For almost 25 years, I’ve worked in the field of arts engagement, dedicating my life to helping people discover, grow and celebrate their creativity while expanding their sense of self through the arts. I’ve been a fan of PEM for a long time.

PEM’s mission to honor creativity as a nourishing force in people’s lives and its vision to be a magnetic, human-centered gathering place resonates with me deeply. I’m thrilled we can offer a third space — beyond home or work — for our visitors and our community members, where they can feel inspired, nourished, enlightened and perhaps even healed by the arts. Since joining PEM a year ago, I’ve seen the museum and my team ramp up our community engagement efforts and long-term partnerships, helping to grow PEM as a global center for innovation, artistry and academic excellence.

I’m also really interested in the role of a world-class museum in the 21st century and full of questions: How can we engage, inspire and provide a welcoming space for all in the age of social media and artificial intelligence? How can we help heal the social fabric? How can we lead not only the museum field but also help change the entire arts field with our commitment to scholarly research and public engagement, to match the global and experiential reach of our collections? This is a dynamic conversation very much already in progress through our strategic plan, PEM Forward.

Learning is one of the four major pillars of PEM Forward, with the goal to “Create innovative and accessible gateways to learning that empower audiences, community and staff.” As we continue to develop multiple gateways for engagement, our Learning & Community Engagement efforts deepen people’s understanding of and connection to the artistry, scholarship, science and sense of community offered by PEM. We provide opportunities for people to gather, learn, play, celebrate and create. We seek to inspire creativity, curiosity, community and care in everything we do.

From The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center, our hub for intergenerational explorations, to artist residencies, multidisciplinary performances, internships and learning programs, we have something for everyone. From yoga in the galleries and meditation in the garden to mindfulness lessons and sensory friendly tours, we strive to support holistic social and emotional wellbeing, self-care and mental health.

We’ve also been bolstering and deepening our commitment to our civic celebrations, including our Haunted Histories in October, our annual Lunar New Year festivities and our PEM Pride celebrations in June. Our Learning & Community Engagement, Curatorial and Visitor Engagement teams collaborated to reopen our historic structures with new Walking Tours that were a hit with tourists and locals in the fall.