Adam Lerner
Director and Chief Animator Museum of Contemporary Art (MCA)
Denver Denver, CO

Adam Lerner has adopted a unique approach to museum programming that combines curatorial, education and artistic production. His innovative programs have been adopted by museums throughout North America and celebrated by leaders in the field and the general media. A 2011 article in the New York Times stated that Lerner’s work to engage audiences is “reshaping what has become a stale model for a contemporary art museum.” Lerner was formerly the Master Teacher for Modern and Contemporary Art at the Denver Art Museum and the curator of the Contemporary Museum, Baltimore. He received his Ph.D. from the Johns Hopkins University and his Masters from Cambridge University.

Adam will kick off the 2016 NAMP Conference with his talk Dying of Excellence, where he will speak about finding the courage to go outside conventional ways of doing things in an arts organization. He will discuss his own experience applying the freedom of an alternative art space to a more traditional museum context. He will talk about bringing shamans, go-go-dancers, assorted livestock and other unexpected elements into the walls of the museum alongside serious exhibitions of contemporary art. As an academically trained curator-turned-director, he outlines the importance of being non-professional, of using creativity, humor, and intuition, so as to connect to visitors, staff and communities in more human ways. Finally, he will talk about avoiding best practices and ignoring your mission so as to keep life, energy and libido in an institution—and, ultimately, to not die of excellence.

The Opening Keynote will be webcast live on the Americans for the Arts Youtube Channel.