To our delight, The Davis LAB opened on the first gallery level of the IMA Saturday. (To learn more about the LAB, read Daniel’s most recent post.) From my opening-day-experience, I found that a wide range of museum visitors were drawn into the space, tempted by the shiny touchscreens or the cool pseudoscience, atomic age design and lighting. My favorite comments from the day included a little boy who was squeezed into a chair with his older sister watching live ArtBabble projected in HD on the wall.

“This is really cool,” he said timidly, referring to the space. Daniel showed him the new animated trailer for ArtBabble, to which he replied, “That was not cool…I mean that was not long enough.”  Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Education, Marketing, Musings, New Media, Technology

Recently, I’ve run across a couple of great holiday gifts for the art enthusiast in your life. The first is a profound film based on book that has been re-airing on WFYI over the last several weeks. The Rape of Europa, based on the book by Lynn H. Nicholas, documents the pillaging of art in Europe during WWII. The images are breathtaking and the individuals who were on the front lines of war with a mission to protect art, brave and inspiring. The recovery of this art continues today. If you work in the art world or love art or history, it’s a must-see or must-read.

The book Seven Days in the Art World by Sarah Thorton is another excellent find. “A judicious and juicy account of the institutions that have the power to shape art history, based on hundreds of interviews with high-profile players, Thornton’s entertaining ethnography will change the way you look at contemporary culture,” according to the book’s publisher. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s at the top of my wish-list. Read a review from The Washington Post.

Those are my two finds. I’m leaving the rest up to you. Your prime shopping date: Friday, December 5 – “First Friday” offers your best bet to buy art at the local galleries. Share your finds below…

Filed under: Art, Musings

Last night I attended the opening performance in The Toby. It was a memorable experience! The artistry of the musicians – Cho-Liang Lin, Susie Park, Sophie Shao, Atar Arad, and Min Xiao-Fen – was impressive.  More than impressive. It was moving. The passion and joy that each artist conveyed to the audience made the performance a gift. During the first half of the evening, four of the five demonstrated their love for the classical traditions of both China and the West. During the second half, all five performed composer Tan Dun’s Ghost Opera, a visual and sonic work that calls on the musicians to perform ritual-like actions involving water, paper, stones and to use their voices to make sounds not usually heard in a concert hall.

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Filed under: Public Programs, The Toby

It’s simple advice and a tip not to be forgotten when exploring unfamiliar cities and towns across the globe: Walk downtown. And while you’re out, scope out the city’s local art museum, no matter its size or popularity.

When traveling to Asheville, NC, last week for a family getaway, neither a stroll downtown nor the art museum were tops on the resort’s list of local attractions. The Biltmore Estate was actually at the top, but we opted not to splurge on the $50 tickets. After a few days of hiking, tennis and movies at the resort, my curiosity motivated me to find out about the history and culture of the area.

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Filed under: Musings, Travel