VPA’s Golden Mean Series presents Feb. 11 ‘Day of Play!’ exploring play in design, business, society

VPA’s Golden Mean Series presents Feb. 11 ‘Day of Play!’ exploring play in design, business, societyJanuary 29, 2009Erica Blustesblust@syr.edu

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:

• 9-10 a.m., Eberle
• 10:30-11:30 a.m., Stevenson
• 1:30-2:30 p.m., Naiman
• 3-4 p.m., Brown

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.