Smith’s project for the Indianapolis Parade, The Donkey, the Jackass and the Mule, will feature equestrian pull-toys with attendants in historical dress. Smith is currently collaborating with students from the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis to create three large wooden pull-toy donkeys mounted on wheeled carts. To bring her donkeys to life, Smith is partnering with local Living History group, Freetown Village.

As fellow fans of history and living history museums, months ago Allison and I discussed with Rebecca the possibility of taking a weekend trip to the historic town of New Harmony, Indiana. Settled in the early 19^th-century, the community of New Harmony is an amazingly rich historic site complete with its own Richard Meier building. Just 20 minutes from my family’s farm in Southern Indiana, my parents were generous to offer their house for our accommodations. The dates were confirmed and my homecoming trip with the curator and artist was booked.

My job is absurd some days. From finalizing print brochures to entertaining artists, the scope of my work is broad. This is due in large part to my enthusiasm and willingness to do almost anything for the sake of art. (In fact, just last week I was asked to procure a helicopter and a donkey for On Procession’s opening event.) While I love my work, I never expected to bring it home to meet my parents. Pancakes with Mom and Dad and Rebecca and Allison somehow seemed a bit bizarre.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved every minute of the trip to Southern Indiana and just like my mom’s pancakes, I found the entire experience sweet and comforting. I enjoyed the time that I spent with my parents. I enjoyed the time that I spent with Rebecca and Allison. In the end, however, it was my parent’s interaction with my colleagues (and friends) that I loved the most. It was an idyllic blending of personal and professional, past and present.

Ironically, “taking work home with me” was a nice break before the hard work of April begins. In the next few weeks leading up to On Procession, the exhibition team will be rushing to complete tasks and finalize details.

Stay tuned…My next few blogs will be updates on the progress of the exhibition. You might also see a couple of guest bloggers tackle the subject as well. In the meantime, mark your calendar for April 26 at Noon. That’s when On Procession takes to the streets of Indianapolis.

Last night I was very excited to go to Herron School of Art on the campus of IUPUI to see a lecture by Allison Smith. Smith is a generous and talented artist who in the spring of 2008 will undertake a major sculpture project with students and faculty at the Herron School to be featured in the “On Procession” parade and exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Almost 100 eager students and art lovers showed up for the lecture in the Basile Auditorium. Unfortunately, all of us were sent home without hearing from Smith. No one was more upset by this than the artist. She was forced to cancel the lecture because her 17″ silver Macbook was stolen from the auditorium after she set up her presentation, but before she began. It happened between 5:40 and 6:00 PM.

I’m disappointed for many reasons:
1. I didn’t get to see Allison Smith speak about her work.
2. This is an embarrassment to the students and faculty of Herron.
3. This is an embarrassment to the city of Indianapolis.

Allison Smith is a guest of our community. This was not the welcome she deserved. I hope we can begin to make it up to her by finding and returning her laptop. Recovering a stolen computer is one thing; it’s going to take a lot more to recover our reputation as a community. Luckily, Smith will be spending a lot of time with us in 2008. I know that goodness and decency will prevail in the end. Until then, on behalf of my community I offer an apology.