Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog

“Man, this is like going to church!” were the first words uttered by friend and colleague, Ed Blake, as he entered the Miller House and Garden property a few weeks ago.  Ed is a landscape architect from Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and now working to develop the IMA’s Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park.  He was part of a small group joining Bradley Brooks and me for a special Saturday morning tour of this remarkable site.

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, summer 2009 (Ed Blake and Bradley Brooks on far right)

Read the rest of this entry »

I joined the IMA staff in 2000 when the museum was already well along with its project to renovate and reinterpret Oldfields, the former home of J. K. Lilly Jr.  The house was a construction site from top to bottom, and indeed beyond its walls, with many of its interior features and surfaces hidden behind protective coverings to prevent the damage that comes so easily when tools, ladders, materials, and equipment are constantly on the move.  While things were thus covered, we planned for the appearance of the house when it would reflect the early 1930s, the time the Lilly family first lived there.  An image of the house slowly came into focus as we made final selections of paint colors, furnishing choices, and textile selections.  It was an exciting process, one rare enough in one’s career to be especially savored.

Lilly House at the IMA

Interior view of Lilly House

Read the rest of this entry »

Two days in a row above 40! I can hardly believe it. Of course it will drop to the teens tonight with a high of barely 20 over the week-end. But that doesn’t change the facts. Two days in a row with temperatures above 40! With sunshine! Almost makes a person want to do the Happy Dance.

Rather instead, we got out in the Ravine Garden to do some pruning on everything from junipers to shrub roses to crabapples. It was still a bit on the cold side when kneeling in snow. And we had to be careful about walking up and down the steps as they are still snow and ice covered. All in all though, it was nice to be able to get outside and do some gardening. Not that I have all my “inside” work finished. Read the rest of this entry »

In previous posts, I’ve not been shy in expressing my respect, admiration or jealousy for other institutions.  So, it’s surprising it took me this long to mention the Tate Modern.  Earlier this spring, I e-mailed Jane Burton, Creative Director at Tate Modern, to introduce myself and express my sincere appreciation for the work they produce – especially video – and you know how much video The Nugget Factory produces.  This e-mail turned into an invitation to a conference on handheld technology at the Tate Modern organized by Jane and Nancy Proctor of the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM’s doing some pretty innovative things too.  This post hopes to share some the experiences in the conference: From Audiotours to iPhones Workshop.

Developed for IMA's American Galleries in 2005

Rewind a few years.  Does anyone remember the American Gallery handheld project – ArtXplore – that the IMA piloted in 2005?  It was a short-lived project that helped (indirectly)shape much of the current technology strategies at IMA.  It was a difficult project, with some victories, lessons learned and a big part of the technology, evolutionary process at our museum.  Since 2005, we have re-focused our efforts to create digital content that visitors in any location can access. Although we do offer audio tours at the Lilly House, a cell phone tour for the Gardens and Grounds – our primary strategy has to increase the reputation of IMA globally, and share our stories about art with a much larger online audience.  It’s an approach I support, but with the opening of the Art and Nature Park next year, should we try another attempt with some sort of handheld device?  Perhaps.
Read the rest of this entry »

Having Adrian Schiess at the IMA last fall to install his exhibition was a unique experience for the whole group that worked on the show. During the installation, I spent the better part of a week working with contemporary curator Rebecca Uchill, (whose IMA employee profile includes some Schiess installation video), and a host of other folks helping to install the works – everyone played a part from marketing to installation to the Nuggets to security. Though the physical labor wasn’t great, the work was demanding and the result was remarkable: the IMA has installed Adrian’s largest solo exhibition, and his first solo exhibition in the U.S.

Read the rest of this entry »