Nina Simon

Nina Simon (born 1981) is an American exhibition curator, writer, educator, and museum director. She is the founder of the non-profit organization OF/BY/FOR ALL. Simon previously was the executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, from 2012 until June 2019. She is the author of three books: The Participatory Museum, The Art of Relevance, and, in 2023, her first novel, Mother-Daughter Murder Night, which was a New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.

Her work has been shared in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, NPR, and TEDx. She resides in Santa Cruz, California.

Early life and education Nina Simon was born July 15, 1981. Simon holds a B.S. degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in electrical engineering and mathematics.

Career During the majority of her career, Nina has worked as an independent consultant and exhibition designer with an expertise in social technology, gaming, and participatory design.

Nina is known for her work as an author and public speaker. Over the years she has spoken to a multitude of audiences about her participatory audience and programming philosophy. Most notably, she has appeared on TEDx, and was the Keynote Speaker at the 2012 AFTA/National Arts Marketing Project Conference.

Previously, Nina has held the position of Curator at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California and was the Experience Development Specialist at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. She was the executive director of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History from 2012 until June 2020. She also worked as an adjunct professor at The University of Washington Museology Program, where she taught a course on Social Technologies in Exhibition Design. and writes a column in Museum Magazine.

Awards and accomplishments American Alliance for Museums’ Nancy Hanks Memorial Award (2012) Among the 50 most “powerful and influential people in nonprofit arts” (Western States Arts Federation, 2012 and 2013) Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce "Woman of the Year" for 2017

Publications

Simon is also the author of the Museum 2.0 blog.