Lynda Roscoe Hartigan: Hi, I’m Lynda Roscoe Hartigan, the Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Executive Director and CEO of the Peabody Essex Museum. Welcome to another episode of Fireside Chats. These chats take place in historic structures and special places across PEM’s campus to share updates and reflections about the museum, alongside conversations with special guests who help bring PEM’s mission to life.

Today, we’re coming to you from one of the oldest surviving houses in Salem: the John Ward House. Originally built in the 1680s for a successful leatherworker, this structure is a beautiful example of First Period architecture, with its steeply pitched gables and diamond-paned leaded casement windows.

This house carries with it over 350 years of layered history. Scientific analysis of the timber beams tells us that the kitchen was constructed in the summer of 1692 — a year deeply etched in Salem’s memory due to the Salem Witch Trials. Back then, the house stood a few blocks away from its current location, across from the Old Salem Jail.

By 1890, it had become a tenement, home to some of the city’s poorest residents. It was set to be demolished in 1910, but PEM curator and preservationist George Francis Dow relocated it to our campus instead. Today, it’s part of our popular walking tours that explore Salem’s architectural treasures.

Which brings me to today’s guest: David Snider, PEM’s Director of Learning & Community Engagement.

David oversees a vibrant portfolio that includes public programming, internships, community partnerships and educational offerings for learners of all ages. It’s a big job — especially as our calendar of events continues to ramp up with more and more different opportunities. So, David, here we are, complete with our coats because it’s cold in here in the fall. What has your busy team been up to these days?

David Snider: Thanks, Lynda. It’s great to be here. Right now, our growing team — there are 14 of us in Learning & Community Engagement — is continuing to  build clear, sustainable programs while creating  innovative and accessible gateways to learning. So it’s about balance and excellence. Innovation with consistency.  Each member of our team brings their own passion for engagement, and collectively, we’re focused on creating meaningful, inclusive experiences for all of our visitors.

Lynda: That’s a really important fact as we build audiences for the museum. As you work with your team to do that, you’ve brought more than 25 years of experience in the arts and culture sector, but primarily in the performing arts arena. I’m curious about what motivated you to move into the museum sector, especially an art museum?

David: I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling and community engagement — through theater, music, dance, visual arts or education. And I believe that cultural spaces like museums can inspire transformation and connection and truly be a 21st-century “town square” for gathering and bringing people together.  I’ve also been a fan of PEM for many years, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come here and contribute to this amazing institution.

Lynda: We’re glad you’re here! And one of the reasons that you are so deeply busy at this point and time is working to create more long-term, multidisciplinary program offerings for our audiences. Give us some examples and details. Maybe PEM Presents and PEM Reads?

David: Those are two examples of how we activate the museum in unexpected ways. PEM Presents brings in artists in residence to share work inspired by PEM’s exhibitions, collections or themes. We’ve had original music composed on site, live theater in the galleries and even dance pieces created by artists who spent time in our archives.

Lynda: That is what we can offer to ignite curiosity and imagination. We are very committed, as you know, to being a magnetic, human-centered gathering place — we want people to be curious and inspired and connecting in new ways. What inspires you right now?

David: One of the things that really inspires me is that in our strategic plan, one of the pillars is “Learning.” That means we’re prioritizing learning and ensuring that it’s joyful, welcoming and productive, from PEM Pals for toddlers to professional development for teachers, and everything in between.

One thing we’re especially looking forward to this spring is the launch of Creative Kids, a new series of weeklong arts enrichment programs for kids ages 11-13. From Monday through Friday, they’ll spend all day at PEM with teaching artists making art and exploring PEM’s exhibitions and galleries, leading to the students’ creation of new visual art and writing based on their experiences.

Lynda: That’s a great example of how we help stimulate the lifelong learning journey for people. We are obviously very focused on what we’re doing here. But there is a whole world of education and community engagement outside of the museum. What sorts of trends or shifts are you seeing in the larger world of museum education right now?

David: Post-pandemic, there’s definitely a shift going on. People are really hungry to be here in person, to have deeply connected experiences. And museums are evolving further into civic spaces — places where people gather not just to learn, but to make meaning together. It feels to me that in our world, that’s more important than ever.

We offer visitors and community members a third space — beyond home, school or work — where they can feel inspired, nourished and enlightened by the arts. And we try to take them on a learning journey that starts with curiosity, builds empathy and leads to action.

Lynda: The third space concept is really critical. It does go to that whole concept of belonging that we are so committed to. So, final question: What are you most looking forward to this winter?

David: I am very excited about our upcoming exhibition Edmonia Lewis: Said in Stone, in part because it gives us an amazing opportunity to teach students and all of our visitors about an amazing artist who they may not have heard of. As you well know, Edmonia Lewis was a Black and Indigenous artist who blazed a new trail into the world of Neo-Classical sculpture in the 19th century, and too few people today know about her work.

So, we have a whole slate of engagement activities planned, in-school and after-school programs, art activities and panel discussions. We’ll be spending months celebrating Edmonia Lewis and her life and work.

Lynda: That’s right —  she was really quite famous and very entrepreneurial and successful during her life. So, to bring that life cycle of success forward to different generations is really important.

David: I’m also really looking forward to Salem 400+, which will be a year-long celebration of Salem history and exploring our future together. We have a bunch of in-school and after-school programs and special projects tied to that. It’s going to be a great year to celebrate our amazing history and the amazing community here in Salem.

Lynda: And some of the Salem 400+ programs help us also celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Revolutionary War, a larger milestone in American history. David, It’s been great to be here with you and to share what’s going on with Learning & Community Engagement because, as you say, those are pillars for how we want to be a museum for as many people as possible.

And as always, fall is a busy time in Salem and a perfect time to cozy up on PEM’s campus. Take a guided tour, join our PEM Reads book club or stop in for our community art-making.

Thanks for being with us. And see you next time.

Eager to learn more? You can find all of PEM’s Fireside Chat episodes on our Youtube channel.