Advisory Services

Consulting

Drawing on 30+ years of interdisciplinary scholarship to advise cultural institutions, universities, and organizations on visualization, programming, and mission.

"The most pressing intellectual challenge today is building bridges between disciplines that have long operated in isolation — and doing so in ways that generate genuinely new insight."

Barbara Maria Stafford's consulting practice draws on a career at the forefront of interdisciplinary scholarship. Her specialization in visualization and imaging — spanning art, science, and cognitive research — makes her a uniquely positioned advisor for institutions navigating the intersection of humanistic inquiry and scientific method.

She works with universities, museums, and cultural organizations on program development, curatorial strategy, audience engagement, and institutional restructuring.

What We Offer

Services

  • I.
    Speaking Engagements
    Keynote addresses and public lectures on visual culture, neuroscience and the arts, imaging technologies, and interdisciplinary pedagogy.
  • II.
    Curatorial Consultation
    Conceptualization of exhibitions and public programs that bridge the arts, sciences, and humanities for diverse audiences.
  • III.
    Interdisciplinary Program Development
    Creating collaborative initiatives bridging arts, humanities, social sciences, neurosciences, and cognitive science by identifying shared research problems.
  • IV.
    Mission Conceptualization
    Assisting institutions in articulating and refining their intellectual mission — particularly around visual culture and imaging.
  • V.
    Audience Development
    Strategies for engaging new and diverse audiences with complex ideas at the intersection of art and science.
  • VI.
    Institutional Evaluation
    Assessment of art, architecture, film studies, and visualization programs at universities and cultural organizations.
Selected Work

Case Studies

Devices of Wonder Exhibition

Organized the landmark Getty Museum exhibition exploring wonder-inducing objects from early modern cabinets of curiosity to contemporary screen-based technologies — a model of interdisciplinary curatorial practice that bridged art history, science, and philosophy.

Getty Research Institute2001–2002

Interdisciplinary PhD Program Development

Developed a laboratory-based PhD program integrating the neurosciences with humanities-based imaging research at SUNY Buffalo — creating a new framework for training scholars who work across the arts-science divide.

SUNY BuffaloProgram Development

Special Collections Modernization

Consulted on making rare books and illustrated historical materials accessible and appealing to diverse contemporary users — addressing how tomes from the past can speak to present audiences.

Special Collections AdvisoryAcademic Library

Museum & Cultural Institution Strategy

Strategic consulting on exhibitions and institutional missions for the Adler Planetarium, Indianapolis Museum of Art, and Field Museum — helping major Chicago institutions align their public-facing programs with contemporary ideas in visual culture.

Multiple InstitutionsChicago, IL

Academic Program Evaluation

External assessment of art, architecture, film studies, and visualization programs at multiple universities including the University of South Carolina and the University of Illinois, Urbana.

Academic EvaluationMultiple Universities
Get in Touch

Interested in working together?

Inquiries about speaking engagements, curatorial projects, and institutional consulting are welcome.

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