Long Conversation, an epic relay of one-to-one conversations among some of the Bay Area's most interesting minds, took place over six hours in San Francisco on Saturday, October 16, 02010. Interpreting the Long Conversation in real time was a data visualization performance by Sosolimited; an art and technology studio out of M.I.T.
Long Conversation was presented with a live performance of 1,000 minutes of composer Jem Finer's Longplayer.
Bio
Melissa Alexander
Melissa Alexander is the Director of Public Programs at the Exploratorium.
Ken Foster
Kenneth J. Foster, Executive Director, joined Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in 2003. The organization has thrived under Foster's leadership, benefiting from his dedication to nurturing long-term relationships with artists and growing YBCA's audience base as a result of his commitment to making contemporary art accessible to all. Foster has more than 20 years of experience as an arts administrator, curator, educator, and performing arts presenter. In addition, he has served as a board member for such prominent arts organizations as the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Dance USA, and Chamber Music America, among others. Prior to joining YBCA, he served as Executive Director of UApresents at the University of Arizona. Prior to directing UApresents, Foster served as Professor and Director at the Center for Performing Arts at Pennsylvania State University, as Managing Director at the Kirkland Fine Arts Center in Illinois, and as Executive Director at the multidisciplinary Town Hall Arts Center in Colorado. In 2007, Foster received the prestigious Fan Taylor Award for Distinguished Service from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. The award honors individuals whose outstanding service, creative thinking, and leadership have had a significant impact on the profession of presenting. His first book, Performing Arts Presenting: From Theory to Practice, was published in 2006.
Public institution dedicated to preserving and interpreting the primary tangible evidence of humans and their environment. Types of museums include general (multidisciplinary) museums, natural-history museums, science and technology museums, history museums, and art museums. In Roman times the word referred to a place devoted to scholarly occupation (seeMuseum of Alexandria). The public museum as it is known today did not develop until the 17th18th century. The first organized body to receive a private collection, erect a building to house it, and make it publicly available was the University of Oxford; the resulting Ashmolean Museum opened in 1683. The 18th century saw the opening of great museums such as the British Museum, Louvre, and Uffizi Gallery. By the early 19th century the granting of public access to formerly private collections had become common. What followed for the next 100 years was the worldwide founding of museums intended for the public. In the 20th century, museums have broadened their roles as educational facilities, sources of leisure activity, and information centres. Many sites of historical or scientific significance have been developed as museums. Museum attendance has increased greatly, often attracted by blockbuster exhibitions, though museums have had to become more financially resourceful due to constraints in public funding.