Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog

This blog post was written by IMA Public Affairs intern Sarah Miller (pictured below). She recently earned a Master of Arts Management with a Visual Arts Concentration from Columbia College Chicago and currently works at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, Illinois.

"Look I can too." Photo by Joe Wallace

I recently traveled to Spain where I had the pleasure of re-visiting a favorite museum, the Reina Sofia, in Madrid. I trekked to the museum district for what I believe are two must-see works—Pablo Picasso’s Guernica and Salvador Dali’s Muchacha en la Ventana. It has been my experience that even if art museum visitors don’t understand what a piece means, most can at least appreciate what great works like these mean to art history or to an artist’s career. Read the rest of this entry »

Just days before the opening of the exhibition “Kodachrome Culture: The American Tourist in Europe,” Kodak announced that it would discontinue Kodachrome film.

First Polaroid, now this?!

The slide film, known for its rich colors and clarity, has been available commercially since 1935. It now accounts for less than 1% of Kodak’s still-film sales. You’ve probably seen this famous Kodachrome portrait:

Sharbat Gula, Afghan Girl, 1984. © Steve McCurry

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Similar to my aggressive alarm snoozing incident this morning, I’m late on this one, but only by a day! I have been clueless (thanks for the tip Kate), but apparently April 27th is recognized as World Graphics Day. According to Wikipedia:

World Graphic Design Day is celebrated on April 27, the anniversary of the founding of Icograda, the world body for graphic design, in 1963. It is a day to celebrate the profession of graphic and communication design. The day has been celebrated since 1995.

Now if we could only abolish Comic Sans! But since we can’t, you should do yourself a favor and meet film director Gary Hustwit (Helvetica) and see his latest documentary, Objectified, which is a film about the creative process of product design. It is at the Toby here at the IMA on May 14th 2009! The film features designers who shape our manufactured environment and our interfaces with mass-produced objects including the people behind IKEA furniture and the iPod. Click here to read more about the event. Hope to see you there!

I get in the design groove by listening to music, and this seems to be all too fitting. Dert’s CMYK ep should help you get those creative graphic design juices flowing. Pay as you please… dope indeed.

The second annual American Idol-style Summer Nights Film Poll is back. This is your chance to tell us what you want to see on the big screen! Last year you voted, we listened, and you watched movies under the stars at the IMA: This is Spinal Tap, Glory, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Mummy, The Big Lebowski, Strangers on a Train, Devil in a Blue Dress, Dr. Strangelove, Sholay and Ghostbusters.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Summer Nights 2008

Now it’s time to mark your calendars for season #34 of Summer Nights, June 5-August 28. As one of the few art museums in the country with an amphitheater, the IMA offers a unique movie-going experience. All you need is a blanket, some friends and a picnic basket full of goodies. And, by popular demand, another special midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show is in the works.

VOTE NOW! Below are four categories of films. Vote for your favorite film in each of the categories as often as you like. Polls close at noon on February 25, and results, including the full Summer Nights schedule, will be announced in March on the IMA Blog.

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There are actually more than 10 reasons to visit

What, you haven’t been to the IMA’s new Tobias Theater yet? Consider this your personal invitation…along with ten good reasons to get thee to The Toby to catch a film in the next two weeks:

1. To be surprised: Little Fugitive, a black-and-white beauty made in 1953, is probably a film you’ve never heard of. Let that be a good thing. This 80-minute indie gem is about a boy who runs away to Coney Island. Think of it as Leave It To Beaver infused with art, subtlety, and cinematography to die for. Sneak away and see it at The Toby Tuesday, December 30.
2. The sound rocks: As the museum’s senior AV technician, sound hound Chris Cruz made sure the sound system in The Toby is top notch. Three refrigerator-sized speakers lurk behind the movie screen to give you blasts of aural delight.

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