Each year, at our Innovative Thinker lecture, SITE honors the achievements of a visionary educator who has innovated significantly in the field of museum and arts education. This Spring, SITE honors Ann Druyan, an American writer and producer specializing in the communication of science. She co-wrote the 1980 PBS documentary series Cosmos, hosted by Carl Sagan, whom she married in 1981. She is the creator, producer, and writer of the 2014 sequel, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey and is currently working on Cosmos: Possible Worlds which will air in 2019 on Fox and National Geographic channels.

While it would seem that Ann Druyan’s work relates more to science education, her work with Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Cosmos documentary series is truly an achievement within the context of the arts. By presenting scientific concepts using aesthetics, the visual medium of video and the emotional insight that art allows, her work has allowed for inspired education in both the fields of art and science that reaches a broad and diverse audience.

Future Shock artist Dario Robleto will interview Ann Druyan for this presentation and contextualize her work within the field of contemporary arts.

The Innovative Thinker Lecture is an annual presentation established in honor of SITE’s former director of Education, Juliet Myers, highlighting the significant work of a visionary educator in the field of contemporary art and is generously supported by the Gale Family Foundation.

SPECIAL FILM SCREENING OF CONTACT

In honor of SITE’s Innovative Thinker lecture, the Violet Crown Cinema will present a special screening of Contact on Friday, March 30, at 6 pm. Contact is a 1997 American science fiction drama film directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jodie Foster. It is a film adaptation of Carl Sagan’s 1985 novel of the same name; Sagan and Ann Druyan wrote the story outline for the film. Enjoy both the lecture and the screening for a single price ticket of $20 per person.

Click here to take advantage of this special ticket package.