We all have them: people on our Christmas lists who are impossible to shop for every year. Maybe they simply buy the things they want on their own. Maybe they ask you for world peace (like my father). You look through catalogs and in stores, but nothing you can find seems unique enough for them. Let me let you in on a little secret – if you are looking for that perfect gift, look no further. The IMA is prepared to help you with all of your holiday shopping needs.

The Art Lover – Are you shopping for someone who briefly majored in photography or loves fashion or is always looking for new things to do on the weekends? An IMA gift membership is all of this, plus more, rolled into one package deal! Plus, it is literally the gift that keeps giving all year long. Simply send in this form by December 14 to make sure that your gift arrives before the holidays.

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Filed under: Current Events, Musings

Today is the 25^th Anniversary of National Philanthropy Day®, the day that nonprofits across the country celebrate the countless daily contributions that individuals and organizations make to our causes.

The IMA quite literally would not be here without the support of our donors and friends. The Art Association of Indianapolis, which would later become the Indianapolis Museum of Art, was formed in 1883 as a membership club that intended to educate the public about art. Membership dues actually started it all!

Generous individuals have shaped the Museum in many ways. John Herron’s estate gift in 1895 provided the means for the Art Association to build our first art school and gallery. Other families have given us the Oldfields estate and the Miller House, so that visitors have a chance to step back in time (be it to the Jazz Age or the modern 1950s!). Donor names are on our gallery walls, not because they ever picked up a paintbrush or sculpted in clay, but because they chose to share the art that they collected with the entire community. When the IMA needed to expand in 2005, our loyal patrons stepped up to provide the funds for a total of 143,000 square feet of exhibition space.

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Filed under: Local, Musings

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