Join us for a captivating conversation with George Schwartz, the curator of Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Mediums, and Magic, and explore the exhibition's origins and its connections to local North Shore stories. The discussion will illuminate the significance of some fascinating objects from PEM's collection that bring the themes of spirit communication and magic to life. Discover how this exhibition intertwines with other works at PEM to create a rich narrative that resonates with our community's history.

About the Curator

George Schwartz, Curator-at-Large. George Schwartz's interests are in maritime art, material culture, early collecting and museum history. Over the last 20 years at PEM, he contributed to many of the institution's successful exhibitions, including In American Waters: The Sea in American Painting; Ocean Liners: Glamour, Speed, and Style; Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea; and The Yachting Photography of Willard B. Jackson, among others.

Schwartz earned his B.A. in Anthropology from Brown University, his M.A. in Historical Archaeology from University of Massachusetts, Boston, and his Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University. His book Collecting the Globe: The Salem East India Marine Society Museum explores PEM’s origins and illustrates how global objects were used to shape an emerging national identity in the early United States. Schwartz has lectured internationally and has written articles and essays for museum catalogs, journals and magazines. He teaches courses on material culture at Tufts University in the Museum Studies program.