The Art of Curation

“Whenever I wonder, ‘Wow, can I really pull this off?' I know I'm in a good space, because I really want to push the limits of what I can do, what the exhibition can do and what the institution can do while trying to propel things in a positive direction. Risk, experimentality and curiosity are essential criteria for curators.” — Apsara DiQuinzioThe exhibit “New Time: Art and Feminisms in the 21st Century” is no longer showing at the Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, but if you were lucky enough to catch it, you knew you saw something special. The show, a major survey exploring feminist practices in contemporary art, walked visitors through eight meticulously planned sections, each one brimming with mini collections that were themselves so diverse, provocative, and aesthetically pleasing. It was the perfect show. The creative force behind that exhibit was Apsara DiQuinzio, who's now the senior curator of contemporary art at the Nevada Museum of Art. In this episode, we deconstruct how she created, curated and orchestrated “New Time,” as well as learn what it takes to have a degree in looking.Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:The spark for “New Time” The thinking behind the exhibit's organization and flowFinding the pieces for each sectionHow to get the art you want (and what happens when you don't)The qualities of a great curatorHow much of your own tastes is OK to let throughIncorporating alternative viewpoints when putting together a showNew York and feeding your soul as a curatorThe art of ‘prolific looking'Reno and its artistic vibeFavorite place to discover new artApsara's own curation “speed round”

“Part of my work is to look at how artists are using their craft to speak to the times that we're living in — everything from climate change to immigration to the everyday human experience. My role is to look at what our museum has historically focused on and, in some regards, attempt to fill in the gaps or expand the conversation.” — Ozi Uduma, University of Michigan Ozi Uduma, Assistant Curator of Global Contemporary Art at the University of Michigan, is part of a four-person, all-female curatorial team responsible for putting on exhibitions for the university museum, including shows like Unsettling Histories: Legacies of Slavery and Colonialism and Wish You Were Here: African Art and Restitution. Each curator has a regional specialty, such as Asian or African art, while Ozi owns the global lens. This conversation discusses how the art of curation is connected to the act of cultural stewardship. Ozi thinks beyond the aesthetic value of pieces to how she can champion and protect artists who are changing how we think about social issues and even the history of art itself. Her hope is to give space for curiosity to thrive such that the museum is as essential a campus destination as, say, the library, and as thought-provoking as a piece of art. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:A day in the life of this curatorWhat a successful exhibition at University of Michigan looks likeThe unique things a curator on a college campus must think aboutIdentifying gaps in the way art history is toldHow curators can know what they don't knowHow to put the ideals of representation into practiceHow Ozi widens her own lensTraits necessary to be a successful curatorWhat her generation of museum curators is bringing to the disciplineOzi's own curation “speed round”

“I am the kind of person that believes in frequency and energy. I really like to meditate. So when I think about how to inspire the people…I use music as the channel to share that energy.” — Ramon Olguin Sanchez A vibe manager — also known as a vibe curator — has been called “the most millennial job ever.” To be one, you've got to be the kind of person who has their finger on the pulse of lifestyle and industry trends. You then curate those elements into a space or experience that's inviting and creates a positive feeling for all.Ramon Olguin Sanchez, the vibe manager at the Hard Rock Hotel Los Cabos, came to this podcast's attention via a story in Business Insider. He's in charge of curating music for 14 locations throughout the resort and maintaining the upkeep of iconic memorabilia. Speaking to him was like finding a curation unicorn in the wild. Language barriers meant the interview was shorter than usual, but we still loved learning what this unusual job entails. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Definition of a vibe manager and why he's right for the roleDeciding on the kind of vibe you wantHow to curate music to create an atmosphereRole of music volume in vibe-makingScent, decor and other factors that contribute to a vibeWhat to do if the vibe feels offFavorite memorabilia at the resortIs this the best job ever?!What's hard about being a vibe managerPlaces that inspire him for their vibesRamon's culture picks

“Film curators definitely have the challenge of [their medium's] temporal nature. With two dimensional objects, you can easily look at them at once and figure out [how to] arrange them. But when it comes to working with a time-based medium, you really have to watch it…and maybe multiple times to understand how the piece works.” — Leslie Raymond, Ann Arbor Film Festival  At 60 years old, the Ann Arbor Film Festival (AAFF) is the longest-running independent and experimental film festival in North America. Its director, Leslie Raymond, doesn't just think about curating the best selection of experimental films each year. She also considers how the films fit into the festival's rich legacy and Ann Arbor's own cultural standing. (It's been called the “Berkeley of the East.”)It was exciting to learn about the ways film curation differs from other forms of curation and how the AAFF team turns 2,700 submissions into a tight, six-day lineup that surprises and delights audiences. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:What's so cool about AAFFThe Ann Arbor scene and techno musicWhat does avant-garde film even mean these daysHow they decide what makes it into the festivalHow filmmakers can get a curator's attentionConversation and dialogue as part of the curatorial processWhat's unique about film curatorsHow roles as an artist and educator intersect with being a curatorWhy it's sometimes taboo for a curator to put their voice in the mixHow the films fit together as a body of workWhat AAFF teaches new film reviewersWhether Leslie still watches movies for funLeslie's culture picks

“To be a good curator, it's important to…be open to what you don't know and to be looking for people to tell you what the new important ideas are instead of going out and saying, I think I know what matters.” — Corey Hajim, TED Business CuratorShe didn't know it while it was unfolding, but when you look back at Corey Hajim's career trajectory, it makes sense that she became the business curator at TED. Prior to joining the conference and content company, Corey got an MBA at Harvard, spent a decade in finance in New York City, and was a reporter at Fortune. So when she saw the job description for a curatorial role at TED, it didn't just speak to her for the skills it required. There was one other sentence that hooked her: “We only hire nice people.”Corey is most definitely a kind person, but what was fascinating to find out in this conversation is how niceness can make you a better curator. With that as a foundation, Corey dove into how she helps to program multiple events and online series each year, including working directly with dozens of speakers to make sure their TED talks shine. Learn from her deep curatorial experience while extracting some public speaking tips for yourself. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:How she became the business curator at TEDWhy the role spoke to herWhat attributes make a great curatorWhat makes an “idea worth spreading” in a talkHow she finds and coaches people for TED talksHow she thinks about the talks as a holistic body of workReacting to news and cultural momentsPresentation tips for the rest of usWho she still wants to get for a TED talkUnderviewed talks worth your timeHow she tracks her ideas when she's always consumingFavorite TED talks and other culture picks

“Ever since I was at Amazon, I've been intrigued by the way in which discovery needs to be a bit more than search, and how curation is almost the flipside of knowing what you want…Helping you identify what you would get delight from is very often the result of curation.” — Spencer HymanAs a “craft chocolate DJ” who runs a subscription service called Cocoa Runners, Spencer Hyman has plenty to say about the art of curating delicious, ethical chocolate bars. He's deeply immersed in everything about the subject, from its history and the science of taste to how its cultivation impacts local farmers and the planet. Add in his experience as a general manager at Amazon and chief operations officer of Last.fm, and you'll quickly hear that Spencer's perspective on curation actually goes way beyond cacao. He sees curation as a solution for many categories of goods — like music, film, wine, coffee, gardening — where consumers don't typically know how to find the best stuff out there.Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Through-line of curation in his careerWhy choose chocolateThe meaning of “craft chocolate”How to be an effective chocolate curatorInvolving his team's expertise and taste budsThe difference between flavor and tasteHow humans experience flavor and taste differentlyThe allure of packaging for a curator — yay or nay?The “no repeat” rule for curationProgramming engaging online virtual tastingsWhy the U.S. has a poor reputation for chocolateDark vs. milk chocolate How he tracks his ideas and inspirationSpencer's culture picksA detour into Spencer's early career making Cabbage Patch Dolls

“I've learned how to choose the people who have the most interesting voices and stories and not just the ones that make $500,000 a year…I've really learned to mine for story and interesting tidbits and different kinds of people.” — Hannah RimmIf you've ever read a Money Diary on Refinery29, you know they're fascinating and a little bit addictive. Initially, it's the scenario that draws you in; headlines like “I'm 25, I make $28,000 & I'm A Cowgirl For A Living” or “I'm 37, I Have A Joint Income Of $1.3 Million & I'm Shopping For A Second Home.” But quickly you'll find yourself immersed in the juicy details of a stranger's life — with the added benefit of picking up some personal finance insights along the way. It's the same kind of pleasure as  watching (smart) reality TV.In this episode, we get to know Money Diaries editor Hannah Rimm. As the franchise's only curator, Hannah sifts through more than 30 submissions per week in order to feed an ambitious publishing schedule of three weekly diaries. How she creates a column with such a rabid fan base — and a high-quality comment section, no less — is at the heart of this conversation. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:“Money Diaries” for the uninitiatedThe psychology of why “Money Diaries” is so interestingHow she goes about deciding whom to featureThe tie between emotions and spendingHow she ensures entries are truthful and soundWhat's important in someone's money storyHow she cultivates such a high-quality comment sectionThe best way for a reader to make use of a Refinery29 money diaryWhat changes she's made to her own financial habits after editing this columnOn being a credit card points wizardHow trends in the marketplace are influencing the stories being toldHow to manage “frivolous” spending (and the guilt that comes with it)What kinds of conversations she had about money growing upHer favorite money diariesWhat she learned about the art of curation from this jobHannah's culture picks

“Sometimes in the Jewish imagination, but definitely in the broader public imagination, people reduce all of Jewish history to the Holocaust. And so I think one of the responsibilities that curators have is to show the rich panoply of Jewish experience beyond just 1939-1945…and to create access points to those histories.” — Jason Steinhauer History Club founder Jason Steinhauer is a curator with such deep and varied experience that it's hard to know where to start. Do we begin with the popular Clubhouse conversations he hosts on Thursday nights? His new book about how social media and the Web have changed the past? Or with any one of the curatorial/archivist roles he's had at places like the Library of Congress, the New York Public Library, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Museum of Chinese in America? Instead, the conversation begins with a curatorial experience centered on a topic core to his identity, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage–A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. The grandchild of Holocaust survivors, Jason was part of the team behind an award-winning exhibition about American Jews in the Second World War. He brings a perspective to history — and how we experience stories from the past — that incorporates media, tech, culture and his own Jewish faith. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Growing up a “museum nerd”Unique pressures of curating for a Holocaust museumHow one begins to curate Jewish storiesWhat curators of Jewish history need to consider that other curators do notWhat makes a good historian and how that is different from what makes a good curator of historyCare for physical objects in a digital worldInside his book, “History, Disrupted”Consuming accurate, high-quality historical content on the Internet (and does Instagram count?)Founding History Club and curating conversations thereWhat inspires his Clubhouse conversationsThe through-line of his careerHow history might judge the current daySpeed round: Jason's culture picks

“The moment we opened our doors, the project belonged to everybody else who's interacting with it. It's [now] about serving those people and their engagement with things. A lot of curation is also about listening and continuing to change your perspective and accept things that you didn't know or understand before you started on the journey you're on.” — Matthew James-Wilson, Heavy Manners LibraryImagine wanting to create a library and then building it from scratch. What books would you include? Why would you choose them? What would you leave out? How would you serve your community and respond to how they are reacting to your creation?These are the questions facing Matthew James-Wilson and Molly Soda of Heavy Manners Library, a new space in Los Angeles with a to-be-launched online component. The library seeks to archive and distribute self and independently published artists' books, zines, and  more. It's hoped that this will create a place where people without a formal art education can access that media outside of an institutional setting such as a university or a traditional library or gallery.This episode shows what it's like curating something from the ground up and how two creative people can collaborate to do what they do best while serving the project as a whole.  Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Origins of the name “Heavy Manners Library”What makes the cut for the libraryHow they ensure the selection lives up to their missionFilling in the gapsHow the online membership will workCollaborating with your co-curatorHow to balance your tastes with what the community wantsWhat they hope people feel when they come into the spaceAdvice to artists on how to get noticedHow the NFT trend impacts what they're buildingHow they find inspiration and track ideasWhere to find up-and-coming artistsGenerational approaches to collectingMatthew and Molly's culture picks

“The best preachers are able to say, here's this timeless principle — like humility or forgiveness or racial reconciliation — and then look around and say, ‘In what areas are our people uniquely challenged to live by this principle?' That's where the curation comes in, where you're reading the news and trying to find the pressure points where people are struggling and really press in there.” — Dan DarlingYou don't have to be religious to enjoy this interview with pastor, author and columnist Dan Darling. As the director of the Richard Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Dan lives at the intersection of the Bible, the culture and his ministry. It's fascinating to learn about how he curates ideas and stories for his sermons, how he would curate the Bible for beginners, and his thoughts on what Jesus would curate.Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:How Dan's faith came to himHow curation applies to Dan's role as a pastorWhat it looks like to be a Christian in today's worldAnchoring sermons in the timelessness of the BibleHow something written so long ago can still feel relevantCurating the Bible for beginnersWhat would Jesus curateApplying the disciples' qualities to ourselvesMisperceptions secular people have about religious people (and vice-versa)How he tracks his ideas for sermons and writingsHis media dietWhat's hard about his jobHow pastors are curatorsDan's favorite books, podcasts, shows and more

“What the internet really needed was a great curator; someone who would read and select and present the finest pieces to you so that you could ignore the noise and get straight to the quality.” — Uri Bram, The BrowserMission accomplished. If you subscribe to The Browser, you can rest easy knowing that a steady stream of fascinating pieces you didn't know you wanted to read will flow effortlessly to you. A manageable five per day, in fact, plus extra bits in the postscript, like a video, podcast and quote. That's after the small team sifts through hundreds of stories every day. “The only real criteria we have at The Browser is: Will this piece be as interesting 10 years from now as it is today?” CEO Uri Bram reveals. But it's not just the stories that are interesting; so are the sources. The Browser curates from an extremely long tail of publishers and voices, almost all accessible for free, so there was much to unpack about the art of curation. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:What problem The Browser is trying to solveWhat makes a story right for The BrowserWhat makes a curator right for The BrowserA typical day for the teamCollecting 10+ years of RSS feedsWhat grabs a curator's attention in the firehoseThe thinking behind their haiku-like subject linesWhat's hard about running The BrowserDiscovering The Browser and publishing to GhostGhost vs SubstackThe Browser as a source: copying or compliment?Incorporating YouTube into their content strategyWhich newsletters Uri loves himself

“We really want to help people discover music that can help them feel a particular set of feelings in a way that we believe is incredibly potent. For me personally, that's kind of my guiding light in how I decide on what music actually stands out and what music will be able to touch many people from within.” — Jonathan TzouJonathan Tzou lives at the intersection of music, curation and entrepreneurship. As a fervent music fan and co-founder of electronic dance music site Dancing Astronaut, he is immersed in the world of EDM and speaks eloquently about how you might sift through a seemingly infinite number of tracks and mixes to recommend the very best for an audience. He's also the founder and CMO of Rupie.io, a platform that leverages the superpowers of thousands of curated creators to help build outstanding games and digital experiences. Where these roles meet is the foundation of this conversation, as Jonathan speaks from the heart about feeling and how it is a guiding principle no matter what you're curating. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Connecting as music fansElectronic music: feeling, production styles, pioneersThe power of dance and letting goTurning a passion for dance music into a communityWhere to start when curating the huge universe of EDMThe process of “micro A&R”Identifying the threads of human emotion and the role of emotional resonance in curationThe tipping point on timeliness as a curatorLeveraging recommendation engines for music discoveryEssential outlets for finding out about good new musicBest curated music festivals and why you should try new thingsApplying curation principles to running a companyCultivating presence / music is meditation

“A top-down view is: someone's going to tell me what's cool, and that's not how it works anymore. It's trickle up, where the curator is the one who builds the audience and curates what's cool. If the audience comes, it comes from the community. And that's why it's really exciting: it doesn't rely on someone who has status or money to make these things reach scale.” — Gaby GoldbergWhen people talk about Web3 and the metaverse, it feels like we're moving into a new era, one governed by new rules of ownership and interconnectivity, where we can all take part in a new economy online. But where does curation fit into that future?Investor Gaby Goldberg has one of the clearest-eyed views of how curation, culture, identity and ownership all fit together in this brave new world. She's written several seminal posts at gaby.mirror.xyz — articles that themselves curate ideas into a fresh understanding of how tastemaking is now “trickle up” and who helped us get here (Kanye). Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:What is the difference between a creator and a curatorThe best curation needs a human touchThe movement towards more niche communitiesHow to find curators you respect and trustOrganizing ideas for written piecesThe psychology behind the need to curateWhat this new market of creators as curators will look likeHow curators can inspire trustUnderstanding the new universe of curation, Web3 and DAOs — where to startWhy choose Mirror as a publishing platformWhy curation will be more important in the metaverseThe difference between Web3 and the metaverseCurating the people around you

“We're not trying to pick something that fits our subscribers' tastes and interests. In a way, we're sort of doing the opposite: the point of Stack is that you come to us because you want to be exposed to things that you wouldn't have come upon yourself.” — Steve Watson, StackSteve Watson is the ultimate magazine curator. As the founder and curator of Stack, he is responsible for curating the world's periodicals, carefully selecting the most original and interesting ones for his online shop and subscription service. It's high-stakes curation: he must continually outdo himself so that subscribers are regularly surprised and delighted by his selections. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Geeking out over print magazinesLooking for something not seen before Remember “Raygun”?The art of magazine making in the digital ageHow he curates the Stack magazine serviceHow much of an editor's imprint is visible in magazinesWhich magazines belong in a hall of fameWhich countries are the best at magazine makingCould a machine do his job?What's challenging about running StackMagazines: keep, recycle or something else?

“I want to democratize the idea of collecting so that it's not only for people who have a lot of money who collect ancient artifacts or shoes or expensive watches. You can collect ideas, artists, and favorite things…” — Julia Lu, The CollectorIf you spend any time on Flipboard, you'll likely see The Collector's Storyboards pass through your feeds. And if they don't catch your eye visually, they'll for sure pique your intellectual curiosity. With over 700 of these collections, curated around themes ranging from Banksy's political art to Greek myths you probably don't know, The Collector presents fascinating angles on ancient history, art, artists and philosophy.  TheCollector.com Editor-in-Chief Julia Lu takes us behind the scenes on the site's editorial operations, where we learn how a collective of experts works together to curate information that has become a trusted resource for scholars, classrooms and enthusiasts.Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:How Julia got involved with The CollectorHer relationship to collectingHow collecting differs from curatingGaining consensus when a collective is curatingWhat makes for an ideal contributor to The CollectorHow you might take a collective of experts and form a big picture for a brandHow The Collector thinks about sourcingThings to consider when curating an artist's lifeWhat to consider when curating historical artefacts for a modern digital audienceCurating against — or revising — the historical recordWhat's hard about running The CollectorPitfalls of Wikipedia as a sourceHow Flipboard fits into The Collector's content strategy

“It has to feel like it's a creation, not just a collection. That keeps you from getting burned out, because if you're passionate about what you're making, then you wake up the next morning and you just need to push that publish button.” — Dave PellIf you're a news(letter) connoisseur, then you likely already know — and love — NextDraft. Every weekday, at around 12pm PT, a new edition delights the ol' inbox: 10 of the most fascinating stories of the day, lovingly ensconced in a writeup filled with biting observations and funny quips. That voice belongs to Dave Pell — “the internet's managing editor” and author of the book “Please Scream Inside Your Heart: Breaking News and Nervous Breakdowns in the Year That Wouldn't End” (out in November 2021). Dave is a lean, one-man operation who's been curating email newsletters well before they were a trend, and he had much to share about his daily curation process, why he sees himself as a columnist, self-care for news curators, and where he gets all those puns. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Origins (and meaning of) NextDraftThe power of email: it's asynchronous and is one feed you have control overHow the Trump years and news cycles impact(ed) his readershipHow Dave puts together NextDraft, including sourcing stories, building the email, and any help he getsHow he comes up with such punny copy — and his favorite pun he's ever written (oh, it's good)The joys and hazards of being the internet's managing editorDealing with burnout as a news curatorWhat's challenging about working on The Next DraftA peek inside his first book, an overview of the surreal year that was 2020How writing a book is different from writing a newsletterWhat it's like being in a two-curator household (his wife, Gina, is a founder of The What)

“I always get really excited when someone who has access to any possible new piece of clothing buys something from the past that we've chosen. That's a really exciting step forward for vintage. It's the most ethical way of shopping, and chances are no one else is going to have the same thing that you have.” — Brandon Veloria Giordano of James VeloriaIf you've ever trekked to the James Veloria vintage store in downtown Manhattan, you might think you took a wrong turn. Tucked away in a Chinatown mall, the shop is a glittery jewel box of clothes with as much personality as the proprietors themselves. By making it to James Veloria, you instantly become part of a community with other shoppers who also had enough savvy to make it there. Badge earned!In this episode, the store's owners, Collin James Weber and Brandon Veloria Giordano, talk to us about the art of curating vintage clothes for their business and for fun. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:How they turned a passion into a businessHow they track trends and inspirationHow they find vintage gems to sellHow they ‘remix' those items in the storeCreating a community among customersWhat people misunderstand about vintageThrift store curation tipsBeing in business with your partnerHow COVID-19 is changing fashionBest cities for vintage shopping

“The Latin term 'cura' means ‘concern' or ‘study' or figuring out different approaches to pulling together things. It also relates to healing, which I find kind of amusing, that the term ‘cure' and ‘curator' are tangentially associated. Like you're healing by pulling together information.” — DJ SpookyPaul Miller, aka DJ Spooky, is the ultimate creator: he's a composer, a DJ, a multimedia artist, an editor, an author, and the curator of one of Flipboard's most interesting magazines, “Semantic Infiltration.” He's completely immersed in environmental and social issues and creates art to press those issues into the public consciousness. He's also Yale's Artist in Residence this year. Paul seems to think deeply about everything — even his green tea selection! — and his intellectual and artistic curiosity have no bounds. His sources and references themselves create a canon for the avant-garde artist and those who want to be.Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:Etymology of the word “curation”How he thinks about curationLiving in a recommendation engine ecosystemThe thinking behind “Semantic Infiltration” and his  book, “Digital Fictions”Using trustworthy sources when writing a bookTurning data into artHow we can be more intentional about our choicesHow curating music is different from curating contentHis media diet and routineWhere other social platforms fit into his consumption/curationOpen source as 'the best way for humanity to move forward'How the evolution of his art has paralleled the evolution of technologyCurating his own catalogOn democracy and moving between worlds

“I came to realize, over 20 years, that food was much more important than what you cooked for dinner or what cool ingredient you were into or what groovy restaurant you're going to. And gradually what I wrote about...became the bigger picture in food. I don't want to leave cooking behind; cooking matters. But it's a small part of the food picture and talking about that is really important to us.” — Mark BittmanMark Bittman, Melissa McCart and the team at The Bittman Project are building a new kind of food media empire — one that can only be born in the post-2020 era. Naturally, recipes and cooking advice are at the heart of why people might subscribe to their newsletter or listen to Mark's podcast. But their strategy is for you to come for the cooking and stay for the impact, whether that's learning how to eat less meat, expanding the voices you might hear from in food, or bucking conventional wisdom in and out of the kitchen. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings:How Mark developed his brand and expertise around food after he left the New York TimesHow Melissa helped to shape The Bittman Project as editorHow current issues, like the coronavirus, climate change, and racial injustice, impact their content strategyThe criteria for what's curated into The Bittman Project Substack newsletterThe values of The Bittman ProjectWhat Mark and Melissa read to keep up on food trends and the industryHow the art of curation comes into play when planning and writing a cookbook like “How to Cook Everything”How they curate their teamHow they curate guests and content for the “Food With Mark Bittman” podcastHow they use data to inform content decisionsWhat's challenging about running The Bittman ProjectHow a home cook should curate their kitchenIdeas for curating your grocery shoppingOlive oil, demystified

“What really makes an incredible curator in science is what makes an incredible curator of anything. A lot of that is thinking deeply about the experience.” — Jennifer FrazierThe Exploratorium is a beloved, hands-on museum in San Francisco, where science isn't just something to learn about; it's something to be uncovered and discovered as a kind of personal journey.No one knows this better than Jennifer Frazier. As a senior scientist and curator at the Exploratorium, Jen is at the helm of creating immersive experiences that help people see science as a verb. “You're not just curating important scientific ideas or discoveries,” she says. “You're actually trying to curate so that people can experience the process of science.”We talked to Jen about how to create science experiences for the public, what it means to practice inclusive exhibition design, how to reach communities who aren't visiting, and more. Highlights, inspiration and key learnings: What it means to be a scientist-curator. There aren't a ton of them.History of the Exploratorium. Shout out to the Oppenheimer brothers.What success looks like for the scientist-curator. How to think about the experiences you want to create for your audience.How to reach groups you're not reaching. Thinking about who is not being served and being more accessible to all people. Practicing inclusive exhibition design, starting with examining who is the curator and what is their background. The art of community curation and how you can curate with the people you're serving.How much of your own tastes a curator should reveal when working for an institution. Using data to inform the work.The unique challenges of being a Life Sciences Curator — like keeping living things alive!Advice for people interested in following a similar career path. The importance of spending time in nature, the secret joy of national park visitor centers, and other things that inspire her. Who she'd like to invite to a science dance party.