In the autumn of 2009, Andrea Zittel sent a request for proposals to students at the Herron School of Art and Design who wished to live on her latest piece, Indianapolis Island. The island is an 18′ x 20′ fiberglass living structure that will float in the lake of the new 100 Acres Art and Nature Park. We (Jessica Dunn and Michael Runge) collaborated to write a proposal and were chosen by Zittel and the IMA after several interviews and meetings.

We are really excited to be a part of this project and have many ideas dealing with the Give and Take nature of the project.

Here is a quick overview of our project:

Fabrication of the interior: We will be fabricating the entire interior of the island with modular, dual-purpose furniture including a bed which functions as a couch as well as storage space. We will also be building a bicycle generator so we can have electricity on the island.

Floating garden: Similar to a self watering container, we will be building floating garden pots that will grow vegetables we can eat while living on the island.

Floating messages: Visitors may send messages to the island inhabitants by floating paper messages via capsules visually reminiscent of the island’s shape.

Island trade: Every visitor who sets foot on the island will have the opportunity to give and take something from the island. This trade will will show a tangible example of the mark left on the individual and the space.

Follow our construction progress and our evolving (or deteriorating) mental state on our blog. You can also follow us on Twitter.

Filed under: Art, Art and Nature Park, Current Events, Guest Bloggers, Local

One of the long-term goals for a museum curator is to put together a catalog of the collection under their care. With the advent of the web this project has gone beyond the printed page and given the writer a whole new set of options. Unlike a publication, a web catalog allows the writer to add works as they are acquired instead of having to produce another book sometime in the future, change entries as new information becomes available, and correct mistakes that would forever remain in print. Flexibility is one of the major advantages of putting a collections catalog on the web.

The journey from concept to completion of the catalog for the American collection began more than two years ago with a compilation of the material that would be necessary to begin the project. Nothing could begin without a complete list of the American collection. For this project the list took the form of a printout which contained each piece in the American collection organized by its accession number, the order in which it came into the collection. For example 2008.352 was the 352nd piece to come into the collection in 2008. It was then necessary to ascertain from this list the works to be included in the web catalog. The remarkable aspect of a web catalog is that once this decision is made there will always be the opportunity to create more entries in the future.

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Filed under: Art, New Media, Technology

What glorious weather we have had this week! Sunny and 60 plus degrees four days in a row counting today. Wednesday night I started telling people we had already experienced three days like that. It was so nice Tuesday and Wednesday that I forgot Monday was cold, cloudy, windy, and never even made it to 50. That’s what beautiful weather will do for you, make you forget all the bad stuff.

This weather has so many horticultural events happening it feels like I could blog every other hour on something new. Today I first want to talk about a little “Blue Sunshine”.

What do I mean? Well, what I am actually talking about are some so-called minor bulbs with blue flowers. They just make me happy like spring sunshine. Only they’re blue. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Horticulture

After three weeks in southern South Korea, I can vouch that Korean culture is rich with visual communication, design and promotion. Every city here has a brand, like “Charm Jinju” or “Sparkling Hadong.”

Many restaurant facades bear a cartoon depicting the main dish served, like a perky eel or cute cow.

Even bathroom doors have creative signage.

On the natural side, the mountainous Korean terrain inspires a terraced pattern for landscape architecture.

Ancient designs can pack the biggest wallop. The eaves of Buddhist temples are decorated with exquisite detail and color.

We all need dragons guarding our doors.

Filed under: Art, Design, Travel

From age four to 18, I lived ballet, pointe and jazz. I found beauty and satisfaction in the culture — the movement, symmetry, expression, discipline, and music. I longed for new leotards and dreaded new pointe shoes and the subsequent weeks of breaking them in.

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.

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Filed under: Art, Current Events, Local