We were delighted to work on an important and timely project titled “Cultural Engagement to Mitigate Social Isolation” in the spring and summer of 2020.

With our collaborator Michael Edson of Using Data, we received a grant from the Aspen Institute Tech Policy Hub, funded by the Ford Foundation and the Omidyar Network, to help museums, libraries, and performing arts organizations work more directly with their communities during this challenging time in America. (Read the full Aspen Tech Policy Hub announcement and the detailed press release.)

Access the outputs from the project here:

• Six Design Principles for Kickstarting New Programming in Cultural and Performing Arts Organizations During the COVID-19 Crisis
• Final Presentation Slide Deck
• Final Retrospective Report

10 cultural organizations, together serving over 4 million people across the United States, participated. These organizations were:

• Arts & Minds, New York, NY (with Howes Studio), with Carolyn Halpin-Healy, Nellie Escalante, and Deborah Howes
• Akron-Summit County Public Library System, Akron, OH, with Jennifer Stencel
• Center for Art and Public Exchange, an initiative of the Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS, with Monique Davis
• Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM, with Liz Neely
• Lux Art Institute, Encinitas, CA, with Andrew Utt and Claudia Cano
• Mississippi Museum of Art, Jackson, MS, with McKenzie Drake
• Newark Museum of Art, Newark, NJ, with Deborah Kasindorf and Silvia Flippini Fantoni
• RED EYE Theater, Minneapolis, MN, with Emily Gastineau, Jeffrey Wells, and Rachel Jendrzejewski
• Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, MN, with Katherine Covey and Susannah Schouweiler

The idea of this project was very humble and straightforward: we brought the group together and provided workshops in design thinking and LEGO Serious Play, facilitation, coaching, and outside perspectives. The participants brought their vast professional expertise, imagination, and intimate knowledge of their communities, missions, and values.

A version of this article originally appeared on the Using Data website and was authored by Michael Peter Edson.