Michael Shapiro of ModernCaptital (left) and Barrett "Baz" Crites of Atomic Indy (right)

Taken together, the participants constituted a pretty impressive group. (By the way, has there yet been coined a word for a group of bloggers?)  Atomic Indy’s Baz was there, along with the Urbanophile (that’s some SERIOUS blogging), Apartment Therapy, and many others, about 15 in all.  I had visited some of their blogs prior to the June 12 tour, but my own digital world is on the narrow side, I have to confess, so most were new to me.  Suffice it to say that as folks were introducing themselves, I could only smile and nod, and reflect inwardly on my opportunity to see the Miller property act as one of the agents that would transform – if only for a weekend – a virtual community of iPhone-addicted hipster inhabitants of the blogosphere into a real-time, flesh-and-blood fellowship of Columbus, Indiana, architectural enthusiasts.

Group photo of bloggers at another mid-century modern residence in Columbus

It’s been great to have opportunities to conduct individuals and groups through the property; I’ve been able to get a sense of what has the greatest impact on people and of possible rhythms of a tour experience.  For many people – and for a lot in the bloggers’ group (where’s that word I need?) – seeing the central living area of the Miller House for the first time is an experience that doesn’t require much chatter from the docent or tour guide.  It’s pretty powerful.

Miller House interior

And that’s a hard one for me, having given tours of one kind or another since I was working at Nissley Vineyards before being old enough to taste the wine samples I was pouring.  Left to my own devices, I will talk ‘til my mouth is dry and I am out of breath, but the Miller House has taught me the value of silence as an interpretive tool as nothing else has done.

Individuals find in that silence time to form their own responses, questions perhaps, or to remember and compare other sites they have visited.  For some, the response can be quite deeply emotional.  One of the bloggers – OK, it was Baz – mentioned to me at one point while lagging behind others that the house had brought tears to his eyes.  I sympathized, having experienced the same thing many months earlier while viewing the landscape and feeling the impact of the soft green, near-perfect turf of the expansive west lawn stretching away beneath me in the glow of afternoon sunlight.

Miller House exterior

After having lived for almost 10 years in Indiana, the day of the bloggers’ tour was the hottest, most oppressive I can recall.  Thank goodness for the air conditioning in the house (Mr. Miller originally thought that central air wouldn’t be necessary – glad he changed his mind).  After seeing the interiors, we adjourned to the outdoors for a look at the gardens, and for some cocktails and refreshments.  Beads of perspiration glistened on every forehead and moistened every hairdo, but in spite of the soupy atmosphere, folks seemed glad for a chance to linger in the garden.

Miller House exterior

With dinner awaiting at another location, the bloggers’ party at the Miller House eventually shifted its venue.  Violent thunderstorms were just about to erupt in the superheated and saturated twilight. The bloggers and I took the property’s calm beauty away with us as the storms broke.  The electricity of the experience later crackled through the blogosphere.

The Pharmacy prescribes the following links to combat Monday online anemia.

racked.com

Blog: Racked

Yes it’s NY Fashion Week, but don’t settle for the same old fashion bloggers. Introducing Katie, the pint-sized five-year blogging sensation. She may be petite, but don’t be fooled—she’s got a knack for accessorizing, a bold eye for color, and an avant-garde edge (check out those tights!). And she’ll be coming at you every day during New York Fashion Week on Racked National. (via racked.com)

ArtBabble Video: Catherine Opie: American Photographer

Catherine Opie confesses, “I’ve never seen the work together before,” speaking of her Surfers and Icehouses series. Both share the common narrative of “temporary communities,” as she calls them. The exhibition provided audiences with an unprecedented opportunity to examine the many interconnections between her diverse bodies of work, which, as she says, are all characterized by “these little moments that are recognizably human.”

For further information about the exhibition, visit Catherine Opie: American Photographer .

Preparing for the Matinee by Edmund Charles Tarbell

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danielincandela: My blog recapping some projects while @imamuseum and the next adventure at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. http://bit.ly/aQpzBN

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The IMA is searching for its next blogger and we want you! Interested in sharing your thoughts about the IMA from an “outsider’s” perspective? Not afraid to muse publicly about the museum’s programs and exhibitions? Able to attend IMA events and willing to submit 300-600 words once a month? Then you could be the blogger for the job.

Here’s how it works:*

Step 1: Email your responses to the question below to web@imamuseum.org.  Be sure to include “Hey IMA – I Wanna Blog” in the subject line.

Name:
Email:
Tell us a little about yourself:
Tell us a story. We want to know how good your yarn-spinning skills are, so give your best anecdote involving an experience you’ve had at the museum.
Why should you be an IMA blogger?

Step 2: We’ll select the top finalists and post their responses to the IMA blog during the month of January.

Step 3: In February, we’ll take it to America for a vote. Yep, that’s right! We’re gonna let the  IMA blog’s readers decide who they want to read.

Step 4: The new IMA blogger is crowned. (and, yes, if you will wear it, we will give you an actual crown.) He or she will receive a dual membership to the IMA (so you can bring a friend whenever you want), two complimentary tickets to select public programs during 2010, and a monthly opportunity to blog.

*Rules and restrictions may apply. We just haven’t written them yet nor sent them to our lawyers.

KINDA BIG ANNOUNCEMENT #2: @IMAMUSEUM

Image Courtesy of Twitter.com

The IMA will launch on Twitter on January 1, 2010. @imamuseum will be a resource for breaking news, IMA factoids, museum musings, and more. In addition to a way for us to communicate with you, we hope you will use it as a direct link to the IMA – Don’t be shy…We want you to feel  free to DM, RT or @ us anytime.

Oh, and even though we’re not starting until January 1, you can go ahead and FOLLOW US NOW!

Lucky for me, social media has become an integral part of the way museums create an interactive experience for the museum visitor, especially here at the IMA.

That said, we at the IMA would like to invite all our blog readers and fellow bloggers to peel your eyes from the computer screens for one night, and put a face to the local blogs you love to read. (Don’t worry, we’ll have wi-fi so you can live-blog and tweet to your heart’s content!)

Come one, come all...

And now, just for fun, The top signs you have a Blogging Problem: {Comment below with your own (probably more) witty ‘top signs…’}

• After 5 minutes of meeting someone you ask, “So… do you blog?”
• You make plans and decision based on whether they are ‘blog-worthy’
• You get more “approve this comment” e-mail messages than spam
• You only stay at hotels with broadband or with a Starbucks within 3 blocks
• People worry about you when you do not post for a day
• You’ve started to resemble this guy:

RSS feed tattoo from Flickr user shizhao

For more absurd blogger tattoos, click here. Obsessed with Facebook? In need of a Twittervention? You’re invited too… See you on Friday!

The good news is that the list of IMA bloggers will be expanding in the next couple of weeks. That means you won’t have to rely on my posts for your exciting look into the world of an art museum. Soon you’ll hear from a variety of perspectives, including conservation, curatorial, education and horticulture. I’ll still talk about technology, new media, art content and soccer, but I’m afraid you may have to wait a little longer. My apologies in advance.

Speaking of new bloggers, we are also working on the concept of Guest Bloggers. Yes, we are talking about people like Jay Z, Banksy, Jessica Alba, Jared the Subway Guy and other big names. I doubt we’ll get any of these celebs, but we are thinking creatively about who could be a guest blogger.

The fact is, it could be you, it could be an artist, actor, musician, race car driver, skydiver, chef and so on. Everyone is connected to art in some way, and blogging with the IMA would allow others to communicate that.

So really think about this concept. Would you blog for the IMA? If so, let us know. Who should blog for the IMA? We would love to hear your suggestions.

I’ve thought a lot about this. Someone like Jay Z would be an incredible addition to the list of IMA bloggers – but I’m not sure how likely that is. I mulled and mulled and random people started popping into my head. I’ve listed a few of them below, and in each case I tried to pick people with good web resources, so you could also learn about them. Drum roll please…

Volzy: He’s German, plays professional soccer in London, rides around on a fold up bike, LOVES David Hasselhoff and provides a listing of German phrases everyone should know, such as – Wo kann ich mir meine VokuHila Frisur blondieren lassen? (Where can I get my mullet highlighted?), as well as important facts, such as – in no other country will more X-rays be done than in Germany. I would love to hear who is his favorite artist is.

Douglas Coupland: Artist, author, blogger, Canadian, producer and more. Microserfs remains one of my all-time favorite books, and it’s been fascinating to watch Coupland evolve as an artist since his 90’s release of Generation X. His analysis of pop culture is astounding, so who wouldn’t want to hear his opinions on art, art museums, and artists? I would. He also loves Lego. And so do I.

Patrick Smith: pilot, author and contributor to salon.com. I love planes, airports and flying. His book, Ask the Pilot is packed with interesting facts, humor and opinions on airline liveries and logos. He’s traveled all over the world – he must have visited some museums, right? Although, he recently visited 15 countries in 21 days, traveling 45,000 miles without stepping foot outside. Well, he might be able to tell us how to get that ‘free’ first class upgrade. Who’s going to argue with that?

Jillian Lewis: Alright, I’m busted. I watch Project Runway and I’m rooting for Jillian. She’s talented, stylish, articulate, to-the-point and not afraid to express her opinion. Sounds like a blogger to me, but can she take Bryant Park? My thoughts might also be influenced by an upcoming fashion exhibition, Breaking the Mode, and the site that just launched. And hey, it wouldn’t be an IMA blog post without a Facebook reference – so join the Jillian Fan Club here.

I could keep going here, but as I have in the past, I’m going to the leave door wide open for you to comment…