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The Rise
The gift of failure is a riddle: it will always be both the void and the start of infinite possibility. Part investigation into a psychological mystery, part an argument about creativity and art, and part a soulful celebration of the determination and courage of the human spirit, Sarah Lewis makes the case that many of the world’s greatest achievements have come from understanding the central importance of failure.
Vision & Justice
Vision & Justice wrestles with the question of how the foundational right of representation in a democracy, the right to be recognized justly, has historically and is still urgently tied to the work of visual representation in the public realm.
Sarah Elizabeth Lewis is in demand for her visionary perspective, encouraging audiences to see the world differently
Art and cultural historian SARAH ELIZABETH LEWIS is celebrated for her visionary perspective, as well as her gift in sharing that vision in an accessible and uplifting way with her audiences. Lauded for her bestselling book on creativity, The Rise, her upcoming publications include How Race Changed Sight in America (Harvard University Press, 2024), Vision & Justice (One World/Random House, Fall 2024), and Groundwork: Race and Aesthetics in the Era of Stand Your Ground Law (Spring 2024). Her prolific work taps into some of the most important conversations happening today, from racial justice, to law, to the state of democracy in America. With every uniquely tailored keynote, Lewis leads the audience through a powerful presentation about how we see the world, and what that means for our communities, companies, and lives.
An award-winning thought-leader, Lewis received the Freedom Scholar Award in 2019 for her body of work and its “direct positive impact on the life of African-Americans.” She was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow in 2022. With groups like Croda Inc., Harley-Davidson, Ralph Lauren, the Kennedy Center, the Holmes PR Summit, and more, Lewis has invigorated the way teams see their role in the workplace and the world, and left audiences feeling inspired to look for new possibilities.
“Dr. Lewis energizes, inspires and captivates with such grace – how she leverages captivating visual examples to show how racial justice and democracy have intersected in the US leaves a lasting impression. We cannot thank you enough for the impact that you left on us at Harley-Davidson and look forward to working with you again soon!” (Harley-Davidson Motor Company)
Watch Sarah Elizabeth Lewis emcee for Studio in a School's gala >>
Watch Sarah Elizabeth Lewis at TEDx Harvard >>
Success Story: Dr. Sarah Elizabeth Lewis gave a riveting, personalized keynote at Harley-Davidson to rave reviews
Art historian, award-winning author, and Harvard professor SARAH ELIZABETH LEWIS joined Harley-Davidson for their second-annual Month of Inclusion, offering a riveting and personalized keynote speech. Planned in recognition of Black History Month, the anticipated event size was intimate, and both the host and Dr. Lewis were moved when over 700 employees joined the virtual gathering. As with all her events, Dr. Lewis curated a powerful series of photographs which intertwined with her storytelling as she interacted skillfully with the audience to cultivate an authentic and deeply impactful rapport. Focusing on Harley-Davidson’s mission and ethos, she began with an image of the open road, asking: “Who is safe on the road? Who is allowed to roam free?”
Sharing her experience on social media, Dr. Lewis wrote, “what an extraordinary time we had.” She went on to acknowledge the ‘surprising impact’ the event had on her as well, saying, “I love when the universe presents you with a scenario you could not have imagined. It’s a reminder that you are being lovingly used for a grander design.” Dr. Lewis consistently receives resounding praise for her talks, which are tailored thoughtfully to each audience: “Dr Lewis energizes, inspires and captivates with such grace – how she leverages captivating visual examples to show how racial justice and democracy have intersected in the US leaves a lasting impression. We cannot thank you enough for the impact that you left on us at Harley-Davidson and look forward to working with you again soon!” (Harley-Davidson Motor Company)
Watch Sarah Elizabeth Lewis’ TEDxHarvard talk here >>
Sarah Elizabeth Lewis offers spell-binding presentations on reframing success, innovating for the long-term, and the role of art & culture for justice
When SARAH ELIZABETH LEWIS virtually ‘stopped by’ our offices for a much-anticipated visit, we were treated to a captivating sample of her expertise as an art historian, critic, writer, and Harvard professor. With her command of the connections between powerful ideas, it is no wonder that her classes are over-enrolled at Harvard and Sarah is an in-demand speaker for notable conferences like TED, SXSW EDU, and World of Business Ideas. Drawing breath-taking parallels between recognizable and under-studied visuals and their place within the larger framework of social justice, Sarah unfolded a powerful argument for the role of creativity and inclusiveness in a democracy. Her warmth and mastery made these culture-shifting ideas attainable, and she welcomed our questions and engaged us in a continuing conversation. We were dazzled by her skills as a speaker and moderator of meaningful engagement, tailored thoughtfully to our team as she does for every group she speaks for.
Weaving her personal history, powerful images, and practical case studies from an array of industries, Sarah refocused our points of view to the longest range. Through this fresh lens, if we – a company, an organization, individuals - can rename our failures more gently, as ‘near-wins’, we can begin to cultivate our tenacity and resilience. She speaks with generosity and vigor about the courage it takes to hold onto dissenting ideas, and the path-breaking innovation that is possible when we elevate the ideas that go against the grain. As founder of Vision & Justice and an innovator herself, she understands deeply the vital need to welcome and harness innovative ideas that challenge the status quo, and the enormous benefit in business and in life that is inevitable when we revise our understanding of success. After making a lifelong study of consequential figures, Sarah distills the lessons of how embracing failure can lead to unimagined success and left us all reverberating with possibility.
Sarah Elizabeth Lewis is an art and cultural historian. She is an associate professor of history of art and architecture and African and African American studies at Harvard University and the founder of Vision & Justice. Lewis also serves on the Standing Committee on American Studies and Standing Committee on Women, Gender, and Sexuality at Harvard University. Her research focuses on the intersection of visual representation, racial justice, and democracy in the United States from the nineteenth century through the present. Her books and edited volumes include The Rise, translated into seven languages, Carrie Mae Weems, which won the 2021 Photography Network Book Prize, and “Vision & Justice” by Aperture magazine which received the 2017 Infinity Award for Critical Writing and Research from the International Center of Photography. In 2019, Lewis received the Freedom Scholar Award, presented by The Association for the Study of African American Life and History for her body of work and its “direct positive impact on the life of African-Americans.” She was named an Andrew Carnegie Fellow in 2022.
Her forthcoming publications include How Race Changed Sight in America (Harvard University Press, 2024), Vision & Justice (One World/Random House, Fall 2024), and Groundwork: Race and Aesthetics in the Era of Stand Your Ground Law (Spring 2024). The article on which Groundwork is based, published in Art Journal (Winter 2020), won the 2022 Arthur Danto/ASA Prize from the American Philosophical Association for “the best paper in the field of aesthetics, broadly understood.” A frequent speaker at universities and conferences, including TED and SXSWedu, she has had op-eds, commentary, and profiles of her work published in outlets including The New York Times, Aperture, The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Boston Globe.
Lewis’s research has received fellowship and grant support from the Ford Foundation, the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University, the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance, and Abolition, the Whiting Foundation, the Lambent Foundation, and the Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library.
Before joining the faculty at Harvard, she held curatorial positions at The Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Tate Modern, London. She also served as a Critic at Yale University School of Art. Lewis currently serves on the boards of Thames & Hudson Inc., Creative Time, Harvard Design Press, and Civil War History journal, and is a member of the Yale University Honorary Degrees Committee. Her past board service includes the Andy Warhol Foundation of the Visual Arts, The Brearley School, and The CUNY Graduate Center. She received her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, an M. Phil from Oxford University, an M.A. from Courtauld Institute of Art, and her Ph.D. from Yale University. She lives in New York City and Cambridge, MA.
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