In an age replete with entertainment stimuli, visitation rates to encyclopedic museums around the world are rising. Why do museums matter today more than ever before? What do historic objects and images tell us about ourselves? This talk considers the role of art history in a post-digital world and argues for the importance of seeing ourselves as in others.

Colleen specializes in museum management and the history of collecting. Trained as an Egyptologist, she is a published author of several research studies on cultural property law and restitution practice in the Middle East and North Africa. For the past ten years, Colleen has worked as a negotiator and strategist for several national museums, NGOs, and governments throughout the Mediterranenan and MENA regions, and most recently ran the Global Museum Leaders Colloquium
at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She serves as an advisor to the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, a Creative Time Global Ambassador, Vice President of Tauck Ritzau Innovative Philanthropy, and President of BAFA, a mentorship platform for women in the arts. An avid traveler, she is committed to fostering economic and social progress through investments in the culture sector and believes in the power of art to promote awareness and create meaning.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx