We’ve liked checking out your photos, and would love to keep this group up and running (though hopefully not with any more photos of ice storms…), so please!  Keep ‘em coming!

Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial is one of those times. The exhibition opens in February of 2011, and I know it will present multiple opportunities to engage members of our community in thoughtful, productive discussions about current events and relevant social issues. Through a grant we received from the NEA, we have been able to form a partnership with students and faculty at Lynhurst 7th and 8th Grade Center in Wayne Township.

Thornton Dial, Sr., "Don't Matter How Raggly the Flag, It Still Got to Tie Us Together"

This group of students—the Junior Giant Kings—is one of the most remarkable groups of young men I have ever worked with.  They are the coolest bunch of kids, and their relationships with each other, with their faculty sponsors and their growing relationship with art has been astounding to witness.

Gang strife is a growing problem in middle and high schools across the country, and Wayne Township is no exception.  The Junior Giant Kings is made up of a select group of Latino and African-American boys –two groups who are experiencing increased ethnic tensions in many Indianapolis schools–who must go through a fairly rigorous application process to join.  Within the group, they have daily discussions about social issues, cultural awareness and leadership.  They are led by a core group of committed and dedicated young teachers–incredible men who serve as positive role models to these boys and show them what potential lies within.

Perhaps the aspect of the Junior Giant Kings program that has proven to be most advantageous (both to the students and to us here at the IMA) is that their group meets every morning in home room—the administration gives them the time to build those relationships, have productive discussions and learn to trust and respect each other.  Developing these skills has allowed them to become mediators within their own school, taking it upon themselves to act as arbitrators between gang members and encouraging their peers to slow down, look fairly at a situation and be willing to hear each other out.

Where does the IMA fit in to this?  Let’s go back to Hard Truths.

A variety of special programs focused on the Thornton Dial exhibition is planned; one with the Junior Giant Kings has already begun.  We’ve designed a program that uses Visual Thinking Strategies (or VTS) as its core component.  VTS is a facilitated discussion method that, through discussions about works of art, encourages careful looking, development of critical thinking skills, increased use of vocabulary and openness to multiple points of view.  The discussions are completely student-driven and evolve based on participants’ comments, while the facilitator maintains a neutral and non-judgmental position throughout.
Through VTS, the students learn to look at artwork in a different way (or for the first time), yet in a way that allows them to incorporate their own experiences, observations and opinions without the threat of being corrected or criticized.  It is precisely this kind of discussion that can lead to more productive conflict resolution and a greater sense of understanding in their everyday lives.

We have had the great pleasure to visit Lynhurst on several occasions and to lead the Junior Giant Kings in VTS discussions.  Soon they will begin in-class activities that build on the skills VTS teaches and apply them through writing and other language arts experiences.  Perhaps the most rewarding experience I have shared with the Kings so far, however, was several weeks ago when they visited the museum.  Each month, we are featuring a different work by Thornton Dial on display as a sort of “preview piece”, and 13 boys came out one Friday afternoon (some even skipping basketball practice to come!) to discuss one of these pieces in addition to several other works of art throughout the galleries.

I am constantly astounded by the depth and insight teens can share through these sessions.  In a culture that supports machismo and defensiveness in its youth, it is rare but extraordinary to listen to the boys open up, speak freely and reflect on the art they’re seeing…and yet, through use of VTS coupled with the intricacies and ambiguous nature of Dial’s work, we spent almost 15 minutes discussing a single work of art.  The insightfulness of their observations and comments was exceptional.

I find myself so grateful and truly honored to have the chance to work with the Junior Giant Kings in this context and to be a part of how their love and appreciation for art is developing.  I believe teens and young people have a very important role to play in the museum and its galleries, and they deserve and need to be given opportunities to explore artwork in a safe and non-critical environment.

So, through the school visits, the IMA field trips, the in-class activities and a tour of the Dial show early in the new year, we hope to foster a sense of ownership and confidence amongst the Junior Giant Kings.  We are incredibly fortunate to have their teachers as advocates and partners in this effort, and to see how these phenomenal young men are well on their way to becoming phenomenal adults.

Sara Tekula and Joe Imhoff, residents of Hawaii, started Plant a Wish with the planting of a native species of tree at their wedding, imbued with their guests well-wishes. Over time, they realized that this ‘Wish Tree’ continued to hold special meaning for them. They decided to embark on a journey to plant a native Wish Tree in the remaining 49 states with this wish:

The overall wish of the Plant A Wish project is for future generations to enjoy an abundance of biodiversity, native plants and trees, fresh air, and clean water.

They are also filming their journey, to be made into what I’m sure will be a moving documentary. I can’t wait to see how it comes out and what kinds of adventures they get themselves in to! They said every planting has had a different flavor, from small, single family plantings to huge affairs involving whole towns.

They selected the IMA, and 100 Acres in particular, because of the work that is being done in the Park already to fight invasive non-native plant species while planting local varieties, installing works of art, and educating our local communities. Our Horticulture Manager Chad Franer selected the appropriate native tree (an American Beech) and planting location (with enough distance from the beavers!)

We had a small ceremony for the planting, and the MAP Kids and some education staff joined us and contributed their wishes: some sentimental, some funny, some deeply moving. I also collected wishes from some of our fans on FaceBook and Twitter. They are all nourishing the roots of our American Beech as I type.

I thought for a while what I wanted to wish for…. what did I want to think of when I walked by this tree? The more I thought about it, I knew I could never untangle my memories of the thrill of my involvement in the opening the Park with the Wish Tree. So, my wish was simple: for Indianapolis to love 100 Acres as much as I have come to. Less than a month later and after a wildly successful opening, I would feel comfortable saying this has already come true.

Next, we placed our wishes under the tree, and rolled it in to place. We each helped to cover the root ball with some dirt. With Joe’s instruction, we also had to help ‘wake up’ the tree. Each of us took hold of the tree and we yelled together on the count of 3. Surprisingly, no one came running. This must be a horticulture secret and probably why I’ve killed all the plants I have ever interred. I’ll try it at home soon- I’m sure my neighbors will love it!

The Indiana Wish Tree is located here, along the path to Kendall Buster’s Stratum Pier, ready for your wishes as well. I hope that it will be big enough in a few years for having a picnic under. I want to thank Sara and Joe for their dedication to a thoughtful and important cause, and for selecting the IMA to be a part of it. If you would like to help them reach their goal of all 50 states, you can donate to their project or suggest a planting site.

Images courtesy of Sara Tekula. See more here.

I have the distinct pleasure of being in Daniel‘s class this fall, Museums and Technology.  While it is surprising for my classmates that I would take a class about something I do already, I am excited for the opportunity to explore more thoroughly the meaning of technology for the museum experience and how the visitor is affected by these changes. I see continual parallels between issues encountered with visitors in physical space and issues we are encountering all over again in our digital spaces. I’ve talked about Twitter before and I have been thinking about how it is harnessed by museums and where we are going wrong.

We were talking about Twitter again in a recent class, more specifically what we consider to be a successful museum tweet, and why. It’s very hard to nail down, and even harder to do. The main reason is because it’s so hard to avoid becoming a marketing ploy, something which happens without rapt attention. A museums use of twitter now stands as an analogy for the way the actual museum interacts with its visitors and the traditional barrier between the inner workings of an institution and the public at large. So many museums need to release their stranglehold on twitter feeds to actually let interesting information get out.

I was at the Indianapolis Greek Festival this past weekend, and I couldn’t help to think that they were doing something right.

There were throngs of people, tons of Greek food, everyone jostling and yelling and having a great time, but here’s the part that baffled me- you had to pay to get in, and the food was delicious, but quite pricey. What is the Holy Trinity parish doing that connects so much with their audience that museums cannot seem to do? I think we can be the Agora marketplace discussed by Dr. Steven Zucker (@drszucker) and Dr. Nancy Proctor (@nancyproctor) a vibrant place for community and discussion, in the same way that the Greek festival is. I think the problem is balance- how do we sell ourselves as experts in our field while maintaining that we want everyone else’s opinion, too?

Some people are getting it right, figuring out how to sift through all the noise and clutter to connect with their audience while maintaining their voice. One such person is the British musician Imogen Heap, who felt a divide between herself and her fans before she started to utilize blogs and Twitter, not dissimilar to the separation between and institution and it’s community. In a recent interview with Melissa Block on NPR, she describes the divide quite succinctly. She then discusses what it’s like to have that direct connection throughout the process of making her music.

It’s been so amazing. I’ve always struggled with this barrier that I felt like I’d had up until blogging came along. Just one comment from somebody really sparks something in me. It doesn’t need to be this huge wall between me and the listeners anymore. I really thrive on that.”

@ImogenHeap gets it- the audience has become part of the process, and there’s no going back.