Biography

Book Amy Herman through The Keynote Curators.

Amy Herman is a lawyer and art historian who uses works of art to sharpen observation, analysis, and communication skills. By showing people how to look closely at painting, sculpture, and photography, she helps them hone their visual intelligence to recognize the most pertinent and useful information and biases that impede decision-making. She developed her Art of Perception seminar in 2000 to improve medical students’ observation and communication skills with their patients when she was the Head of Education at The Frick Collection in New York City. She subsequently adapted the program for a wide range of professionals and leads sessions internationally for the New York City Police Department, the FBI, the French National Police, the Department of Defense, Interpol, the State Department, Fortune 500 companies, first responders, the military, and the intelligence community.

In her highly participatory presentation, she demonstrates the relevance of visual literacy across the professional spectrum and how analyzing works of art affords participants in her program an innovative way to refresh their sense of critical inquiry and reconsider the skills necessary for improved performance and effective leadership. The program has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The CBS Evening News, and Smithsonian Magazine, among others. Her TED talk, A Lesson in Looking, went live in December 2018. Ms. Herman holds an A.B., a J.D., and an M.A. in art history. Her book, Visual Intelligence, was published in May 2016 and was on both the New York Times and Washington Post best sellers’ lists.

Contact us for Amy Herman’s fees and availability.

Read More

Videos

See Beyond the Surface: The Powers of Art & Perception with Amy Herman

Visual Intelligence | Amy Herman | Talks at Google

A lesson on looking | Amy Herman

Amy Herman on "Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life" | BUILD Series

How art can help you analyze - Amy E. Herman

Request Availability

Speech TopicsExpand each topic to learn more

The Art of Perception: Seeing What Matters Now

Based on her best-selling book, Visual Intelligence, Amy Herman’s workshop, The Art of Perception, is an interactive program that teaches participants across the professional
spectrum to analyze works of art as a vehicle to enhance their observation, perception, and communication skills. Looking at works of art as a group will challenge participants’ assumptions --- individually and collectively -- and refresh critical inquiry skills by incorporating multiple perspectives into their thinking. In light of the pandemic’s shift in our situational awareness, the program’s exercises are designed to meet new accessibility challenges to a virtual community and refresh the ability to communicate concisely and effectively especially in the face of change. Works of art are engaged to address breakdowns in precise communication of critical information, navigate new landscapes, and remove assumptions to promote best
practices and more effective problem-solving. Prepare to have your eyes opened when you didn’t even know they were closed.

Getting to Fixed: New Lenses for Problem Solving

Building on the skills of visual intelligence taught in The Art of Perception course, Amy Herman’s newest session, Getting to Fixed: New Lenses for Effective Problem Solving, based on her new book, Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem-Solving (December 2021) teaches how to use works of art to see impediments from a different perspective and challenge our default thinking. The last two years have afforded all of us an opportunity to shift the paradigm to reconsider our available resources to craft innovative solutions. This highly participatory
workshop leverages these new insights to open up possibilities otherwise overlooked and provide sustainable tools to resolve myriad problems, from minor annoyances to intractable
dilemmas. Things go wrong all the time, but what matters most is understanding what we can do to fix them.

Booksby Amy Herman

Fixed: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving

Visual Intelligence: Sharpen Your Perception, Change Your Life

Blog Posts

The Adventurer’s Guide to Resilience with Squash Falconer

Resilience keynote speaker Squash Falconer shares how self-trust, smart decisions, and redefining failure build elite performance.

Read More

Emotional Intelligence Under Pressure Keeps Teams Steady

Lessons from keynote speakers on how emotional intelligence under pressure keeps teams clear, kind, and useful when the stakes are highest.

Read More

Purpose at Work Helps You Make Smarter Career Decisions

Discover from Adrian Gostick how defining your purpose at work reduces anxiety and helps you make clearer, more confident career decisions.

Read More

Events That Make People Feel Seen and Create a True Sense of Community

Learn how keynote speaker Michelle Poler designs experiences for live events around core values to create real community and belonging

Read More

Explore Your Creativity with Everyday Actions, with Fredrik Haren

Creativity is a trainable mindset, not a talent. Learn how keynote speaker Fredrik Haren helps businesses unlock everyday creativity for innovation.

Read More

Productivity Speakers Who Actually Help You Focus and Move Work That Matters [2026 Guide]

Productivity isn't about time management. It's about managing friction, building focus systems, and moving work that actually matters.

Read More

Related Communication Speakers

Get in TouchContact US

Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.

A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Fill out the form so we can best understand your needs.
    A representative from The Keynote Curators will reach out to you.

  • MM slash DD slash YYYY
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form
  • This field is hidden when viewing the form