About this Event
Please join KPFA at The Back Room on Wednesday, March 29th at 7:00PM when we welcome co-authors Susan Magsamen, Founder and Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Ivy Ross, Vice President of Design for the hardware product area at Google, in celebration of their new release, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us.
In Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, Magsamen and Ross explain the emerging field of neuroaesthetics and what it means for our lives.
“This book blew my mind! An authoritative yet practical guide to neuroarts—a term that, if you haven’t heard it before, is even more reason to join these brilliant coauthors on a romp through the latest science on how art transforms the brain and the body.”—Angela Duckworth, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Grit
“Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, through extensive interviews and research, have created something beautiful and affirming with their book. Its pages provide proof for what so many of us have always known, that art, especially art in community, is transformative beyond measure.”—David Byrne, founding member of The Talking Heads and author of How Music Works
Neuroarts is the study of how arts and aesthetic experiences change the brain, body, and behavior and how this knowledge can be translated to advance health and wellbeing for billions of people. Pouring over the data, Magsamen and Ross found that just 20 minutes of art a day makes a huge difference as either the maker or the beholder.
Think: Singing in the shower. Microdosing coloring books. Dipping into a sound bath between meetings. Forest bathing over lunch.
Through the power of these aesthetic experiences, circuits and neuropathways in your brain are activated, altering a cascade of physical and mental changes including anxiety and stress. Short bursts of art—no talent required—will enhance your life, whether you are eight or 80 years old. In fact, one or more art experiences a month can extend your life by ten years.
Packed with dozens of studies and interviews with leading scientists and artists including David Byrne, Your Brain on Art shows how to take advantage of everyday art and aesthetic experiences.
Susan Magsamen is the founder and director of the International Arts + Mind Lab Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at the Pedersen Brain Science Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where she is a faculty member in the department of neurology. She is also the co-director of the NeuroArts Blueprint. Susan works with both the public and private sectors using arts and culture evidence-based approaches to improve our lives in areas including physical and mental health, child development, workforce innovation, family engagement, rehabilitation, and social equity.
Ivy Ross is the vice president for hardware at Google, where she leads a team that has created over fifty products, winning over 225 design awards. A National Endowment for Arts grant recipient, Ivy has designed innovative metalwork that is in the permanent collection of more than ten international museums. Besides her background in the arts, Ivy has pursued studies in a wide range of fields such as energy medicine, sound therapy, psychology, and play. Ninth on Fast Company’s list of the 100 most creative people in business in 2019, Ivy believes the intersection of arts and sciences is where the most engaging and creative ideas are found.
DETAILS:
Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross for Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us
Date: Wednesday, March 29th at 7:00 PM
Location: The Back Room 1984 Bonita Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704
Admission: $20 with a limited number of discounted tickets available for students and fiscally challenged.
Media Contact: Kevin Hunsanger, KPFA Radio: [email protected] 510-684-3401
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Back Room, 1984 Bonita Avenue, Berkeley, United States
USD 12.00 to USD 20.00