On June 3rd, the exhibition Venetian Views: American Works on Paper opens at the IMA, featuring works by American artists who visited Venice in the 18th and 19th century, and an interesting complement to the contemporary works on display at the Biennale.  As Adam Thomas, the Weisenberger Fellow of American Art who worked on this exhibition, said, “ The exhibition offers IMA visitors the opportunity to reflect upon Venice as an artistic center and explore the lasting fascination that the city has had for artists, particularly American artists. It is also interesting to note that artists included in the exhibition participated in early incarnations of the Venice Biennale: Whistler in 1895 and 1897; and Sargent in 1897.”

The works in the collection feature many of Venice’s most popular highlights, including St. Mark’s Square, or Piazza San Marco.  The Piazza is the principal square in Venice, with the massive Basilica dominating one side.  Now thronged with tourists, it’s one of the rare vast open spaces in the city, with lots to explore on all sides. Henry James wrote, “It’s not easy to catch the real complexion of St. Mark’s…if you cannot paint these things you can at least grow fond of them.” Many artists have attempted it, and seeing their impression of this kinetic (and often frenetic) place gives you a glimpse into a specific moment.  However, at the same time, though many years and people have passed by, it’s interesting to also see how little has actually changed.

One of the works that features the Piazza in Venetian Views is this work by Frank Duveneck from 1883:

Frank Duveneck, "Piazza San Marco," 1883, gift of Frank Duveneck and L.H. Meakin.

Another incredible example from the IMA’s collection, is this one by Canaletto from 1735. The light in the square still looks like this:

Canaletto, "View of the Piazzetta San Marco Looking South," about 1735, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Elijah B. Martindale.

Still a meeting place, the amount of people has (just slightly) increased today:

Filed under: Art, Exhibitions, The Collection, Venice Biennale

I’m just an average person wandering around with a camera, definitely not a professional, but have had the good fortune to have some of my photos published here and there in the past. There’s always that little thrill when the inbox opens and I see, “We’d like permission to use your photo…” The request that came from the IMA, however, quite exceeded any other use my photos have seen.

I remember reading “Venice” in the email and thinking “California,” even though the message made it clear it was an international exhibition. From then on it’s been a kind of escalating realization of the audience this image would receive: I followed the link to the exhibition and finally understood the honor that was given me. Next, a week or so ago the New York Times ran an extensive article about Jennifer Allora and Guillermo Calzadilla whose work, of course, is America’s offering in Venice, and I was again taken aback, almost looking behind me, to be sure it was my photo that was being requested and not someone else’s. Then I was sent the link to the publicity banner (this after a couple of weeks of thinking that surely they would change their minds and say “thanks anyway…”) and that was such a thrill, one of those that makes the heart go a little faster. Pretty heady stuff. I’m so grateful for this exposure and to the IMA for stumbling across my work online. Many thanks to all of you involved in this exhibition!

Filed under: Art, Contemporary, Exhibitions, Venice Biennale

This past weekend, the IMA’s video team (Daniel Beyer and I) arrived in Venice to film the installment and opening of Gloria by Allora & Calzadilla at the U.S. Pavilion for the 54^th Biennale di Venezia. Venice is a glorious backdrop, it is as romantic and complicated and ancient as it looks in pictures. In fact, it is hard to take a photo or video shot that doesn’t look suitable for a postcard or commercial. Everything is just too perfectly picturesque. Because of this, Venice makes a great foil for telling stories about the global cutting edge contemporary art scene, all of which it seems, lands here every other year for the Biennale.

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Filed under: Art, Exhibitions, New Media, Travel, Venice Biennale

Claude Monet, "The Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice;" 1908; The Lockton Collection.

“It seemed in the distance like a floating city, its domes, spires, cupolas, and towers, glittering in the sunbeams, and looked so glorious, that I could have fancied it one of those optical illusions presented by a mirage.” – Marguerite, Countess of Blessington, 1882.

Paris may be the City of Light, but nothing can quite compare to the luminescence of Venice.  Monet – in this work from the IMA’s collection – highlights this experience better than most, with his masterful approach to capturing the reflections of water and light.

In addition to showing you the behind-the-scenes workings at the Biennale, I’ll be highlighting works in the IMA’s collection that relate to Venice – plus an upcoming exhibition of artists who, similar to us, traveled here from America and documented what they saw.

The last group of IMA staffers arrived today, ready for a busy opening week.  It’s not exactly Monet, but here’s a glimpse of  the light at play in Venice, soon after I arrived in town:

Filed under: Art, The Collection, Travel, Venice Biennale

Great news for parents looking for some extra time this summer and teens looking for a little independence. The IMA has partnered with IndyGo to offer a Summer Youth Pass with added IMA perks! When purchasing an IndyGo Summer Youth Pass, children and teens—ages 18 and under—can hop aboard the bus and ride to museums, the zoo, the movies, a ball game, the mall and other destinations throughout Marion County from June 1 to August 31 for only $30. That’s summer-long transportation at a price lower than the cost of a tank of gas for most vehicles! A gas and money-saver, the Summer Youth Pass is also a great opportunity to discuss the environmental benefits of taking the bus while also teaching your children how to responsibly navigate through public transportation, a life-long valuable lesson.

So, where does the IMA fit in?

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Filed under: Local, Thornton Dial, Travel