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Morris Arts presents Your Brain on Art with Author Susan Magsamen

originally published: 01/09/2025


(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, Morris Arts presents Susan Magsamen at the Morris Museum.  Susan, the coauthor of New York Times Bestseller, Your Brain on Art, will share insights from her work focused on how the arts and aesthetic experiences can have positive, lasting impacts on our health.

As the Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab (IAM Lab), Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University, Susan’s work which lies at the intersection of brain sciences and the arts is truly groundbreaking.

Whether you’re a healthcare professional, an educator, an arts advocate, or simply looking to improve your wellbeing, you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge and actionable practices during this evidence-based and art-enhanced program.

Networking and breakfast begin at 8:00am followed by Susan’s keynote presentation at 9:00am, and Q&A session at 10:15am. Afterwards, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the power of the arts firsthand with live music and visual art on display at the Morris Museum.

Capacity is limited – register here for free to reserve your spot. The Morris Museum is located at 6 Normandy Heights Road in Morristown, New Jersey.




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Morris Arts are dedicated to ensuring their events and programs are accessible to all. If you need an accommodation, email Dominique Tornabe at least 10 days prior to the event. Please note, the snow date for this event is Thursday, January 23. If you have any questions, please email Debra Broseker, Events and Volunteer Manager.

Susan Magsamen is the founder and executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, a pioneering initiative at the Pedersen Brain Science Institute at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Her body of work lies at the intersection of brain sciences and the arts—and how our unique response to the arts and aesthetic experiences can amplify human potential.

Magsamen is the author of the Impact Thinking model, an evidence-based research approach to accelerate how we use the arts to solve problems in health, well-being, and learning. She is also an assistant professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins and serves as co-director of the NeuroArts Blueprint project in partnership with the Aspen Institute.

An award-winning author, Susan has published seven books. Her latest book, Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us was written with Ivy Ross, Vice President of Design for Hardware at Google. It is a journey through the science of neuroaesthetics that offers proof of how our brains and bodies are transformed when we participate in the arts and aesthetic experiences, and how this knowledge can improve our physical and mental health, help us learn and flourish, and build stronger communities.

Magsamen is also a strategic advisor to several innovative organizations and initiatives, including the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture, the American Psychological Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, Brain Futures, Learning Landscapes, and Creating Healthy Communities: Arts + Public Health in America.

Special thanks to Opella, Viver Health, and the Morris Museum for generously sponsoring this event. Additionally, thank you to the New Jersey Arts & Culture Renewal Fund and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts for making funding for this event possible.




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