Tom Borrup, Ph.D.
Speaking Engagements (Since 2010)
- Association of Arts Administration Educators 2020 annual conference, transitioned from in-person to a series of hour-long webinars, Monday through Friday throughout the months of May and June. On June 19, Tom offered a session on the art of cultural asset mapping based on a chapter from his upcoming book entitled, The Map Strikes Back: From Empires to Empowerment.
- Keynote speech at the ZiJin Cultural Industries Forum, a national symposium on the creative economy, Nanjing, China, December 2019. Tom travelled to the historic city of Nanjing, guest of the Nanjing University of the Arts where he also assessed graduate student presentations and was the guest of the Purple Academy of Creativity and Culture, a think tank and service organization providing cultural and creative economy planning for the Nanjing region.
- Keynote Speaker, 2019 Growing a Creative Economy Conference, Sydney on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, March 2019. Tom’s talk, Building Communities Together – The Role of Creativity opened the conference sponsored by the Cape Breton Centre for Craft & Design and the Cape Breton Partnership at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.
- Speaker, 7th International Conference on Cultural Management in Beijing in July included many speakers from China, Australia, the U.S., Canada, South Korea, and other Pacific countries. Tom spoke on cultural planning and his research in the U.S.
- Keynote speech at the 17th Urban Cultural Research Plaza at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, March 2019 entitled Cultural Planning at 40: Expanding the Role of Arts in Communities? The annual conference is co-sponsored by Chulalongkorn University and Japan’s Osaka City University.
- Lecture: National University of Colombia
Bogotá, Columbia, November, 2018.
Tom delivered a lecture as part of the Manuel Ancízar Ciudadancías en Movimiento Arte y Cultura Construyendo Comunidad, and met classes and with students informally. He was also hosted by the City of Bogotá Office of Culture, Leisure, and Sport to meet with staff and workers in community arts projects, cultural districts, and creative economy, spending one day in the neighborhood of Manitas, Ciudad Bolivar participating in design activities and celebrating the “social appropriation of public space.” - Presentation: 44th Annual Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts Conference
University of Manchester, England, November, 2018.
Topic: Finding Ourselves in the City: Culture, Democracy & Aesthetic Justice in City Planning & Design. - Keynote Speaker: Tennessee American Planning Association
Kingsport, Tennessee, September, 2018.
Tom addressed ways city planners can partner with artists to create more engaging public participation and strengthen the practices of democracy on the community level. - Panel Leader: Americans for the Arts Conference, Cultural Planning Panel
Denver, Colorado, June, 2018
Presentation: Cultural Planning Research - Presentation: Association of Arts Administration Educators
Houston Texas, June, 2018.
Topic: Reflecting Culture and Humanity in Urban Design - Academic Paper: Urban Research Plaza 16th Urban Culture Forum
Bangkok, Thailand, March 8, 2018.
Presentation: Aesthetic Democracy: Bringing Democratic Principles to Urban Planning Education. - Academic Paper: Association for Arts Management International Conference
Cultural Leadership and Innovation
Hamburg, Germany, January 19, 2018
Presentation: Cultural Planners: Leading Change or Circling the Wagons? - Keynote Speaker: Gwangju Urban Design Forum
Asia Culture Center, Gwangju, South Korea, December 7, 2017
Presentation: What Does Cultural Democracy Look Like? Reflecting Culture and Humanity in Urban Design. - Lecture: Hongik University Masters in Arts and Cultural Management Program
Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2017
Presentation: Culture, Place, and Community: Challenges for 21st Century Leaders. - Lecture: New York University Visual Arts Administration Program
New York, NY, November 7, 2017.
Presentation: Culture, Place, and Community: Challenges for 21st Century Leaders. - Workshop Co-Presenter: Alliance for the Arts in Research Universities
Northeastern University, Boston, MA, November 3, 2017, with Harry Waters Jr.
Presentation: More Drama, Less Trauma: Theater and Communities on the Brink. - Academic Paper: Social Theory, Politics, and the Arts
43rd Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, October 13, 2017.
Presentation: Just Planning: The Promise and Evolution of Cultural Planning. - Featured Speaker: Krasl Art Center Annual Meeting
St. Joseph, MI, October 19, 2017
Presentation: Creative Placemaking or Finding Creativity in Places? - Workshop Leader: Benton Harbor, MI, Public Library
October 18, 2017
Topic: What can the Arts Do for My Community? - Workshop co-leader: New Hampshire Institute of Art
Manchester, NH, August 20 – 22, 2017
Three-day Creative Placemaking Residency, with Leo Vazquez and Harry Waters Jr. - Academic Paper: Association of Arts Administration Educators
Edinburgh, Scotland, June 1, 2017
Presentation: Just Planning: The Marriage of Culture and City Planning. - Panel Presentation: American Planning Association Annual Convention
New York City, May 8, 2017
Topic: Catalyzing Livable Communities with Cultural Planning. - Keynote Speaker: Creative Convergence
South Salt Lake, UT, May 19, 2017
Presentation: Finding and Nurturing Zones for Creative Entrepreneurs. - Panelist Presentation: Mountain West Arts Conference
Salt Lake City, UT, May 4, 2017
Topic: The Science and Art of Asset Mapping. - Featured Speaker and Workshop Leader: Annual Utah Change Leader Conference
Utah Arts and Museums, Salt Lake City, UT, May 3, 2017
Tapping Artists as Partners in Organizational and Community Work. - Academic Paper: 15th Urban Research Plaza Forum
Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, March 8, 2017
Presentation: Midtown Global Market: Growing Immigrant Entrepreneurs and A New Community. - Featured Speaker: American University, Fall Colloquium of the Arts Management Program
Washington, DC, November 4, 2016
Presentation: Challenges to Future Cultural Leaders to Envision Responses to Climate Change and Population Dislocations. - Academic Paper: 27th Annual Conference on Human Dignity and Humiliation Studies
Dubrovnik, Croatia, September 23, 2016
Presentation: Minneapolis' Midtown Global Market and its role in building economic and social capital among Minnesota's growing immigrant communities. - Academic Paper: Community Development Society (CDS) and International Association for Community Development (IACD) joint conference
Bloomington, MN, July 27, 2016
Presentation: Developing Equity and Resilience through Cultural Districts. - Panel Leader and Presenter: Association of Arts Administration Educators
Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, June 2, 2016
Topic: Employing Adjunct Instructors – Best Practices. - Presenter: Global Cultural Districts Network Conference
Brooklyn, NY, May 24, 2016
Presentation: Learning from Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts. - Academic Paper: 14th Urban Research Plaza Forum, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, March 3, 2016. Presentation: Urban Culture – Rural Culture: Overcoming a Dichotomy.
- Lecture: Urban Studies Seminar
Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, February 3, 2016
Presentation: Can We Make Places Creative? - Keynote Speaker and summation speaker: Creative Ohio: Transforming Communities
Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH, December, 15, 2015
Presentation: Making Successful Creative Places. - Featured Speaker: Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken
La Boca Arts District, Buenos Aires, Argentina, October 23, 2015
Presentation: Performing Community – Artists as Leaders in Community Building. - Keynote Speaker / Workshop Leader: Nebraska Arts Council Statewide Conference
Lincoln, Nebraska, June 19, 2015, The Cornhusker Marriott Hotel
Organized by: Nebraska Arts Council
Presentation: “Building Creative Communities” - Presenter: Arts Leadership Preconference, Americans for the Arts
Chicago, Illinois, June 12, 2015, Sheraton Towers Hotel
Organized by: Americans for the Arts
Presentation: “Gaining Allies, Partners, and Collaborators: A Primer for Arts Leaders” - Featured Speaker: “Imagine 2020” Cultural Plan Speaker Series
Denver, Colorado, April 24, 2015, Su Teatro
Organized by: City of Denver Arts and Venues
Presentation: “The Art of Community Building” - Speaker / Workshop Leader: Creative Industries Summit
Ft. Collins, Colorado, April 23, 2015, Hilton Hotel
Organized by: Colorado Creative Industries
Presentation: “Asset Based Community Development” - Keynote Speaker and Workshop Leader: Creative Districts Annual Gathering
Ft. Collins, Colorado, April 22, 2015, Community Creative Center at the Historic Carnegie Building
Organized by: Colorado Creative District Program
Presentation: “Creating Policies to Build Successful Creative Communities” - Academic Paper: The 13th Urban Research Plaza's Forum
A Forum in Thailand for Creativity in Urban Community Development
Bangkok, Thailand, March 2, 2015, Chulalongkorn University
Organized by: The Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts Chulalongkorn University and the Urban Research Plaza, Osaka City University
Title: “Protecting Cultural Space or Urban Re-colonization: When Do Cultural Districts Cross the Line?” - Keynote Speaker: Plug-In Conference
Seoul, South Korea, December 9, 2014, National Museum of Korea Main Hall
Organized by: Korean Network for Arts and Culture Bureau (KNAC)
Presentation: “Collaboration, a New Way of Supporting the Arts” - Speaker: National Alliance of Media Arts and Culture and Alliance for Community Media Combined Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 7, 2014, Downtown Sheraton Hotel
Organized by: National Alliance of Media Arts and Culture and Alliance for Community Media
Presentation: “Mapping the Field: Presentation of Data Findings” - Speaker: Association of Arts Administration Educators Annual Conference
Montreal, Canada, May 30, 2014, HEC Montreal Business School
Organized by: Association of Arts Administration Educators
Presentation: “Creative Placemaking 101” - Featured Speaker / Workshop Leader: Illinois Arts Alliance
Illinois, May 7, 2014, Pleasant Home Historic House
Organized by: Illinois Arts Alliance and Illinois Arts Council
Presentation / Format: “Why Creative Placemaking?” plus a day-long workshop for practitioners - Speaker: Public Art 360
San Diego, California, March 7, 2014, San Diego Central Public Library
Organized by: San Diego International Airport Authority
Presentation: “Who Am I When I Am Here?” - Keynote Speaker / Workshop Leader: Cátedra de Nuevas Políticas Culturales
Bogotá, Colombia, October 31 – November 1, 2013, multiple locations
Organized by: Bogotá Department of Culture, Recreation, and Sport
October 31 Presentation, Center of Memory Peace and Reconciliation: “Sustainable Creative Places: Community Planning, Cultural Policy and the Creative Milieu”
November 1 Workshop, Ciudad de Bolivar - Luncheon Speaker: League of Historic American Theatres Annual Conference
Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 17, 2013, Renaissance Hotel
Organized by: The League of Historic American Theatres
Presentation: “Creative Placemaking: Connecting Theatres, People, Place, and Stories” - Academic Paper: The 11th Urban Research Plaza’s Forum
A Forum in Thailand for Creativity in Urban Community Development
Bangkok, Thailand, March 4, 2013, Chulalongkorn University
Organized by: The Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts Chulalongkorn University and the Urban Research Plaza, Osaka City University
Title: “Artists and Creativity in Urban Planning” - Guest Speaker: Goucher College Arts Management
February 10, 2015
Presentation: Thriving Creative, Equitable, and Sustainable Places. - Guest Speaker: Urban Studies Studies Seminar
Macalester College, St. Paul, MN, February 4, 2015
Presentation: Culture, Creativity and Place. - Keynote Speaker: Wisconsin Conference on Downtown Revitalization
Appleton, Wisconsin, October 9, 2012, Radisson Hotel
Organized by: Wisconsin Downtown Association
Presentation: “What Do We Mean by Creative Placemaking?” - Keynote Speaker: Tennessee Arts Commission Annual Conference
Tennessee, October 2012, Pickwick Landing Conference Center
“Finding Our Creative Assets and Putting Them to Work”
Organized by: Tennessee Arts Commission - Featured Speaker: Urban Land Institute
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, June, 1, 2012, IAO Gallery
Organized by: Urban Land Institute – Oklahoma
Presentation: “Sustainable and Creative Communities” - Featured Speaker: Artist, Enterprise, and Industrial Complex Symposium
Seoul, South Korea, October, 27, 2011, Seoul Art Space Geumcheon, “a global art space of creativity and an international residence for visual art projects”
Organized by: Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture
Presentation: “Synergies of Creativity, Place & Economics” - Speaker: Bruner-Loeb Forum
Minneapolis, MN, April 15, 2011, Chambers Hotel
Organized by: Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence and the Loeb Fellowship Program at the Harvard Graduate School of Design
Presentation: “Saving Lives and Changing Systems: Chemistry & Social Change” - Featured Presenter / Workshop Leader: Oklahoma Arts Conference
Norman Oklahoma, October 11, 2010, Embassy Suites Hotel
Organized by Oklahoma Arts Council
Format: Four 90-minute workshops and panel reviewing the Brady Arts District in Tulsa

Tom Borrup