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Advancing Creative Thinking: Imagination to Innovation

A two-day conference organized by The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield Library, and Ridgefield Arts Council with media sponsor The Morris Media Group
Friday, April 27 & Saturday, April 28, 2012, Ridgefield, CT

about | schedule & speakers | buy tickets | directions | team | sponsors

David Pogue, The New York Times | Lily Yeh, artist and social activist | David Yaun, VP Global Industries Marketing, IBM | Hilary Austen, University of Toronto | Irvin Scott, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation...

 

Post-Conference News

Ridgefield Creativty Conference Youtube VideoThe Conference was a huge success with 30 speakers and nearly 300 participants from the New York metro area. It offered 18 separate programs at 3 locations, including 2 receptions, lunch, live music and a large-scale walking Labyrinth! In addition to these great events new networks were formed among participants, organizers and sponsors.

Check out the three-minute YouTube video that captures some of the essence of the conference made by Griffith Productions.

 See the final Conference Program for a full listing of all of the events that took place over weekend.

Read testimonials to see how much everyone enjoyed themselves.

View photos from the weekend.

Press Highlights:

Filmfestivals.com - Harnessing the Creative

News Times Article - Creative Thinking Conference In Ridgefield

Town Vibe - Ten Minutes With David Pogue

 

Conference Overview

Join the creativity conversation on Twitter at #act2012.  Share your ideas and inspirations before, during and after this weekend’s sessions.

This cross-disciplinary conference will explore creativity and the creative process through the lenses of imagination and innovation - which are at the heart of the creative process in every discipline, from the arts to education to business to government. While imagination opens up new possibilities, innovation seeks and identifies new opportunities for critical thinking and creative problem solving.

Keynote sessions, cross-disciplinary conversations, panel discussions, and workshops will focus on the creative process and demonstrate that creative thinking is truly a skill for the twenty-first century. Keynote speakers will include David Pogue, New York Times Tech Columnist and Nick Donofrio, IMB Fellow Emeritus.

Programs will include Stories of Innovation Success, Creative Models for Towns and Cities, and Artistry Unleashed. Participatory Workshops will encourage attendees to put the creative process into practice with sessions such as Altered Books, Drawing: Gray Matters!, Sparking Idea Engines: How to Inspire Creative Breakthroughs, Moving through the Creative Process, and more! 

Speakers are drawn from the arts, education, business, technology, and government sectors, including affiliations withThe New York Times, Jump Associates, BrightIdea, dosomething.org, International Centre for Creativity and Imagination, Alliance for Childhood, Creative Cities International, University of Toronto, University of Connecticut, and others, and from locations including Dublin, Toronto, Washington, DC, Boston, New York City, and San Francisco.

Contacts: Laurie McGavin Bachmann, 203-438-2282, lmbachmann@ridgefieldlibrary.org or Tracy Moore, 203-438-4519, tmoore@aldrichart.org.

Schedule and Speakers

Check our full conference schedule with links to information about the presenters and our full Conference Program. For your convenience we have also provided a one-page schedule.

Directions

Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Directions

Ridgefield Library Directions

 

Ticket Information

Full Two-Day Conference $125

Friday Education Seminar and Reception $ 25

Friday Keynote and Reception $ 35

Saturday Conference, Reception and Keynote $ 95

Saturday Reception and Keynote $ 35

Purchase Tickets

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Program Sponsors & Partners

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

Ridgefield Library

Ridgefield Arts Council

Morris Media Group

The Friends of the Ridgefield Library

Housatonic Valley Waldorf School

Books on the Common

Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance

Ridgefield Guild of Artists

International Centre for Creativity and Imagination

AIGA Connecticut

Conference Team

Laurie McGavin Bachmann, Adult Programs Department, Ridgefield Library

Alyson Baker, Executive Director, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

Steven Dahlberg, Professor of Creativity and Social Change, University of Connecticut

Suzanne Enser-Ryan, Senior Manager, School, Teacher and Docent Programs, The Aldrich

Carolina Fernandez, Financial Advisor for Artists and Entrepreneurs

Alison Greeley, Chair, Ridgefield Arts Council

Lesley Lambton, Adult Programs Director, Ridgefield Library

Andrew Levine, Director of Development, York Theatre

Tracy Moore, Education Director, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

Christina Nolan, Director, Ridgefield Library

Mary Rindfleisch, Assistant Director, Ridgefield Library

James Robey, Director, Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance

Carolyn Storrier, Parent Enrichment, The Housatonic Valley Waldorf School, Newtown, CT

Rachel Volpone, President, Ridgefield Guild of Artists

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