A year ago, I was asked to serve as the IMA’s Accessibility Taskforce Chair, which included memorizing abbreviations UD, ADA, ASL, ALD and AD. The truth of the matter is, my previous experience was limited to working with cognitive disabilities. Thus, the adoption of the famous phrase coined by actor Bill Murray in What About Bob as a way of approaching the practice of access. “Baby step onto the elevator…baby step into the elevator…I’m in the elevator”. In March 2010, members of the Accessibility Taskforce partnered with the Museum’s Education and Public Programs departments to make a concerted effort to apply universal design (UD) to both the IMA environment and its programs.

* Architecture. On March 1st, the IMA opened a Nursing Mother’s Room. This private facility is equipped with comfortable seating, electrical outlets, a changing station, and sanitizer. It is also conveniently located next door to a private restroom with sink on the ground level of the museum.

* Audio Description. On March 5th, the IMA welcomed the Joe Goode Performance Group. The San Francisco-based dance group used puppeteering, narrative, sound and movement to perform the tale of Wonderboy, a superhero isolated by his gift of sensitivity. The IMA commissioned artist Dante Ventresca of Theater of Inclusion to write and perform an audio description for a universal audience via assistive listening devices.

* Awareness. On March 6th, the IMA hosted the annual Ms. Wheelchair Indiana program that named Joey Alise Murello the organization’s new public advocate. Over the next year, Joey will focus on the abilities of those with disabilities to help remove the perception that they are less capable.

Joey Alise Murello

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Filed under: Education, Local

The Pharmacy prescribes the following links to combat Monday online anemia.

Blog: Sleevage

sleevage.com

If you’re like us, you’re still recovering from the holidays-  so here’s a few of our picks guaranteed to put pep back in your in your step. Sleevage is a blog all about music cover art. From the LP’s of the 60’s to the digital artworks of now.

ArtBabble Video: Photography: The Wet Collodion Process

Filed under: Art, New Media

KINDA BIG ANNOUNCEMENT #1: SO YOU THINK YOU CAN BLOG

The IMA is searching for its next blogger and we want you! Interested in sharing your thoughts about the IMA from an “outsider’s” perspective? Not afraid to muse publicly about the museum’s programs and exhibitions? Able to attend IMA events and willing to submit 300-600 words once a month? Then you could be the blogger for the job.

Here’s how it works:*

Step 1: Email your responses to the question below to web@imamuseum.org.  Be sure to include “Hey IMA – I Wanna Blog” in the subject line.

Name:
Email:
Tell us a little about yourself:
Tell us a story. We want to know how good your yarn-spinning skills are, so give your best anecdote involving an experience you’ve had at the museum.
Why should you be an IMA blogger?

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Filed under: Marketing, New Media

This week-end is Perennial Premiere at the IMA’s Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse. As some of you know, our retail shop is open year-round with houseplants and tropicals for sale. But the third week of April, we break out the perennials, woody plants, and my favorite: the summer annuals. Sue Nord Peiffer, Greenhouse Supervisor, maintains a good mix of cutting edge new plants and tried and true favorites.

Being the nature woman she is, there is also a wide variety of natives for sun and shade. For those more in to garden rooms than gardens, there’s a wide range of non-plant garden related items as well (I’m a big fan of the battery operated paper lanterns). But since I get to write this blog, I’m going to concentrate on plants-  particularly the ones I like best. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Current Events, Horticulture

One spring equinox a few years ago, a duo of artists called Theater of Inclusion designed and planted these trees on the IMA grounds, for one day only.

They didn’t design the accompanying clouds you see here, but what if they could have?

by Theater of Inclusion

Fellow IMA blogger Ed Bachta recently told me about a new film called Owning the Weather.  Premiering last week at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, the film tells the story of weather modification science.  The film features “seeders,” scientists who inject clouds with substances that hasten condensation, thereby making rain.  The doc also gives voice to philosophers on both sides of the debate about whether weather interventions are a handy solution to the global warming blues…or a sacrilegious crossing of the line between human and god. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Current Events, Musings, New Media