Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog

I’m a number geek. Give me a calculator and a list of digits, and I’ll be happy for hours. If using the calculator was an Olympic sport, I might be a contender for the gold. I’ve got lightening fast fingers and my addition button is wearing out from all the use it gets. From attendance to web stats, revenue to ROI, I’ve been crunching numbers like Michael Phelps breaks world records.

As numbers twirl around my head like 10-year old Chinese gymnasts (they are definitely NOT 16 that’s for sure), I thought I’d share with you some of my favorites. You can find a lot of these stats on the IMA’s dashboard, but some of the numbers are not accessible to the public…until now. In the Museum’s ongoing dedication to full transparency, here’s IMA by the numbers: Read the rest of this entry »

Today we are pleased to welcome Anne Laker, our newest IMA blogger, representing the Education department. She is also known for her compassion for all things green, so please enjoy her inaugural post on this most appropriate occasion.

Never underestimate the potential of a bruised banana. Around the office at the IMA, my desk is known as repository for fruit that’s past its prime. Colleagues know—as an obsessive recycler—that I will repurpose their bananas by taking them home, tossing them in the freezer and using them in a smoothie.

The re-use ethic is the foundation of freeganism, the practice of strategic food salvaging. Freegans use their wits to rescue perfectly good food out of the back doors of grocery stores and other venues. Freegans and freecyclers can imagine other uses for other people’s garbage. [If you are an Indy-based freegan, please respond to this post!]

Read the rest of this entry »

We have a bit of celebratory news today! The IMA has recently picked up several distinctions worth mentioning.

A group of IMA staff (myself not included) attended the Museums and the Web conference in Montreal last week. This conference is an annual gathering for the ever-growing crowd of technology-focused staff in museums around the world. They also host the “Best of the Web” Awards. IMA’s project, Roman Art Webisodes, was picked last week as “Best Podcast.” IMA’s Dashboard picked up an Honourable Mention in the “Professional” category. We are excited that our work has been so well received by our peers.

Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t take my word for it. I thought I would share what other folks are saying about our dashboard. Here are some reviews from the blogosphere:

Stateside…
Cincinnati.com
Ideum
Museumlab

And one in Dutch… (I love the Dutch!)

http://www.museum-wereld.nl/museum-geeft-zichzelf-prijs/ Read the rest of this entry »

I drive a 2002 Volkswagen Passat. I love it. This may sound really silly, but one of my favorite things about the car is the dashboard. During the day there isn’t anything that fancy about it. The gauges are circular and trimmed in chrome and the design is really nice. But it’s also pretty typical. During the day the dashboard is everything you would expect from a German-made car…Well designed and practical. But a night, the dashboard really surprises you. I remember being in awe of it the first time I drove my car after dark. I put the key in the ignition, turned on the head lights and suddenly an amazing glow of cerulean blue and day glow red emanated from the dash. Instantly my sensible sedan became chic and cool. That’s why I love the Passat’s dashboard. It’s like it has a fun, hip side that only comes out after dark. Read the rest of this entry »