Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett will present in the Intangible Cultural Heritage distinguished speaker series on May 28, 2-3:30pm, in the Smithsonian Castle Library. Her presentation, “Materializing History,” will examine the role of intangible cultural heritage in the creation of the core exhibit at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. Please see the attached announcement for further details about the event. ICH@SI_BKG_may_28_2015

Dr. Barbara Kirshenblatt-Gimblett (a.k.a. BKG) is a world renown figure in the fields of heritage studies, museum studies, Jewish studies, performance studies, and folklore. She currently serves as chief curator of the core exhibit at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews (Warsaw), as well as university professor emerita and professor emerita of performance studies at New York University. She has previously served as the president of the American Folklore Society and as an advisory board member of the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. She has been honored with numerous awards, including the Guggenheim Fellowship, Getty Research Institute fellowship, the Mlotek Prize for Yiddish and Yiddish Culture, a lifetime achievement award by the Foundation for Jewish Culture, the Marshall Sklare award for her contributions to the social scientific study of Jewry, and an honorary doctorate from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York.

If you wish to attend, please send your RSVP to Anne Pedersen (PedersenA@si.edu). Note: Smithsonian staff must bring their ID to the event to ensure smooth access to the venue.