At the IMA, social media has become rather important. We use it to build relationships with you, our online audience, yes- but we also hope to encourage you to build relationships with each other and your community. I don’t know about you, but it’s hard for me to tell the difference between my “personal” and “professional” social media interactions because the lines have blurred in so many ways just in the past couple of years. Yes, part of it has to do with passion for what I do, but even so- everything has become so intertwined, so to speak, when it comes to the ‘interwebs’.

This photo was snapped just this morning down in 100 Acres by Senior Curator of Contemporary Art, Lisa Freiman and promptly tweeted by CEO Max Anderson:

Steel workers gather for a photo opp. on top of Free Basket by Los Carpinteros

Take for instance how social media has reshaped the world of journalism. “Citizen journalism” is the concept of members of the public “playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information.” Examples of this can be seen through blogs, twitter, and camera phone images.

As a museum, we can employ this same idea. Staff, artists and visitors can capture events as they happen with their iPhone or a Flip Video. The following images were captured on artist duo Type A’s cell phones and then uploaded to Facebook:

The top ring of "Team Building (Align)" casts a shadow

Astronomer Brian Murphy of Butler U. and Andrew of Type A work out some calculations to place the second ring for "Team Building (Align)"

So, budding art journalists, here are some tips from caffienatedtraveller.com to get you started:

• Acknowledge the artwork and museum in the photo credits. It is time for bloggers to step up and put on a professional face.
• Post great images and not the family snap shots on your blog. Why discredit a good art exhibit.
• Flash photography? Don’t go there unless you have explicit permission from the museum. Not even when you think you’re alone.
• Leave the fanatical blogger psyche at the entry door. Spend some zen time in the moment, with the art and the space and then shoot.

In the meantime, I’ll be looking for your tweets, status updates and image uploads. And let’s continue to blur the lines together, shall we?

Filed under: Art, Art and Nature Park, Current Events, New Media, Technology

When I first heard about the iPhone, I was pretty excited about the possibilities of combining a camera, GPS, and internet connection. The idea of snapping a shot and uploading it to Flickr with a geotag, sharing it instantly with the rest of humanity, is a very powerful concept. Now that I have an iPhone, I’m exploring the apps and technologies available and refining my workflow. I thought I’d share my thoughts so far, since I think this is a great intersection of art and technology.

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Filed under: Musings, Technology

Though I am listed as author of this post, it was, in fact, written by Katie Zarich, PR Manager at IMA. Even though she is not a regular IMA blogger, this is a story best told in her own words.

I’ve had a few brushes with fame and significant individuals in my lifetime. Through my work with the youth journalism program Y-Press, I met and interviewed Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa. When I traveled to Northern Ireland with Y-Press, I interviewed Sinn Fein politician Martin McGuinness in his home. When we returned to the States, we interviewed his colleague Gerry Adams by phone.

Lately, my brushes with celebrity have been a little more close-to-home. Peyton Manning came into Harry & Izzys and ate dinner at the bar while my husband and I were having drinks there. (He is a part owner of the restaurant.) I saw his teammate, Jeff Saturday, having his car valet parked downtown a few months ago. And former Pacers star Reggie Miller was sitting discreetly in the corner of a popular restaurant I visited once this winter. Really, it’s pretty easy to run into athletes in this town. And, in my line of work, I tend to run into visiting artists pretty frequently too.

But my favorite brush with fame is my most recent. I got to meet my favorite journalist, Tim Russert at the IMA almost 2 months ago.

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Filed under: Current Events