Real social networking! 2007 was the year of networking with other museum colleagues. We got to visit museums and meet, inperson, brilliant staff from the Seattle Art Museum, Brooklyn Museum, Walker Art Center, MoMA, Minneapolis Institute of Arts – and this doesn’t include any of the conferences we attended.

Presenting “Starting a Digital Revolution” at Museums and the Web. It’s one of the most important conferences for museums and technology and we represented the IMA well. Interested in reading it? Click here.

The new IMA website launched. It was the end of a long, long process that signaled the beginning of a never ending process of creating new content, rethinking the design of the website, creating surveys, usability studies…..(you get the picture).

An artist named Sam Easterson and the exhibition Nature Holds My Camera.

An opening in the exhibition schedule presented IMA’s Education Division the opportunity to organize a summer exhibition with very little time and money. Working with quite possibly one of the nicest, most thoughtful and genuine people ever (Sam Easterson), and a team representing every area of the museum, the IMA produced a creative, engaging, thought provoking experience that made visitors laugh, think, sit in giant bean bags and trek out to the Art and Nature Park for a glimpse of an eastern mole on a modified baby monitor. I really can’t make this stuff up. http://www.natureholdsmycamera.com/

IMA got all Web 2.0 Well we already had YouTube and MySpace, but we added flickr, facebook and started blogging. Hey, we even added some audio files to our website to complement some of the videos. Speaking of the website, the IMA continued its involvement in the steve project and launched something called a dashboard, not to mention various online components for exhibitions. We’re doing our best.

The Nugget Factory moved to HD New Media’s editing and recording studio is called The Nugget Factory and we were lucky enough to switch to HD video this past year. We’re fortunate to have these types of resources and we did not hesitate in making the most of our Canon XL-H1’s – shooting hundreds of hours of video footage which was converted into countless digital video projects for exhibitions, YouTube and our new site. Now that’s a lot of floppy disks.

Our YouTube account:

We started the year with a handful of pieces on our YouTube page and ended with over 50 IMA produced videos and 60,000 plus views. Okay, okay, I realize we’re not lonelygirl15 – but hey, we’re trying. For more on this, you should read my colleague Despi’s entry. And to break up this top-10 list, here’s my current favorite YouTube video:

The Roman Art Webisode Project (and of course, the actual exhibition)

A project that began in April of 2006 and utilized a team of 5 IMA staffers to write eleven original videos to be used for education/promotion/interpretation in support of the exhibition Roman Art from the Louvre – then travel to Rome, Paris and all over Indiana to capture enough footage based on the pages and pages of shot lists and scripts and amass nearly 20 hours of video. It was an incredible experience and we’re thrilled that the Seattle Art Museum is using some of our content. As for the exhibition, over 100,000 visitors and people waiting in huge lines! The museum was buzzing. Is there a connection between the webisodes and attendance? Of course!

Another year, the same beautiful campus When I’m having a bad day at the office I walk 2 minutes outside to the beautiful Formal Gardens. Planning a picnic? There are acres upon acres of incredible grounds. Want to toss a Frisbee, walk a dog, jog or experience the beauty of nature – that’s covered too. The grounds at the IMA are one of the best spots in Indianapolis.

The year to come New Media ended 2007 with some exciting and hard work ahead in 2008. Already under way, in one form or another, are projects involving Indianapolis Public Schools, iTunes U and musicians from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, as well as collaborations with other museums, a new initiative called IMA TV, and much, much more. Stay tuned.

And what do you think of the new blog?

*Filming in Paris and Rome for Roman Art from the Louvre webisodes.
*Interviewing video artist Sam Easterson for the exhibition Nature Holds My Camera.
*The backyard barbeque on the lawn of the IMA for the opening of Emily Kennerk: Suburban Nation.
*The launch of the IMA’s new Web site.

As anyone who knows me will tell you, I’m not one for picking absolute favorites. However, this year, it’s an easy decision. Far and away, my favorite memory of 2007 was the opening weekend of the exhibition Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons: Everything is Separated By Water. I can’t remember a happier time at work.

Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons and I on opening night.

Here’s a recap:

Friday, February 23, 2007

A.M.
I got a phone call a few minutes after getting into my office. It was the Curator of Contemporary Art, Lisa Freiman, asking if I wanted a sneak peek of the show. I immediately ran upstairs to the exhibition and was greeted by both Lisa and the artist, Magda. After working for more than 4 months on the marketing for the exhibition, it was such a joy to finally see it installed. The sneak peek was a treat made even sweeter due to the fact that I got to share it with Magda. Lisa was very proud and giddy and Magda was joyous, but also obviously anxious about the opening gala that would take place that evening. My first impression of the show – I felt like I had stepped into the artist’s mind. It was emotionally stirring to be able to see the visual expression of another person’s passion. The exhibition was remarkable. I was overwhelmed by the experience and the joy spilled out into the rest of the workday. Friday flew by as I helped set up for the evening’s gala.

P.M.
I can’t explain it, but I felt like I was floating that entire night. Maybe it was the exhaustion of working so hard to get the show ready. Maybe it was the remains of the joy that I still felt from that morning, but everything during that time feels like it was a dream. Dinner was exceptional though I can’t tell you what we ate. Just after dessert, Magda gave a beautiful and heartfelt speech. Then, the crowd was released upstairs to preview the exhibition and join the afterparty.

With over 500 guests, several bars and a large band, Pulliam Great Hall was packed. For me, the most exciting part of the afterparty was the diversity of the guests. Guests from 27 to 77 filled the dance floor dancing to the beats of the Spam Allstars. Never before had I attended an event at the IMA that had such a young, hip vibe. It was incredibly fun and fulfilling to see so many people enjoying the night and the exhibition.

Saturday, February 24, 2007

On Saturday afternoon, Magda gave a performance piece in the same space that had held the revelers the night before. Regalos was a special work that the artist had created as a gesture of appreciation for the support she had received while working on the exhibition. Wearing a long dress that had dozens of tiny bags tied to it, Magda invited visitors to untie the bags. To the delight of the audience, each bag contained a gift of a tiny handmade piece by the artist. The performance was extremely dramatic and filled with Magda’s gratitude, affection and sacrifice.

After the performance, the IMA’s Contemporary Art Society held a reception for Magda. I attended with my copy of the exhibition catalogue tucked under my arm. It was my last chance to see Magda before she left, and I desperately wanted her to sign my book. I waited in line as her family, friends and fans congratulated her. Finally, I had my chance. As I handed the book to her, I gushed about how much I loved working on the exhibition and how honored I was to have worked with her. She smiled warmly at me as she scribbled into the cover. I hugged her as she handed the catalogue back to me, and then left her to greet the next person in line. As I walked away, I cracked the book open and saw what she had been “scribbling.” It was a drawing of water spraying up into the air with a note written under it, “Meg- You are a fountain. With Love and Gratitude, Magda”. The drawing and the words meant so much to me. She couldn’t have given me a more thoughtful gift. It was a perfect end to one of the most remarkable weeks of my life.

So do you have any favorite memories of the IMA from 2007? Share your favorite IMA moment of 2007 by responding to my story with one of your own.