Herman to lead interactive 'Art of Perception' workshop on Feb. 15

Amy Herman — lawyer, art historian, and founder and president of The Art of Perception — will offer an interactive workshop, “The Art of Perception: See What Matters,” from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Feb. 15 at Sheldon Museum of Art.

Based on using works of art to sharpen observation, analysis and communication skills, the workshop is part of the 2022-23 E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues series, “Creativity to Solve Global Challenges.” Herman is the scholar-in-residence for the 2022-23 season, which also features five mainstage speakers. The workshop is free and open to the public, but space is limited. Register by Feb. 10 here.

“The Art of Perception” is an interactive program that engages participants in analyzing works of art as a vehicle to enhance their observation, perception and communication skills, challenging participants’ assumptions and refreshing critical inquiry skills by incorporating multiple perspectives into their thinking. The program has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and Smithsonian Magazine. Herman has adapted the program for a wide range of professionals, including the New York City Police Department, FBI, State Department, Fortune 500 companies, NATO and the military.

In light of the pandemic’s shift in people’s situational awareness, exercises in the “See What Matters” session are designed to meet new challenges of accessibility to a virtual community and refresh the ability to communicate concisely and effectively, especially in the face of change. Works of art are used to address breakdowns in precise communication of critical information, navigate new landscapes, and remove assumptions to promote best practices and more effective problem-solving.

Herman holds a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College, a Juris Doctor from George Washington University and a Master of Arts in art history from Hunter College. Her TED talk, “A Lesson on Looking,” went live in December 2018. She is the author of “Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life,” “Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem-Solving” and “smART: Use Your Eyes to Boost Your Brain.”

“Amy Herman offers an innovative and truly unique program that forces us to re-examine how we see what often seems obvious,” said Tyler White, associate professor of practice and director of the National Security Program at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and longtime collaborator with Herman. “She focuses on using fine art to get people out of their comfort zone and offers a chance to look at complex images and situations, to expose and handle deeply buried biases and to ultimately become a better thinker.”

The E.N. Thompson Forum on World Issues is a cooperative project of the Cooper Foundation, Lied Center and the university. It was established in 1988 with the purpose of bringing a diversity of viewpoints on international and public policy issues to the university and people of Nebraska to promote understanding and encourage discussion.