Two days in a row above 40! I can hardly believe it. Of course it will drop to the teens tonight with a high of barely 20 over the week-end. But that doesn’t change the facts. Two days in a row with temperatures above 40! With sunshine! Almost makes a person want to do the Happy Dance.

Rather instead, we got out in the Ravine Garden to do some pruning on everything from junipers to shrub roses to crabapples. It was still a bit on the cold side when kneeling in snow. And we had to be careful about walking up and down the steps as they are still snow and ice covered. All in all though, it was nice to be able to get outside and do some gardening. Not that I have all my “inside” work finished. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Horticulture

Drum roll please.  After months of planning, coding, designing, critiquing, laughter, inappropriate laughter, sweat, blood, encoding, decisions, indecisions, mistakes, moments of ctrl-alt-del, late nights, early mornings, epiphanies, and many other things, I am pleased to announce both The Davis LAB, and officially ArtBabble.  To quote the artist, Willis ‘Bing’ Davis – It’s been a whole journey of love.

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about plans for The Davis LAB, and shared some early design concepts.  Well, on Saturday it opens and you can see it for yourself.  Phil & Noelle in marketing, just sent out a Facebook invite to all of the IMA Fans.  If you’re free on Saturday, stop by our new space to meet staff, check out the final designs, maybe get some free stuff and…that’s about it.

Computer interface for The Davis LAB -We have some amazing designers on staff.

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Filed under: New Media, Technology

I like pop music, and were I a teenage girl I would have at least six more posters of Brandon Flowers in my bedroom. I like and love Brandon and his band, The Killers, and was lucky enough to see them perform last night in Chicago.

For a group that is referred to as a “singles band,” a slight slight meaning that you can only count on them for having one or two good songs per album, The Killers played sixteen true bangers to about 10,000 people who knew all the words and were jumping up and down the whole time. When you consider that they only have three albums, a usual two singles per, the math alone makes it hard for this follower of Flowers to believe the slight.

I like pop art, and if I were a house wife in the 1940s I would want at least six prints by Norman Rockwell hanging or sitting around in my living room, kitchen, and study. While I probably wouldn’t care for the way Norman looks, I would probably love the brief but good feelings his work stirs in me while I struggle with money and watch the world try to tear itself apart. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Current Events

No, I won’t be blogging about the inauguration today. It was too much of an obvious choice, and you’ve already heard my take on things. Besides, you’ll hear more about that in posts to come. This post does relate however. I just heard yesterday that hulu.com will be streaming the inauguration events live (along with a menagerie of other sites)! Good news for those of you without cable or access to a tv.

2008 to me was the year video exploded on the web. After finally taking the plunge and cutting off my cable television lifeline I was forced to consume video over the internet. I must say, video on the web has came a long way. I’m conviced.

But there’s another reason I’m blogging about video on the web. I, along with the apps team, New Media department, and a big cross-departmental collection of individuals have been pouring our blood sweat and tears into a project which will bring high quality art video to you via the web. It seems like it has been a long journey, and we are on the cusp of launching this website in a matter of days. If you want a super sneak peek you can come to The Davis Lab, which will be opening this Saturday. Come check it out!

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Filed under: Technology

The IMA pharmacy prescribes the following links to combat Monday online anemia.

Jeremy Mayer – A week ago, I saw the “Bodies…The Exhibition” exhibition in the basement of the Indy Weber Grill. At the end of the show, you are given a little glimpse of what a human looks like underneath when there’s metal implants and stuff grafted into flesh. I’m into cyborgs in general and T-800 in particular and I have a feeling Jeremy is too.

Obamicon.me – Make your own Obama “Hope” poster with this fun website from the Paste Media Group empire.

Designm – (By way of Jenny the intern) This website calls itself a blog, but it’s really much more than that. It has resources for everyone from a professional in the design world to the college student wondering how to get into the business. Even for us wannabe designers there are useful tips on how to better use illustrator, improve your website, etc. Check out the gallery for some inspiration…

IMA European Design Website – Brand new and up and running. View the trailer, read about designers, and sign up for the symposium at the online  home for “European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century.”

Filed under: Current Events, Marketing