Here are three IMA events we have recently posted video of, all of which I saw in person. The funny thing is, in each case I noticed or appreciated something new while watching the video that I had missed during the event.

Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright joined us recently for the opening of the exhibition Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection. I was very excited to film her earlier in the day- she is an amazing person and a wonderful role model for women of all ages.

Even though I was live-tweeting the Project IMA: Fashion Unbound Fashion Show, I  saw outfits for the first time when watching this video- they go by so quickly I missed them during the live events! I also loved seeing the materials used by each designer. This show was so much fun!

Florida State University research scientist, Michael Davidson, combined alcohol and microphotography to come up with the imagery you see below – a microscopic print of chablis.

What started as nerdy slides has turned into quite a little business called Bevshots Microart. The images are made by first crystallizing the drink of choice on a lab slide. Using a standard light microscope with an attached camera, the light source is polarized and passed through the crystal, which creates the bright array of colors. What I love about this is the relationship between a favorite drink versus a favorite image. I might be drawn to the aesthetics of one drink while my actual tastes appeal to something else. It’s also a fun gift idea for a relative who considers themselves a connoisseur of one type of alcohol. For this reason, my grandma Beverly might just receive the print below as she considers herself a connoisseur of vodka (no need to point out that her specialty is cheap vodka).

There’s even an iPhone app so you can explore the drinks while sipping them at your favorite bar.

With the ever changing and improving world of technology, Bevshots is just one example of the rising interest in digital art. A few weeks along, former IMA blogger Noelle Pulliam sent me an article on David Hockney’s instant iPad art. The artist began creating works on his iPad to send to friends and within weeks there was more than a nice little collection.

While the images, like the flowers above, are really nice, I can’t help but wonder if I would miss the texture that comes with paint on a canvas. There was also an immediate problem Hockney faced with how to display his work. The solution, as you can see in the video, was a series if iPads along an exhibition wall.

I’m sure there are many who would argue against the artistic value of iPad art and most certainly the artistic value of Bevshots. However, Hockney’s description of capturing an early morning sunrise more effectively with his iPad than he could with a pencil and paper is very intriguing.

While this method would certainly save a lot of time and cleanup hassle for artists like Hockney, digital art is also commonly practiced by many who are not making a career as artists. Kris Arnold pointed out his post, Making fake HDR images in Adobe Lightroom, that the new iPhones will produce stunning HDR images and I know several friends who are snapping very nice photos with their phones. Plus, there are all sorts of camera apps you can download to easily modify and stylize your photos. A professional photographer and friend of mine even joked the other day that she might start specializing in iPhone photography because she was so happy with a photo she captured using her phone.

Have any of you captured a really great photo on your phone or created your own iPad masterpiece? Upload your digital masterpieces to our Digital Art Flickr group.

And I don’t wanna brag, but I also happen to be the Mayor of 100 Acres and Nourish Cafe. Bet you didn’t know I was such a big shot, did you? Now gimme your lunch money.

You don’t recall voting, so how did I end up in office? By frequently “checking in” on the social media app. Foursquare, via my smart phone. And get this: I checked in to the IMA on Foursquare last week and to my surprise, received this badge:

I have to admit, I was slightly offended. Until I actually looked up what it meant: A zoetrope, which means ‘wheel of life’ in Greek,  is a device that produces an illusion of action from a rapid succession of static picture. So basically, a motion picture.

So how is it I won this badge by frequenting an art museum? Oh, well yes.  The IMA does offer quite a bit for the film buff. And I’m not just talkin’ The Toby.

Part of the 40^th Annual Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration, the IBE Film Fest features the artistry of established and emerging filmmakers creating non-Hollywood productions on subjects relevant to the African-American experience.

Indianapolis International Film Festival

July 15-July 25: DeBoest Lecture Hall & The Toby

The 2010 Indy Film Fest partners with the IMA to host another world-class selection of independent films, actors and directors from around the globe. This year’s line-up includes films from both award-winning professionals and emerging filmmakers, ranging from short-subject documentaries to full-length feature films.

Summer Nights Film Series

June 4- August 27: IMA’s Outdoor Amphitheater

From June 4 to August 27, the IMA will be screening films every Friday in its outdoor amphitheater, located on the west side of the Museum.  The 2010 series includes films from six different decades. This week’s film is Alfred Hitchcock’s suspenseful classic North by Northwest.

So whatever you are: film-buff, videophile, movie-junkie or zoetrope… we’ve got what you need. And we promise not to call you any names.

It seems like just yesterday, we were hanging with the Barnacle crew in L.A.

Or team building with the Type A dudes.

Or long jumping with Los Carpinteros.

So what can you expect this weekend? Expect to have your mind blown. Giant grasshoppers, popular bulldogs, throat singing, strawberry shortcake, and more.

See you there.

@uplandindy kept the beer (and conversation) flowing all night long.

@kylehodges1 aka DJ TwinPeaks manned the turntables.

IMA’s Top Blogger, Katie Neville graced us with her presence.

iPads in circulation. Always a people pleaser.

We’ve got a few ideas up our sleeve for the next BlogAnon. Until then, see you on the internets.

Behind the scenes shot of Dan filming the horn section's rehearsal

And we couldn’t have asked for better subject matter. ISO Principal Trombone (and composer) Jim Beckel’s, In the Mind’s Eye, Images for Horns and Orchestra features the five members of the ISO Horn Section and is inspired by paintings from the collections of the IMA.

The video speaks for itself, I think (watch it below)…an extraordinary partnership between two Indianapolis cultural institutions. You can see the performance in person May 14-15 at the Hilbert Circle Theater.

So back in March as the snow began to recede I would regularly peer out into the drab naked trees with great anticipation of watching them green up and return  to the former glory of last summer.  As luck would have it someone shared this link with me around the same time.  It’s the Timelapse group on vimeo and there are some breathtaking videos created via time lapse photography

Here is one example that blew my mind.

This all got me thinking.  What if I stuck a camera facing out of our window for a month and took a photo every half hour?   Well, sounded like there was only one way to find out.   So here is 1 month of spring as taken every half hour, condensed into 23 seconds.

Watch as the gardens go green.

Event details:

Safety Last! with One Week

• Friday, February 26– 7:30pm
• The Toby
• Live score performed by the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra

The Pharmacy prescribes the following links to combat Monday online anemia.

The Selby

Blog: The Selby

The Selby is full of uber-cool photographs of creative people in their living spaces, taken by photographer Todd Selby. (via timesonline.co.uk)

ArtBabble Video: Director’s Journal: 100 Acres Visitor’s Pavilion

Learn about current IMA events with Melvin and Bren Simon Director and CEO Maxwell Anderson. This episode features a conversation with 100 Acres Project Manager Dave Hunt and architect Marlon Blackwell about the Art and Nature Park Visitor’s Pavilion. Listen in as they discuss how the pavilion was constructed and what it will offer to visitors of the park.

IMA Work of Art:

Père Biart Reading in the Garden

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You may have heard, that we softly launched the new IMA website on Tuesday? Well, we were kind of busy with that recently. But we’ve kept our eyes on a couple of other projects, including a major video documentary. You may recall our first major documentary, on Maya Lin which we debuted on ArtBabble. A pic of Dan on location for that documentary, below.

Senior New Media Producer Dan Dark, on location in Walla Walla

So speaking of documentaries. In December, Danny Beyer and I spent a week in NYC working on our next documentary, featuring the artist duo Type A.  This is a really unique project for us, because we have enjoyed a wonderful working relationship with them – in fact, they’ve become ingrained in IMA’s culture through their work in 100 Acres….even on this blog. We’ve been even luckier in that we’ve received the full support, encouragement, collaboration and engagement from IMA’s contemporary curator, Lisa Freiman. It’s the makings of something special.

Stay hydrated! Simple advice.

In fact, this might be our most prolific collaboration with any artist. We’ve got hours and hours of team building raw footage, a Flickr set, blog posts, hilarious phone calls, hugs, the exchange of gifts and more.  It’s lasted years. They’ve also given us (and ArtBabble) one of the best In the Factory series to date. You can view that below. I implore you to at least watch the beginning…which will prompt you to watch the end.

It’s already become a very special project (and we’re a couple of months away from completing the documentary). Type  A have opened their studio to us, befriended the entire IMA family and been incredibly kind, patient, funny and inspiring collaborators. They even gave us hockey tickets for a Rangers game.

Our week in NYC was intense and we shot hours of footage. Interviewing people is an exhausting process and during the week we conducted on-camera interviews with several different people involved in Type A’s career (you’ll meet them in the video) and we grabbed tons of studio b-roll footage. It was an intense but good time.

The final day of shooting at Type A's studio

We’re a couple of months away from completing this video. Danny is currently editing the piece, sifting through all of the footage and searching for usable nuggets. There are plenty.  Even though it’s not done yet, I can imagine the final product being well over twenty minutes long, in which case, this would be our longest documentary to date. We’ve come a long way.

So while you’re waiting for this release, take time to watch Type A’s In the Factory interview (above) or check out their section on the IMA site and what they’re doing in 100 Acres. We love them.