B. Scott Crawford Lecture Series

Presentation #1
The Selfie: From Stone Age to Digital Age

The Digital Revolution has launched an unprecedented communications revolution. Individuals have an ability to now promote themselves at a global level at any time and in a matter of seconds. The selfie has emerged as the latest means for individuals to project images of themselves for public viewing, but now, through digital technologies, in a democratic manner. No longer is portraiture reserved for the wealthy; access to a ubiquitous mobile phone and a free social media account can allow an individual to share self-images with audiences possibly larger many traditional portraits ever reached! This presentation will explore the art behind the preservation of images of individuals, spanning cave art to Instagram. Through this journey over time, we may very well find that the selfie is not as much about megalomania as it is about simply magnifying a timeless component of human nature. However, with the introduction of artificial intelligence, we will end with a reflection of how AI may, through training, be embracing this nature as well!

B. Scott Crawford holds a master’s degree in history from Old Dominion University and has an extensive background in education, having taught at the high school and college levels, as well as serving as the social studies coordinator, K-12, for a Virginia school division and as the Director of Education for the Museum of Western Virginia and then Taubman Museum of Art in Roanoke, Virginia. Scott currently serves as President & CEO for Virginia 811. He has been with the Notification Center since December 2016, serving as Director of Operations and then Vice President prior to moving into his current position in July 2020.

This event is free and part of our 2025 Lecture Series which will focus on Blacksburg history, community, and culture plus intriguing history and arts topics in general.