Alexander Girard, Interior plan (detail), Miller House and Garden papers, IMA Archives.

The opening of Miller House and Garden has been wildly successful, with sold out tours for five solid months.  The home where Cummins CEO J. Irwin and Xenia Miller raised their children illustrates the masterful skills of the renowned mid-century architect Eero Saarinen.  The garden, designed by Dan Kiley, offers a lush contrast to the stark structure.  But, the explosive colors, textures and folk art inspired by interior designer Alexander Girard give this house its soul.

Girard is perhaps best known as the textile designer for Herman Miller Furniture Company from 1952 to 1973. One of the pre-eminent designers of his generation, Girard’s work has experienced a surge in popularity in the last decade.  His spirited designs now can be found on Kate Spade bags, Electra bicycles and Urban Outfitters pillows.

In Columbus, Indiana, Girard-inspired designs have never fallen out of fashion.  His influence is a testament to the friendship he shared with the Millers, especially Xenia.

If you know where to look, you’ll see his handiwork throughout the city.  Start with North Christian Church, which is full of tell tale signs of Girard’s handiwork.  The church was yet another example of a collaboration between Saarinen, Kiley and Girard (Saarinen died three years before the church was completed in 1964).

North Christian Church.

Sitting at the center of the hexagonal sanctuary is a substantial communion table, ringed by 12 seats for the church elders. Throughout the year, the cushions on these seats will transition from green to red to purple to white, in step with the liturgical calendar. This mirrors an idea Girard incorporated successfully in the Miller’s home. Cushion covers and pillows in the conversation pit were changed with the seasons, featuring pale neutrals in warm months and deep reds in winter.  The interiors of both the Miller House and North Christian Church are clean, stark and neutral.  Girard switched out the textiles to transform the interiors with the changing seasons.

Girard added additional ornamentation inside the church, with elaborate rod-iron flower stands in the main sanctuary and candelabras of similar design in the baptistery.  Also in the sanctuary, one can sometimes see a brightly-colored “Tree of Life” appliqué, designed by Girard, although the piece is showing signs of wear and is rarely on display.

Clients of the Saarinen-designed Irwin Union Bank (now operating as First Financial Bank) in downtown Columbus enjoy the collection of George Nelson desks and Saarinen chairs.  Since all the exterior walls are made of glass, there is limited wall space for art.  Two interior walls are adorned with textiles from India.  In fact, nearly-identical textiles are on display in Girard’s collection at the International Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

In 1964, Girard designed a streetscape plan for the Victorian-era structures that line downtown Columbus’ Washington Street.  Working with a group of downtown business owners, he recommended a color palette of 26 colors.  According to a brochure about the project, “One of the startling aspects of the proposal and one which was of immediate appeal to young people in the community was Girard’s use of bright accent colors for decorative details and windows, with the most popular being the bright orange bay window…” Over time, 80 percent of the downtown buildings repainted in Girard’s color scheme.  Today, infill construction and redevelopment of the area has minimized the impact of Girard’s plan from decades ago.  But one downtown Columbus building is vintage Girard.

301 Washington; photo by Don Nissen.

The former offices of Irwin Management are located at 301 Washington.  Locals know the building simply as “301.”   Joseph Ireland Irwin, J. Irwin Miller’s great-grandfather, operated a dry goods store in this building.  After establishing one of the city’s early banks, he remodeled the building in 1881.  His holdings grew and through the shrewd business dealings of his son and great grandson, the family’s business holdings grew.  They included partial ownership of Cummins Engine Company, the diesel engine manufacturing company founded by W.G. Irwin and Clessie Cummins.  Even after J.I. Miller guided the company to profitability, he continued to keep his offices at 301.  In 1973, he hired Alexander Girard to renovate the structure.  The building was recently sold to Cummins Inc. for offices and training space.  However, plans are in the works to open the reception area and Miller’s office, with the original furnishings, for public tours in the spring of 2012.

A pollinator by definition is any sort of animal that carries pollen from one seed plant to another, unwittingly aiding the plant in its reproduction.  Most pollinators do this in the process of feeding off of the nectar of the plant.  This busy process has resounding effects.  The pollinated blossoms mature to fruits that feed wildlife and people and insure the genetic diversity on our planet.

Here at the IMA, our 152 acre campus is filled with gardens of diverse plantings.  Not only does this create a year-round experience for our visitors, but it provides a lush habitat for pollinators.  The IMA’s Horticulture staff has also purposefully introduced pollinators on the grounds of the museum.  If you’re a follower of Irvin Etienne’s blogs, you’ve probably read about our honey bees.  It’s been quite the experience for us as we learn to care for and manage the hive properly!

A healthy hive of honey bees can house upwards of 40,000 – 80,000 bees at one time.  About 98% of those thousands of bees are worker bees; the ones out each day working in our gardens.

We’ve also encouraged a native pollinator to work alongside the honey bees; the Orchard Mason Bee.

In his article written for the IMA Horticultural Society newsletter, Jonathon Hensley, IMA Horticulturist, explains more about this “newbee” in our gardens:

Ornamental gardens and vegetable gardens alike benefit with the addition of helpful pollinators such as the Orchard Mason Bee or Osmia lignaria propinqua Cresson.  The Orchard Mason Bee is a Native of North America, specifically areas west of the Rocky Mountains, and has a distinct look and many distinct features when compared to the common honey bee normally seen in gardens.  Interestingly, the Orchard Mason Bee is black in color, which helps to absorb sunlight and warm their wings to a flight-capable temperature (approximately 55° F).  As a North American Native, Orchard Mason Bees get going much earlier in the season than honey bees in anticipation of the very first flowers.  Unlike honey bees, they do not produce honey or a hive, but rather over-winter in cocoons as fully-formed bees.New for this season, a colony of Orchard Mason Bees has been added to the Gene and Rosemary Tanner Orchard of Oldfields at the IMA to assist in the pollination and fruit set of our orchard apple trees.  Last year, both orchard apple varieties (Malus pumila ‘Gold Rush’ and Malus pumila ‘Enterprise’) had tremendous yields due to the abundance of overgrown flowering wood on the trees.  Over this past winter, both tree varieties were pruned heavily to start managing their shape and overall size.  As a result, this spring came with many fewer flowers on the apple trees.  It is our hope that the addition of this new and energetic colony of bees will help us take advantage of every bloom this year.  Please come by this season to see them in action!

So you may be asking yourself, “What can I do to work alongside our allies in this green and blooming world?”  An important first step is education.  Learn who the pollinators are and what they need to survive.  Pollinator Partnership has a great website packed with an abundance of information.  One of their resources is the “Pollinator Friendly Planting Guide”.  Divided regionally, Indiana’s guide is a 24 page document filled with facts, lists and charts.  Indiana’s DNR also has a website loaded with informative links.

Once you’ve got the facts down and begin to practice “pollinator stewardship,” the next step is to educate others.  Celebrate this year’s National Pollinator Week by sharing with someone the value our busy garden friends!  And poppycosh with me – HURRAY POLLINATORS!

Trees in 100 Acres

Shortly after I wrote my first blog on the history and current stewardship practices of the Park, I found out about an award the IMA had won in regard to those very efforts, through the Indiana Urban Forest Council (IUFC).  The IUFC is a nonprofit organization committed to educating the public and addressing key issues pertaining to Indiana’s urban forests, and is a great resource for information on establishing healthy and sustainable tree communities throughout cities across the state.  Additionally, they annually recognize efforts that are made by other organizations and individuals who are also actively committed to this goal, and this year we received the Outstanding Project Award which acknowledges the positive impact 100 Acres is making to the Indianapolis urban forest.  If you’re wondering how the opening of a park that is heavily represented by its art exhibitions could qualify for such an award, check out my previous blog which explains the efforts that have been focused on the care and restoration of the site itself, as well as the IUFC press release.

Director of Horticulture, Chad Franer, accepts the Outstanding Project Award for the IMA

2008 aerial photo of 100 Acres and IMA campus

Thank you, Indiana Urban Forest Council, for your support and recognition.  We are grateful for the opportunity to spread the word about the Park for the benefit it brings to the Indianapolis community, and for the continuation of our responsibility to better the Park in species diversity and environmental management.

Mulberry along 100 Acre’s meadow in fall

Michael Shapiro of ModernCaptital (left) and Barrett "Baz" Crites of Atomic Indy (right)

Taken together, the participants constituted a pretty impressive group. (By the way, has there yet been coined a word for a group of bloggers?)  Atomic Indy’s Baz was there, along with the Urbanophile (that’s some SERIOUS blogging), Apartment Therapy, and many others, about 15 in all.  I had visited some of their blogs prior to the June 12 tour, but my own digital world is on the narrow side, I have to confess, so most were new to me.  Suffice it to say that as folks were introducing themselves, I could only smile and nod, and reflect inwardly on my opportunity to see the Miller property act as one of the agents that would transform – if only for a weekend – a virtual community of iPhone-addicted hipster inhabitants of the blogosphere into a real-time, flesh-and-blood fellowship of Columbus, Indiana, architectural enthusiasts.

Group photo of bloggers at another mid-century modern residence in Columbus

It’s been great to have opportunities to conduct individuals and groups through the property; I’ve been able to get a sense of what has the greatest impact on people and of possible rhythms of a tour experience.  For many people – and for a lot in the bloggers’ group (where’s that word I need?) – seeing the central living area of the Miller House for the first time is an experience that doesn’t require much chatter from the docent or tour guide.  It’s pretty powerful.

Miller House interior

And that’s a hard one for me, having given tours of one kind or another since I was working at Nissley Vineyards before being old enough to taste the wine samples I was pouring.  Left to my own devices, I will talk ‘til my mouth is dry and I am out of breath, but the Miller House has taught me the value of silence as an interpretive tool as nothing else has done.

Individuals find in that silence time to form their own responses, questions perhaps, or to remember and compare other sites they have visited.  For some, the response can be quite deeply emotional.  One of the bloggers – OK, it was Baz – mentioned to me at one point while lagging behind others that the house had brought tears to his eyes.  I sympathized, having experienced the same thing many months earlier while viewing the landscape and feeling the impact of the soft green, near-perfect turf of the expansive west lawn stretching away beneath me in the glow of afternoon sunlight.

Miller House exterior

After having lived for almost 10 years in Indiana, the day of the bloggers’ tour was the hottest, most oppressive I can recall.  Thank goodness for the air conditioning in the house (Mr. Miller originally thought that central air wouldn’t be necessary – glad he changed his mind).  After seeing the interiors, we adjourned to the outdoors for a look at the gardens, and for some cocktails and refreshments.  Beads of perspiration glistened on every forehead and moistened every hairdo, but in spite of the soupy atmosphere, folks seemed glad for a chance to linger in the garden.

Miller House exterior

With dinner awaiting at another location, the bloggers’ party at the Miller House eventually shifted its venue.  Violent thunderstorms were just about to erupt in the superheated and saturated twilight. The bloggers and I took the property’s calm beauty away with us as the storms broke.  The electricity of the experience later crackled through the blogosphere.

Sara Tekula and Joe Imhoff, residents of Hawaii, started Plant a Wish with the planting of a native species of tree at their wedding, imbued with their guests well-wishes. Over time, they realized that this ‘Wish Tree’ continued to hold special meaning for them. They decided to embark on a journey to plant a native Wish Tree in the remaining 49 states with this wish:

The overall wish of the Plant A Wish project is for future generations to enjoy an abundance of biodiversity, native plants and trees, fresh air, and clean water.

They are also filming their journey, to be made into what I’m sure will be a moving documentary. I can’t wait to see how it comes out and what kinds of adventures they get themselves in to! They said every planting has had a different flavor, from small, single family plantings to huge affairs involving whole towns.

They selected the IMA, and 100 Acres in particular, because of the work that is being done in the Park already to fight invasive non-native plant species while planting local varieties, installing works of art, and educating our local communities. Our Horticulture Manager Chad Franer selected the appropriate native tree (an American Beech) and planting location (with enough distance from the beavers!)

We had a small ceremony for the planting, and the MAP Kids and some education staff joined us and contributed their wishes: some sentimental, some funny, some deeply moving. I also collected wishes from some of our fans on FaceBook and Twitter. They are all nourishing the roots of our American Beech as I type.

I thought for a while what I wanted to wish for…. what did I want to think of when I walked by this tree? The more I thought about it, I knew I could never untangle my memories of the thrill of my involvement in the opening the Park with the Wish Tree. So, my wish was simple: for Indianapolis to love 100 Acres as much as I have come to. Less than a month later and after a wildly successful opening, I would feel comfortable saying this has already come true.

Next, we placed our wishes under the tree, and rolled it in to place. We each helped to cover the root ball with some dirt. With Joe’s instruction, we also had to help ‘wake up’ the tree. Each of us took hold of the tree and we yelled together on the count of 3. Surprisingly, no one came running. This must be a horticulture secret and probably why I’ve killed all the plants I have ever interred. I’ll try it at home soon- I’m sure my neighbors will love it!

The Indiana Wish Tree is located here, along the path to Kendall Buster’s Stratum Pier, ready for your wishes as well. I hope that it will be big enough in a few years for having a picnic under. I want to thank Sara and Joe for their dedication to a thoughtful and important cause, and for selecting the IMA to be a part of it. If you would like to help them reach their goal of all 50 states, you can donate to their project or suggest a planting site.

Images courtesy of Sara Tekula. See more here.

Miller House

I was moved by I.M. Pei‘s sleek lines. Seduced by Eames‘ furniture design. Amazed by Harry Weese‘s understanding of light. But in all this courtship, something unexpected happened. An unmistakable tug at my heart strings and a tummy full of butterflies. I fell madly in love with landscape architect Dan Kiley. Well, to be exact, I fell in love with his landscape architecting skills.

Kiley knew the landscape a structure sits on is just as important as the structure itself. It’s a balanced, complementing relationship. A gentle dance across a crowded floor. Swoon.

I wandered through Kiley’s shaded clean grid patterns, well-trimmed shrubs and meticulously placed trees. All were in linear harmony with the horizontal and vertical lines of the structures at their center.

Kiley's work outside Saarinen's North Christian Church

I know what you’re thinking: “He’s so not your type!” Those who know me are aware “linear” and “well-trimmed” are rarely associated with my aesthetic approach. I’m more of an asymmetrical, scruffy and slightly overgrown kinda gal. So what was it about Kiley that stole my heart?

Mark Zelonis captured it in this post detailing the reverent experience he and Ed Blake (landscape architect for the IMA’s 100 Acres) shared while visiting the Miller House garden, designed by none other than my new beau, Dan.

Ed first witnessed the site decades ago while on a work assignment in Columbus. He was then only able to peek through the already tall arborvitae hedges guarding the property’s east side, but knew the place was indeed very special. After all, one of the 20th century’s masters of landscape design, Dan Kiley, had worked his magic here. For all of us in the field, this is a place for reverence.

Miller House garden

Columbus is adorned with Kiley landscapes, both public and private. Perhaps the most cherished are the grounds surrounding North Christian Church, the last building architect Eero Saarinen designed before his death in 1961. It is the last of three buildings in Columbus that Saarinen and Kiley worked on together. The building is woven into the fabric of the site like a fine Girard textile. I was lost, and found there.

Lucky for you, I won’t keep my Danny Boy all to myself. I’ll share him in the form of a Dan Kiley tour I put together  just for you (with the help of the Columbus, IN Visitors Association):

- North Christian Church: The entry sequence consists of a long curving drive that runs through open woods of old native hardwoods, to a series of parking lots formed into courtyards and camouflaging vehicles by high hedges and perimeter trees. Maple allees define much of the perimeter of the property. A small meadow bounded by woods, allees, magnolia grove, and hedges affords the single unobstructed view of the building.

Eero Saarinen's North Christian Church (1964)

- Irwin Union Bank: The 1954 Irwin Union Bank building was an early collaboration between architect Eero Saarinen and Dan Kiley. The building is flat-roofed, made of steel and glass in the International Style. Kiley wanted an office building within a garden. Kiley surrounded the base with thick groundcover and place it inside a grove of honey locust trees to connect inside and outside.

Irwin Union Bank (1954)

- Miller House and Garden: “A “classic of modern horticulture, unsurpassed in the United States…” — The Magazine Antiques. The IMA recently acquired the landmark Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Indiana. One of the country’s most highly regarded examples of mid-century Modernist residences, the Miller House was designed by Eero Saarinen, with interiors by Alexander Girard, and landscape design by Daniel Kiley.

Miller House and Garden

Miller House is slated to open to the public next year, but don’t sit around waiting til then to dive deep in to all the design goodness Columbus has to offer. Who knows, maybe you’ll fall head over heels too.

There now. Wasn’t that nice? Now, let’s get right on to the story.

When I was a small child growing up in southern Indiana there was no such thing as a daffodil. There just wasn’t. Jonquils were not to be found. Narcissus (Narcissi?) were as non-existent as interstate highways. You only knew the gravel road and you only knew “Easter Flowers.” And they were yellow.

They were all yellow (including the one double one) with the exception of a mysterious double white. That double white had the very same shape as the double yellow and they didn’t always open completely. It was a special year when you got most of them to bloom out completely. To this day I have no idea what those special conditions are.

We had lots of the traditional yellow trumpet shaped ones in our yard. Every spring they would push their sturdy strap shaped leaves through the clayey soil and the fresh green grass (okay, some grass with mostly white clover). Easter flowers were tough. They had to be to survive nine children, an assortment of dogs and pups, plus the occasional sow or cow out for a spring stroll. They can also fend off deer and rodents. They grew and bloomed in the shade of the old walnut and sugar maple trees, in the sunny open areas of the yard, and right along the edge of the gravel road. They lived in the dry areas and the wet areas. They were tough and reliable.

We always picked some for bouquets, sometimes dying the water green or blue and watching as each day the color showed up in the flowers more and more. It would follow the veins right to the tip of the trumpet creating vivid multicolored flowers. I haven’t tried that in years. Maybe it is time.

I am not certain if the doubles were always in the yard because I remember when we started collecting them from the old homestead on my uncle’s farm just at the top of the hill behind our farm. We would dig them in bloom. They always survived even if it took an extra year to bloom again. I think his plowing the field near the homestead kept the bulbs healthy by dividing them ever so often. On a late collecting trip we discovered the small flowered Pheasant’s Eye daffodil. The tiny yellow cup with a red rim was surrounded by perfect little white flat petals. And they were fragrant. We added these to our collection.

The first daffodil I ever bought was Mrs. R. O. Backhouse, white with a “pink” cup. You had to squint real hard to call it pink. It was the softest salmon. I paid 75 cents for three bulbs from Henry Field Seed Company. I remember taping the quarters to an index card or something. It was like a hundred bucks to me. That clump multiplied over time with no real care at all. Years later I found out it was an heirloom variety. Forty or so years later they are still there. Here’s an image I found at Old House Gardens on the right.

Today there are many pink daffodils along with reds, oranges, whites. On average when we talk about pink, red, or orange we are talking about the corona (the cup or trumpet in the middle) not the perianth (the petals – really a combination of petals and sepals- surrounding the cup). Along with the colors are all the forms – double, split cup, tazetta, small cup, large cup, twelve in all. You can have daffodils blooming from February through May. They can be only a few inches tall or a foot and a half tall. Here’s a sampling taken this week from our gardens at the IMA .

The Indiana Daffodil Society and the American Daffodil Society can tell you lots more. The Heaths of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs also have an excellent book, Daffodils for American Gardens.

You can also come to the gardens here and see thousands upon thousands of them in bloom this very week-end.

Don’t forget your bonnet for the Easter Parade. And since you know I’m all about the sweet stuff let me just say I hope the Easter Bunny brings you lots of candy, sweet sugar coated candy.

Miller House (via IMA Photography Department)

IMA TV was there as Bradley Brooks, IMA’s Director of Historic Resources, first opened a box of textiles and design plans belonging to Alexander Girard, interior designer for Miller House in Columbus, IN.

Here’s a little background on Miller House:

The IMA recently acquired the landmark Miller House and Garden in Columbus, Indiana. One of the country’s most highly regarded examples of mid-century Modernist residences, the Miller House was designed by Eero Saarinen, with interiors by Alexander Girard, and landscape design by Daniel Urban Kiley. Read more about it (and see some amazing images) here.

Pay close attention to facial expressions in this video, and you’ll just see how significant this seemingly small discovery is:

Where did this love story begin? A swim teacher danced and suggested that I try classes for the coordination, recognition of rhythm and self-confidence it instilled. It was also one of the few activities available during the fall and winter months in a small town. I should mention that I was obsessed with Angelina Ballerina books. I met two of best friends in Creative Dance and find it impossible to forget my lilac butterfly costume from the first recital. From there, it was a whirlwind of performances from The Wizard of Oz to The Nutcracker until I was old enough to become a member of the Wabash Valley Dance Theater Company.

When I spotted an announcement about a new professional ballet company possibly starting in Indy, I broke into a set of grand battement (that’s large kicks for you non-dancers).

Indianapolis City Ballet seeks to unite and strengthen the ballet, dance, and arts community. Founded with a philosophy that more dance is good for everyone — be it professional, amateur or scholastic, contemporary, classical, jazz, ballroom or tap — Indianapolis City Ballet offers links to dance-related resources.

The Indianapolis City Ballet hopes to establish a 12 person professional company in Indianapolis (as opposed to a larger regional company) under the artistic direction of John Meehan, maintaining a performance regime of both classical and contemporary ballet. You can listen to an interview with Meehan on WFYI “The Art of the Matter”: WFYI “The Art of the Matter” To gauge and raise community support, the City Ballet is holding a gala performance this Saturday at the Murat Theatre with dancers from around the world. This probably isn’t news to you. The gala is getting quite a bit of publicity. You can meet the dancers in this Indianapolis Star article, or get a glimpse into the lives of a married couple from the American Ballet Theatre who will be performing at the gala in Glamour magazine. The story of the City Ballet is also featured in the latest issue of Dance Magazine, Indianapolis Monthly, and NUVO.

As much as I hope the company is successful and the gala is a sell-out, I am not sure that Indianapolis is ready to support this venture. It has some major supporters and sponsors behind it, including both individual donors and companies like Saks and Tiffany & Co. But is the Midwestern ballet audience ready to be revived? I had friends in Ballet Internationale when it went under four years ago and that history makes me nervous. City Ballet includes its background online, but makes no mention of focus groups or surveys conducted to test the market, although they imply that the gala is the actual test. Also, I wonder if Indy has an audience with an eye for classical ballet? Dance Kaleidoscope is a contemporary company and often draws large audiences because of the approachability of modern dance. It seems the City Ballet recognizes they have to do more than classical ballet to draw people in — their ad in the Indy Star reads “A one-of-a-kind performance featuring acclaimed dancers from major international companies; neo-classical and contemporary ballets; fog machines, strobe lights and a cow in a pink tutu!”

In addition to a substantial amount of press, the City Ballet is doing an nice job stating their cause through tranparency on its Web site. The site also contains an educational section with theatre and ballet terms for newcomers, and the City Ballet is on Facebook with more than 230 fans.

Consider trying something new this Saturday night and supporting the Indianapolis City Ballet at An Evening with the Stars. It may be the beginning of your love story. Or share your thoughts — is Indianapolis ready for a new professional ballet company? I am.

I sat down with IMA Senior Graphic Designer Matthew Taylor last week in the Design Studio to take a hard look at our current IMA membership magazine (Previews) and talk content and design. A bit of history: The magazine has been around since 1988 with its current name.  (Before that, it was called the Quarterly Magazine. A bit of an improvement?) Matt was kind enough to hang out with me for a few minutes after our redesign brainstorming session to answer some questions:

Do you have a design philosophy?
I feel like George Bush in the movie “W.”. You know, when he was asked what he would consider to be his biggest mistake…I’m kidding.  As a designer, you can’t help but put something of yourself into every project. But I think the less of yourself you put into it the better. A piece can be clean and beautiful without shouting “Matt Taylor did that.” My philosophy is stay true to the project.

How does the design department at the IMA work?
The environment of the Design Studio is truly collaborative. We have exhibition designers, graphic designers, a lighting designer and a technical designer. It’s a multifaceted team. Everyone has a specialty, but we work together on projects that aren’t necessarily in our own area of expertise. We work with every department in the Museum to make well-designed, cohesive exhibitions.

What are the challenges of designing in a museum setting?
The biggest challenge we face is over-designing. You are working with a museum brand and an exhibition brand. Everything here is an art form and design itself is art. The challenge is to find a balance in your work. Part of my job is to get people to come see an exhibition, but at the same time know when to pull back and not overshadow the art with my design.

What upcoming design project are you most excited about?
Redesigning Previews magazine, of course. I’m excited about incorporating the new IMA brand that we are rolling out now into the magazine. The old magazine doesn’t live up to our new mission of art, nature and design. I would like the new design to be true to that mission and the new brand, as well as be more engaging and exciting than it is currently.

Can you describe the new IMA brand? (above)
The new IMA brand was designed by Indiana native Abbott Miller and his team at Pentagram in New York. We discussed our needs with them and why the old brand wasn’t working. They came up with something conversational, welcoming and inclusive. Using two new typefaces, Taz and Brioni, the brand has the flexibility to say the right thing at the right time. It’s got personality. We’re doing a soft roll-out of the logo to be green, economical and smart.

What’s your favorite magazine?
I.D. (The International Design Magazine)—The design is beautiful.  Great layout, typography etc. The magazine as a whole (from design to content) is always fantastic from cover to cover.

Design Inspiration

And so the conversation continues… With a content strategy that’s mission-consistent, flexible and collaborative and two full boards of design inspiration, we will bring you a new and improved quarterly IMA magazine this winter. Your thoughts and title suggestions will be considered—please add them below!