IdeaFestival

IdeaFestival: Fail Early, Fail Often

Melissa Chipman — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:17:25 +0000

Dr. John Barker is a former member of the University of Louisville plastic surgery department and current professor of experimental trauma and orthopedic surgery at the Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität in Frankfort. He is also the head of a new regenerative medicine institute.

IdeaFestival: Shakespeare Behind Bars

Melissa Chipman — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 15:33:45 +0000

While Baratunde Thurston’s presentation on Friday may have garnered the most enthusiastic and energetic audience response, no presentation earned a more emotional response at IdeaFestival than Saturday's Shakespeare Behind Bars panel moderated by founder Curt Tofteland.

IdeaFestival: Saturday Highlights

Melissa Chipman — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 02:32:58 +0000

IdeaFestival 2012 concluded on Saturday. Kris Kimmel, the event organizer, reminded crowds that they can continue the IdeaFestival experience locally and in Lexington by enrolling in IdeaFestival University, a series of small pop-up classes that began in April and will continue throughout the year. Kimmel also announced the dates for IdeaFestival 2013 (September 25-28).

Friday's talks included a presentation (with opera) by a theoretical particle physicist and an entrepreneur's new vision for the bicycle in Tanzania.

Noise and Notes: Chess Grandmaster Maurice Ashley and Louisville's Hoop Dreams

Phillip M. Bailey — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 02:30:00 +0000

International chess grandmaster Maurice Ashley visited Louisville this week for the annual IdeaFestival where he discussed how the game impacts decision-making in business and life.

In 1999, Ashley received worldwide acclaim for being the first African-American to win the coveted grandmaster title, and he doesn't mind the role model status he's attained either.

The Brooklyn-native is an ESPN commentator and Harvard fellow, who has been touring the country for years advocating that the game is a useful tool for character-building, especially for children and teenagers. Ashley sees chess as an intellectual combat that can raise a person's thinking and provide insights into how they do or do not make critical decisions

I talked to Ashley about being a pioneer, what chess can tell us about U.S. politics and the obsession people have with the game.

IdeaFestival: The Finland School Phenomenon

Melissa Chipman — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 11:00:01 +0000

Thanks to bloggers and Twitter users with nationwide followings at last year’s IdeaFestival, students from DuPont Manual high school in Louisville garnered national acclaim for their questions for and engagement with IdeaFestival presenters. This year, their performance has been no less noteworthy. The Q&A session following Harvard Innovation Education Fellow Tony Wagner’s presentation was dominated by curious students.

IdeaFestival: Friday Highlights

Melissa Chipman — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 04:37:38 +0000

Halfway through day two of IdeaFestival, organizer Kris Kimel announced that some organizations that had reserved blocks of tickets had released their reservations. So now, individual tickets to most events are available. The festival ends Saturday, and sessions run from 9 am until 5:30 pm.

Friday kicked off with two presentations featuring artists who are currently exhibiting at the Land of Tomorrow gallery at 233 West Broadway:

Grimanesa Amoros

IdeaFestival: Are We Hardwired to Bully?

Melissa Chipman — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

When she was a child, Cynthia Lowen was painfully shy. She avoided clubs and sports, to her parents’ disappointment. She was most comfortable around books and horses—maybe most comfortable sitting quietly by herself reading books about horses. Lowen spent her childhood and teen years at a farm, mucking out stables and riding horses. The horses didn’t call her “giraffe neck,” she says, like her peers did.

Poet Nikky Finney to Speak at IdeaFestival

Jonathan Bastian — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Nikky Finney established herself as one of America's preeminent poets after winning the National Book Award last year and delivering a rousing speech that paid tributes to her forebears. (Watch it here, read it here)

IdeaFestival: Thursday Highlights

Melissa Chipman — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 04:08:52 +0000

When the organizers for IdeaFestival said that most events were sold out, they truly meant it. All of Thursday’s presentations were standing-room only.

Some highlights:

Peter Sims—Little Bets

When Kris Kimel introduced Sims, a best-selling author and entrepreneur, he said, “[Sims has] used the words ‘cool’ and ‘I love it’ and ‘awesome’ hundreds of times since he arrived in Louisville.” And indeed, Sims led his presentation with a discussion of Wednesday night’s dinner at Smoketown USA with Kevin Colleran, formerly of Facebook.

Artwithoutwalls Commissions New Art for IdeaFestival

Erin Keane — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 20:00:00 +0000

Two large-scale, site-specific art installations by the Seattle-based art trio SuttonBeresCuller are opening at IdeaFestival. The artists created “Trailer Park,” a mobile city park traveling Main Street during the Festival and "Small Moons," an installation opening at Land of Tomorrow gallery on Broadway tomorrow.