We recently launched the Raindrop web application as part of FLOW: Can You See the River, a project conceived by Mary Miss. Our team started on the project about a year ago, when Mary and her studio began meeting with us and scientists from Butler University and Williams Creek Consulting to build an app illustrating the concept that “All property is riverfront property.” When Mary and I began discussing the project, we talked about the challenge of catching a person’s attention and then engaging them with a visual experience that could lead them to deeper levels of information and insight about the natural world. This is essentially what a good visualization does, so I was excited to be part of the team building this technological bridge between art and science.

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Filed under: Technology

Patty Schneider joined the IMA Horticulture staff 2 ½ years ago, fresh out of the University of Wisconsin. This is Patty’s first post for the IMA blog! Patty’s passion for horticulture and the well-being of our environment is hard for her to hide and it’s a pleasure to work alongside her as we labor together in the gardens of the IMA.  We look forward to future thoughts from her as the IMA continues to strive for proper environmental stewardship.- Gwyn Rager

In 1972, when the IMA received the piece of land now known as 100 Acres, the area had already been affected by human use and abuse. Original disruption occurred when the site was used for farmland, until at least the 1940s. In the 1960s, the land was a staging area for highway equipment used for the  construction of the 38th street bridge, which spans the White River. The lovely, tranquil lake that so inspires viewers and artists alike began as a gravel quarry for highway construction, that later filled with flood water from the river.

1937 aerial photo of land in agricultural use

Late 1960s aerial photo of land post 38th St. construction

1971 photo of museum prior to construction digging

Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Horticulture

Insects as most of us know come in a vast array of forms. Still one can be truly amazed at what they come upon. Patty was recently working on the SugarTyme crabapples along the drive in front of Newfield when she came across a pair of odd creatures – wheel bugs, Arilus cristata.

They are related to assassin bugs and as that name implies I guess, they eat other insects. The old “inject you with toxins that dissolve your soft tissue then I suck you dry” routine. More or less. Wikipedia has a bit on them here. Here you will find lots of info on assassin and ambush bugs at UK. Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: Horticulture

I had the great pleasure of attending the opening party for 100 Acres: the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park a couple of weeks ago.  It was a very festive celebration for Indy’s newest cultural attraction and all of the hard work and dedication it took to take it from concept to reality.  With the exception of a little soggy ground, due to the record June rains, the party went off without a hitch.  The Park is lovely!
The path from the IMA Main Building over to the park is short and sweet as it meanders through the gardens along the way.
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Filed under: Art, Art and Nature Park, Guest Bloggers

In the hubbub leading up the opening of 100 Acres, no one had a chance to blog about a special event which took place in the Park on June 9. Now that we have all had a second to catch our breath, I want to share the IMA’s involvement in the Plant a Wish project and the (100 Acres) location of Indiana’s Wish Tree.

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Filed under: Art and Nature Park, Local