voc ep: 51 Rebecca Hoffberger

Image: Chris Myers
Photo courtesy AVAM

Rebecca Alban Hoffberger is the founder, director, and principal curator of the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM). A life-long devotee of the power of intuition and fresh thought, Hoffberger was accepted into college at age 15, though chose instead mime Marcel Marceau's personal invitation to become his first American apprentice in Paris. By 19, she had co-founded her own ballet company and by 21, was a sought-after consultant to a broad spectrum of nonprofits. At 25, Hoffberger was awarded the title of “Dame” for her work to establish medical field hospitals in Nigeria. She served on the Board of the Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Center and worked as Development Director at the Sinai Hospital Department of Psychiatry for People Encouraging People, where she first conceived her unique national visionary museum/education center. Hoffberger was awarded the 2011 Katherine Coffey Award by the Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums. She has also received Honorary Doctorates from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and was awarded Loyola College's Andrew White Award—the school’s highest civic honor. She is an inductee into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame, a winner of the Urban Land Institute's National Award for Excellence, and the first recipient of the Sir Arthur C. Clarke Vision and Imagination Award.

The titles to Rebecca's exhibitions sum up beautifully both her personal philosophy and passion, including: “Healing and the Art of Compassion (And the Lack Thereof!),” "ALL FAITHS BEAUTIFUL: From Atheism to Zoroastrianism, Respect for Diversity of Belief," "The Marriage of Art, Science & Philosophy," and "Race, Class & Gender: Three things that contribute '0' to CHARACTER, because being a schmuck is an equal opportunity for everyone!”

AVAM is a Congressionally-designated national museum and education center dedicated to intuitive, self-taught artistry. It champions the role intuition plays in creative invention and innovation of all sorts — be it art, science, engineering, humor or philosophy, and especially in compassionate acts of social justice and betterment.

European Union Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis, who has become an ardent advocate for AVAM, has said, “Rebecca's life's work at AVAM has helped to raise our consciousness to new levels, to aim higher, and shows why we need to look at problems from all angles to come up with beautiful, inclusive solutions.”