THERE ARE SO many people to whom I owe a debt of immeasurable gratitude for making this book possible. First and foremost are my father and sister, Robert Herman and Jane E. Herman, without whom The Art of Perception never would have happened. They, along with my mother, Diana S. Herman, who died in 2010, have been teaching me to see what matters since I was a young child. Their ideas, insights, edits, willingness to embrace new perspectives, and stalwart support in every aspect of my work have been invaluable to me and are appreciated beyond measure.
I am deeply indebted to Heather Maclean, without whom Visual Intelligence would not exist. Her vision, insight, creativity, intellect, collaborative spirit, and most especially her good humor are unparalleled. Simply put, it is an absolute delight to work with her. My gratitude to Heather must encompass an acknowledgment of her husband, Calum Maclean, for his cooperation, encouragement, and willingness to brainstorm with us throughout this project.
My agent at Writers House, Susan Ginsburg, has been a voice of reason and support, and a morale booster since the day we met. It was she who saw the potential for this project long before I did, and I am eternally grateful to her. Before I met Susan, however, fate conspired for me to cross paths with her Writers House colleague Robin Rue. Our chance encounter and delightful conversation set this whole initiative in motion, and I am indebted to Robin for her incredible foresight. I offer my heartfelt thanks, too, to Stacy Testa, also at Writers House, for her kind assistance with every aspect of this book.
My thanks to my editor, Eamon Dolan, at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for his scrupulous eye, fierce intellect, and willingness to embrace The Art of Perception for the new and different perspectives it offers. I am grateful, too, to Courtney Young, who saw the potential for this book in its nascent stages and provided the momentum to initiate its journey. I am deeply appreciative of the delightful help of Rosemary McGuinness, editorial assistant at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, whose attention to detail and calm demeanor sustained this project, and of Naomi Gibbs for all her assistance. I want to express my gratitude to the whole wonderful team at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, including Taryn Roeder, Ayesha Mizra, and Debbie Engel. My thanks also go to Margaret Wimberger for her nimble and precise copyediting of this book and to Lisa Glover for her discerning eye and patience.
The Art of Perception began at The Frick Collection in New York. My colleagues there were unfailingly generous in their support of the program, both during my years as Head of Education and beyond. I am indebted to Peggy Iacono, Susan Galassi, Colin B. Bailey, Elaine Koss, Rebecca Brooke, Martha Hackley, Kate Gerlough, and Penelope Currier. My heartfelt thanks to the late Charles Ryskamp, director emeritus of The Frick Collection, whose encouragement to pursue museum education provided fertile ground for the development of The Art of Perception, and to Samuel Sachs II, former director of The Frick Collection, whose support of my endeavors in the Education Department was formative. Two additional individuals from The Frick Collection whose knowledge and insights have contributed so much to The Art of Perception and whose wonderful friendship have supported my work on the manuscript are Chari LeMasters and Serena Rattazzi.
Many sessions of The Art of Perception have been conducted at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. My thanks to former associate director of education Kent Lydecker and former Chairman of Education Peggy Fogelman, and to Marlene Graham, senior manager of the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, for their generosity in accommodating the program for the New York City Police Department.
The Art of Perception also has been conducted at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and my sincere thanks to Lynn Russell, head of education, and Kimberly Hodges for their generosity in making the National Gallery’s collections accessible to the intelligence community. Thanks also to former director of education at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC, Susan Nichols, for her willingness to host the program there on so many occasions.
I believe that The Art of Perception would never have been created if it were not for my formative experience as a docent at the Princeton University Art Museum. The docents’ generosity in sharing and imparting their knowledge of museum education has been instrumental in connecting me with audiences in museums around the world, and I am enormously grateful to them.
On a personal and professional note, I owe a debt of gratitude to Linda Friedlander, curator of education at the Yale Center for British Art, who, along with Dr. Irwin Braverman, professor of dermatology at Yale Medical School, initially designed a program for medical students to enhance their observation skills as part of that school’s Humanities in Medicine program, and who so graciously shared her knowledge and insights with me.
My thanks to New York City police commissioner William Bratton and former police commissioner Raymond Kelly and the New York City Police Department for launching The Art of Perception in the law enforcement community, in New York and in communities across the country. The NYPD’s imprimatur and support of this training initiative, in so many divisions, have been inspirational. Specifically, I would like to thank Captain Daniel Sosnowik, retired inspector Timothy Hardiman, Lieutenant Mark Albarano, Detective Ahmed Mahmoud, Officer Heather Totoro, and Officer Anita Carter.
My colleagues at the Federal Bureau of Investigation—and there are too many to name—have my gratitude for their willingness to embrace The Art of Perception, in so many facets, as part of the FBI’s ongoing training programs. I have learned so much from each of them.
There are so many friends and colleagues I have met through The Art of Perception or who have given their unwavering support to my efforts to extend the reach of this program that I can’t name them all, but I would like to cite a few: Dr. Charles Bardes, Sarah Miller Beebe, Christine Butler, Ellen Byron, Monica Chandler, Jacob Eastham, Beth Farcht, Peter Forest, Elise Geltzer, Bobbi Goodman, Ed Hobson, Rachele Khadjehturian, Audrey Koota, Dr. Lyuba Konopasek, Richard Korn, Marilyn Kushner, the Lehrer family, Melissa Malhame, Bob Mattison, Robin McCabe, John and Carla Murray, Sheri Mecklenberg, Anne Radice, Donna Cohen Ross, and Allegra Stanek.
My son, Ian, to whom this book is dedicated, has been absolutely central to every aspect of The Art of Perception and this book. He has looked at countless works of art with me and engaged me in an ongoing dialogue that has been the light of my days. His willingness to share his view of the world with me and his untiring support have helped me to see what matters every single day.