Addressing Challenges to Cultural Expression in the Public Sphere: A Panel Discussion

Join leaders in local art, library, academic, and literary circles at BAPL Main as we tackle the difficult discussion of censorship and public challenges to cultural exhibitions and collections. Moderated by Muhlenberg College Librarian Jess Denke, this free event is cosponsored by The Museum and Library Alliance of the Greater Lehigh Valley. Registration is encouraged.

Meet Your Panelists:

Jessica Ambler (she/her) is the Director of the Martin Art Gallery at Muhlenberg College. She has her Ph.D. in art history from the University of California, Santa Barbara and over a decade of experience in the art world including work in a museum, auction house, and numerous universities. She was Head of Research for Sandy Heller at The Heller Group, an art advisory in New York City specializing in modern and contemporary art, and Curator + Artist Relations for Loupe, Inc. an art streaming platform. She is a qualified appraiser and an Accredited Member of the Appraisers Association of America. She is also a mayoral appointed member of the Allentown Arts Commission, on the Advisory Council for the Lehigh Valley Arts and Cultural Alliance, an Executive Committee member of the Museum and Library Alliance of the Lehigh Valley, and serves on the Communications Committee for the Association of Academic Museums and Galleries.

Josh Berk (he/him) has worked in libraries for over 25 years and as the Executive Director of BAPL for the past ten. In addition to working in libraries, he is an author of books for kids and teens.

Robin Gow (it/fae/he & él y elle) is a critically acclaimed trans poet and witch from rural Pennsylvania. He is the author of several poetry collections, an essay collection, and Middle-Grade and YA novels. Faer novels include Ode to My First Car, A Million Quiet Revolutions, and Dear Mothman. Fae works as a community educator, calling folks into discussions around queer and disability justice. It lives with it's partner Rain and their menagerie of animals.

Dr. G. Christopher Hunt (he/him/his) is Vice President and Dean for Equity and Inclusion at
Moravian University and Instructor for Racial and Ethnic Inequality. Dr. Hunt is also the founder
of the award-winning Black and Latino Male College Readiness Program of the Lehigh Valley at
Moravian University. His research, “When Millennials Meet Baby Boomers: Multiple Case
Study on the Experiences of Black Male College Students,” examined the lived experiences of
two generational cohorts of Black male college graduates. He holds a Bachelor’s and doctoral
degree from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree from West
Chester University of Pennsylvania.

Meet Your Moderator:

Jess Denke (she/her) is the Community Engagement Librarian at Muhlenberg College, where she is responsible for information literacy instruction to the social sciences. Jess is passionate about relationship building as an avenue for increasing knowledge, equity, and dignity. Her current research and reflection focuses on relational meetings, active listening, and deconstructing white supremacy culture. Jess has been co-developing the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at Muhlenberg College, teaching college classes inside the Lehigh County Jail.