leadership in organizations. Her clients include Fortune 500
companies, public sector organizations and boutique consultancies in North America,
Europe and Asia.
During his career at IDEO, Stevenson has designed video games, dolls, toys, websites,
experiences and spaces, and has built a large body of knowledge and methodology
pertaining to kids, teens and play. Prior to IDEO he worked in youth-focused media
for 10 years as editor of some of Europe's leading magazines, including The Face,
Mixmag and Heat. This media experience gave him a deep understanding of
sociocultural youth trends and the way brands intersect with popular culture. His
knowledge is further informed by an academic background in psychology and social
anthropology, with degrees in both from Oxford University.
The Golden Mean Series is funded by a major contribution from the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation. For more information, contact Don Carr at dwcarr@syr.edu
or Cookie Caloia at (315) 569-2808 or smartcookie@twcny.rr.com.
VPA is committed to the education of cultural leaders who will engage and inspire
audiences through performance, visual art, design, scholarship and commentary. The
college provides the tools for self-discovery and risk-taking in an environment that
thrives on critical thought and action. Learn more at http://vpa.syr.edu.
