Exhibition: Breaking the Mode

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Exhibition: On Procession

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Exhibition: To Live Forever

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The Viewing Project

Exhibition: Power and Glory

Something new is coming in January!

What is your favorite of 2008?  Let us know whether it is something listed here or something completely different.

I quit “trying so hard.” I wrote like I was writing to my best friend. I added facts. It’s just not right.

I’ve made things in Star Studio. I go to Art Openings. I work at every exhibition opening event and spend time in the galleries. So why can’t I pick up a brush, pen, piece of chalk, prick my finger and write in blood, whatever – and spill my brilliance into a sketchbook or an electronic diary? Throughout my life I’ve owned countless notebooks and sketch pads that I’ve bought only to sit in a corner and get dusty. Packs of markers of every width and color that I draw the same ol’ Ninja Turtle(usually Donatello – but only because I have a fondness for purple).

Some of my work is on the wall at Zest – the great restaurant on 54th St., where they have placemats you can draw on and a glass of crayons. But it’s no Picasso. I think I even asked the my dining guests at the table “What should I draw?” It was winter. I made a snowman. It’s hanging next to – you guessed it – a little kids drawing of a Ninja Turtle.

Lately I’ve gotten it into my head that I want to illustrate children’s books. As long as someone were to write the story, I could draw the pictures that go along with it. And I have recently discovered that a knack I do have is for scrap-booking. But I want to be a blogger – a GOOD blogger. So I guess I’m asking this – what inspires you? I could join the Army to Be All I Can Be, but how do you get over a creative block? My inner Martha Stewart is trapped. Please, set her free…

Sean Miller is a participating artist in the exhibition On Procession. His project, the John Erikson Museum of Art, takes the form of miniature, portable museum galleries which he uses as a platform to host rotating exhibitions of other artists’ works. JEMA, named after Miller’s great-grandfather, was marched through the 2007 Art Parade presented by Deitch Projects, Paper Magazine and Creative Time. The Art Parade, an annual SoHo event since 2005, combines artworks solicited from an open call, museum-sponsored floats, and all types of rock n’ roll spectacle.

JEMA has been presented in other contexts, including other museums’ galleries. Beyond its obvious humor, JEMA offers an alternative vision of what it is to make an exhibition. As a portable museum, JEMA’s open construction and minimized logistical operations allow for more flexible or experimental programming than other kinds of museum galleries.

Sean Miller wrote this entry during a residency in Belfast at Flaxart Studios. He took the invitation to be IMA’s guest blogger as an opportunity to share his newly begun Director’s Notes. I encourage you to check out his Web site at http://www.jema.us/ to learn more about Miller/JEMA’s activities and details, including a staff listing, opening events, and a more thorough explanation of the overall project. JEMA’s exhibition of Saya Moriyasu’s Audience (2007) is currently on view in the IMA’s Forefront Galleries.

Rebecca Uchill
Associate Curator of Contemporary Art

As the Director of the John Erickson Museum of Art (JEMA) I have graciously been invited to submit an entry for this IMA blog. This invitation comes on the occasion of JEMA traveling Saya Moriyasu’s installation “audience” (2006) to IMA to be included in On Procession. JEMA is a location variable museum and currently I am busy scheduling, exhibiting, and juggling a new wing of location variable galleries in several different countries. I coordinated these exhibitions from Belfast, U.K. where I was participating in Flaxart Studios Residency Program. Rather than describe the functioning of our museum I thought I would include three excerpts from my Director’s Notes. In addition, I invite readers to view upcoming solo exhibitions at JEMA by Gregory Green, Cyriaco Lopes, Charles Krafft, Kristin Lucas, Yoko Ono, and Andrea Robbins and Max Becher. Please visit JEMA’s Web site for more info.

Director’s Notes
John Erickson Museum of Art
A New Museum and Consulate Opens in Belfast

More High Art: A Museum Hurtles Through The Air
Thursday April 3rd, 2008, 5:10AM

As I write this entry myself, three galleries, and the video lounge from the John Erickson Museum of Art (JEMA) are 4175 miles from Atlanta and 37,037 feet in the air somewhere over the water between Ireland and Great Britain. Soon JEMA will begin its cultural and diplomatic mission when the museum opens at Flaxart Studios and Golden Thread Gallery in Belfast, United Kingdom. There is much work to do. JEMA was recently bestowed with the honor and duty of housing a consulate for the Free State of Caroline. When a new Caroline Consulate prepares to open, the state routinely requests an address to record the consulate’s location – but since JEMA is a location variable museum I was unable to provide the necessary details. Happily the Free State of Caroline granted the museum the ability act as a mobile consulate. This is a great relief to us because the museum is currently moving at 526 mph and it’s difficult to get a clear idea on a fixed position. In this situation, the museum may only discuss a possible trajectory and one that is of course entirely dependent on chance, weather patterns, and the proper functioning of navigational equipment.

On The Ground in Belfast: A Museum and A New Free State
Thursday April 5th, 2008, 11:33 AM

The Free State of Caroline is a nation founded by artist Gregory Green in 1997. Caroline is in Belfast recruiting citizens and offering promise of “a new future” but is not yet recognized by the U.N. One of JEMA’s galleries has been transformed into a mobile Caroline Consulate. Green writes, “The New Free State of Caroline is a haven for those individuals worldwide who are participating in alternative cultures and lifestyles that are not easily accepted by the current power structures within their respective societies.” Our diplomatic mission, in Belfast, includes a three-pronged effort to discuss Caroline, recruit new citizens for Caroline, find a Belfast citizen named Caroline, and issue her the first passport of the New Free State of Caroline. The search thus far has not located Caroline but Brendan at Flaxart has helped us locate the HMS Caroline (A British Naval Vessel) in dry dock in the harbor only two miles from the Flaxart Studios.

Yoko Ono and IMAGINE PEACE in Belfast
Thursday April 6th, 2008, 10:15 AM

The John Erickson Museum of Art is proud to travel Yoko Ono’s IMAGINE PEACE exhibition to Belfast, Flaxart Studios, and other venues. This exhibition includes her text-based work IMAGINE PEACE (2007) as well as WISH PIECE (1996). JEMA is also pleased to announce the completion of its new outdoor sculpture park. With a generous grant from Eleanor Phillips and Flaxart Studios JEMA has established its new sculpture park. The park proudly begins its collection with two of Ono’s interactive Wish Trees. Viewers are invited to participate by writing wishes on pieces of provided paper and adding the wishes to the branches of the tree.

Yoko Ono writes:

“Power works in mysterious ways.
You don’t have to do much.
Visualize the domino effect and just start thinking peace.
The message will circulate faster than you think.
It’s time for action.
And the action is peace.
Spread the word.
Spread peace.
I love you!”

-Yoko Ono, Excerpt from Statement for Imagine Peace Exhibition at JEMA, Spring 2008.

“Bavarian By Law” Is In Place
Wednesday, April 9th, 3:15 PM

Andrea Robbins and Max Becher e-mailed that they have completed installation for their upcoming JEMA exhibition Bavarian by Law. This exhibition photographically documents Maifest, an annual, May 11th, celebration in Leavenworth, Washington (a town that voted to arbitrarily adopt a Bavarian history). Leavenworth’s cultural make-over included drastic changes to the architecture, clothing, customs, and retail outlets. In May, JEMA will use its location variable abilities to return the Bavarian by Law exhibition to Maifest celebration.

Look for JEMA exhibitions at Golden Thread Gallery, (Belfast, U.K.), ACC Galerie (Weimar, Germany), Indianapolis Museum of Art, and “Cottage Industry” at the Contemporary Museum (Baltimore, MD.). Check JEMA’s Programs and Events for specific details.

See A Little Art… More or Less,

Sean Miller
Director
John Erickson Museum of Art
A Location Variable Museum
http://www.jema.us/

Wednesday, April 23
Three days and counting until parade day. My husband and I were checking out the parade route and scoping out bike racks in Fountain Square. We decided to ride our bikes over to Garfield Park and discovered the Pleasant Run Trail. After perusing in the spring air for an hour, it was time to head back home. Still on the trail, I slowed down upon catching sight of an adorably plump, but unusually small statured horse being brushed on a front porch. I excitedly shouted something like, “Look at the little horse!” and sped past. My more patient husband stopped for a closer look before catching up with me. How often to you see something like that?

Thursday, April 24
Business as usual. The mini-horse was little more than a faint memory from the day before.

Friday, April 25
12:48 p.m. The news hits. A forwarded IndyStar.com news article from my husband: “Miniature Horse Missing.” The beloved family pet, named Cheesecake, had disappeared from its own backyard on East Pleasant Run Parkway South Drive. The article noted that Cheesecake was scheduled to be in the Fountain Square parade the following Saturday. I immediately made the connection. Our dear little horse had a name, a cause and was missing!

Later Friday afternoon
Time for action. On Procession t-shirts arrived for parade day volunteers at the IMA. Designed by Elasticbrand, they feature a blank white area on the front for one’s own artistic inclinations. Mine would soon read, “Missing Cheesecake” with an illustration of the white and brown, 100 pound miniature horse. Below the image was printed “Actual size.” (Thanks to graphic designers Kristi & Matthew for the inspiration.)

Saturday, April 26
Parade day! Donning my t-shirt as a walking billboard, with no word of Cheesecake’s fate, I solemnly walked the parade route handing out brochures. One end of the parade passed by, and I awaited the the remainder of the procession from the opposite direction. There near the end of the line, low-and-behold, was Cheesecake! I rushed into the street for an unexpected reunion with people I had never before met, but whom welcomed me at first sight of my “Missing Cheesecake” t-shirt. They were actually thrilled that someone knew their story. I followed the little guy to the end of the parade route and snapped a few photos in between all the attention he was receiving from other fans. Cheesecake’s owners retold the wee horse’s happy homecoming. Friday afternoon they found him in a yard about a mile away from their home gorging himself on grass. May Cheesecake live happily ever after.

In the words of Paul Harvey, “And now you know the rest of the story!”

I’ve got exciting news to share from the Mile-High City…The IMA Dashboard received the top prize of gold at the 19th annual AAM Museum and Technology Committee Muse Awards. Just a few hours ago, I was happy to accept the award on behalf of the entire Museum and the amazingly talented IMA Web team that collaborated to produce the site.

The Muse award is the second news story from the IMA’s history-making weekend. The first, of course, was the parade on Saturday. As promised, the weather couldn’t have been better, and the air of Fountain Square was filled with an overwhelming excitement as hundreds of participants marched and hundreds of spectators watched art in the streets of Indianapolis. Check out images from the day by clicking here.

Participants, Spectators, Trailblazers, Protesters, Merry Makers, and Performers – Thank you to everyone who made the day a such an enormous success!

So here are my final thoughts for all my loyal parade-lovin’ readers:

You’re gonna love Fritz Haeg! – On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to see Fritz’s lecture at the Herron School of Art and Design. For over 90 minutes, Haeg shared his diverse and intriguing body of work with the audience. From gardens–called edible estates–to interpretive dance, Haeg was incredibly generous in his sincere descriptions of his processes and motivations. As the choreographer of the parade and creator of the East Meets West Interchange Overpass Parade, Haeg is one of the featured parade projects this Saturday. After spending time with him over the last few days there’s one thing I’m sure of: You’re gonna love Fritz ! It’s hard not to. Visit his Web site and read about his work. Then, come to the parade and see his art in action. You’ll become a huge fan, I promise!

Bring a Camera – Cars disguised as spaceships…Electric powered motorcycles…A giant mousetrap! There’s gonna be a lot of incredible things you’ll want to tell friends about and without pictures, they might not believe you.

Have a Flickr account? Upload your images to the IMA’s “Art Parades” group. Here’s how:

1. While signed in to your account, join the “Art Parades” group, here.
2. Upload or click on the photo you’d like to submit from “Your Photos”.
3. Above the photo, choose “send to group” and select the “Art Parades” option that will be listed.

Done.

Hop on the Bus – After the parade, the IMA is hosting a party from 3:00 -7:00 pm on the front lawn of the museum. Preview the gallery portion of the exhibition, see some of the parade floats up close, sing a little karaoke and enjoy the spring day. Don’t worry about driving…shuttles will run back and forth from Fountain Square to the IMA immediately following the parade until 8:00 pm.

As a special parade-day bonus, the IMA’s special exhibition, Breaking the Mode, will be 50% off to all visitors!

As LeVar Burton says on one of my favorite childhood tv shows Reading Rainbow: “But don’t just take my word for it.”

Here’s what other folks are saying about the parade:

Fox 59
On Procession at Big Car Gallery in Fountain Square

Nuvo
IMA loves a parade

Indy.com
Fountain Square Procession is part of IMA exhibit

Sara Pugh and Sarah Zuckerman create papier-mache ….

On The Cusp
Read the blog post about what may “perhaps be the greatest art battle to sweep the Midwest in recent years.”

Big Car Gallery
Read their blog post about it.
See a video on YouTube.
See images on Flickr.

Okay, that’s all from parade central. We’ll see you Saturday at Noon in Fountain Square! I cannot wait!

On Procession FAQs

Is there a Web site where I can find more information about the parade and the exhibition? Sure is! Visit www.OnProcession.org to learn more.

Can I still be in the parade? How can I sign up on the day of the parade?
Yes! You can still be part of the parade. You can register your project on the morning of the parade between 10:00 and 11:30 am at either end of the parade route. Registration tents will be located near the intersection of Virginia Avenue & S. East Street (WEST end) and near the intersection of Virginia Avenue, Shelby Avenue & Prospect Street (EAST end). If you’re not sure whether you are EAST or WEST, click here for more information.

I want to be a spectator on parade day. What are the vantage points?
The parade route will run the one-mile stretch of Virginia Avenue between the Anthem Building (located at the intersection of Shelby St., East St., and Virginia Ave.) and the Fountain (located at the intersection of Virginia Ave. and Prospect St.). Anywhere along the parade route will be traffic-proofed and ready for spectators! Click here to see the map.

Where should I park?

While there is no designated parking for this event, the following is a list of free public parking that will be available on parade day:
*SEND public parking lot at intersection of Woodlawn Avenue & Shelby Street
*Fountain Square Center Parking Lot, 901 S Shelby Street
*White Castle Parking Lot, 921 Virginia Avenue (corner of Virginia Ave. & Leonard St.). Please enter off of Leonard St.
* Teamsters Union lot, 1233 Shelby Street

Can I bring my children? What about my pets?
Yes! All are welcome to come and watch the parade. However, no animals are allowed in the parade itself. For those who plan to march in the parade, please note that the parade route is approximately 1 mile long, so be sure everyone can cover the distance and wear comfy shoes!

What if it rains or the weather is poor?

The parade is rain or shine! Click here for the weather forecast.

What do I do after the parade is finished?
The party continues! Shuttles will be taking paraders and spectators to the IMA for the On Procession party and exhibition preview. The celebration will take place on the Sutphin Mall from 3:00-7:00 pm. (Tickets are Free for members, $5 for students & parade participants, and $10 for the public and can be purchased online by clicking here.) Surrounded by featured works from the parade, you are invited to enjoy refreshments, karaoke and a special sneak peek of On Procession in the Forefront Galleries. Shuttles will pick up at SEND public parking lot at intersection of Woodlawn Avenue & Shelby Street in Fountain Square and take you to the IMA (or vice versa) approximately every 25 minutes.

Parades Are Really Hard Work -
On Procession is just 2 weeks away. This seems almost incomprehensibly imminent. After nearly 2 years of hard work, the IMA is ready to take art into the streets of Indianapolis for an exhibition on parade. From porta-potties to posters, participants to police the logistics of organizing a parade have been challenging and at times, overwhelming. And the real kicker is that the parade’s success is dependant as much on Mother Nature as it is on the last few months of hard work. Rain or shine, hell or high water we’re having this event. I’m certain that on April 26 we’re going to see the streets of Fountain Square flooded with people and not rain!

People Love Swag – The T-shirt contest is a real hit. In fact, it’s such a big success that we’re considering producing more IMA blog-related items. If you have thoughts as to what kind of additional swag you’d like to receive from the IMA, please comment on this entry. We’re open to any and all ideas – the cleverer the better. Oh and by the way, does anyone know where we can purchase a t-shirt gun?

Project IMA = Huge Crowd – Last Friday night we had almost 2,000 people attend Project IMA. It was exciting to see so many people at the museum in support of fashion art and local designers. Filled to the brim with the hippest folks in the city, the IMA was FIERCE (to borrow a word from the most recent Project Runway winner, Christian Siriano). In fact, the event was so well attended that we reached max capacity for the show almost 30 minutes before it actually began.

I Bummed I’m Missing MW2008 – I’m looking forward to a full report from my colleagues who are attending MW2008 this year in Montreal. Social Media, User-Generated Content, New Media Art AND CANADA…seriously, I’m a geek for this stuff. If you find yourself in Montreal near the Hilton Montreal Bonaventure, you should stop by. On Friday, the Nugget Factory’s very own Dan Dark will be part of a large group conducting a mini-workshop about YouTube.

Smith’s project for the Indianapolis Parade, The Donkey, the Jackass and the Mule, will feature equestrian pull-toys with attendants in historical dress. Smith is currently collaborating with students from the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis to create three large wooden pull-toy donkeys mounted on wheeled carts. To bring her donkeys to life, Smith is partnering with local Living History group, Freetown Village.

As fellow fans of history and living history museums, months ago Allison and I discussed with Rebecca the possibility of taking a weekend trip to the historic town of New Harmony, Indiana. Settled in the early 19^th-century, the community of New Harmony is an amazingly rich historic site complete with its own Richard Meier building. Just 20 minutes from my family’s farm in Southern Indiana, my parents were generous to offer their house for our accommodations. The dates were confirmed and my homecoming trip with the curator and artist was booked.

My job is absurd some days. From finalizing print brochures to entertaining artists, the scope of my work is broad. This is due in large part to my enthusiasm and willingness to do almost anything for the sake of art. (In fact, just last week I was asked to procure a helicopter and a donkey for On Procession’s opening event.) While I love my work, I never expected to bring it home to meet my parents. Pancakes with Mom and Dad and Rebecca and Allison somehow seemed a bit bizarre.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I loved every minute of the trip to Southern Indiana and just like my mom’s pancakes, I found the entire experience sweet and comforting. I enjoyed the time that I spent with my parents. I enjoyed the time that I spent with Rebecca and Allison. In the end, however, it was my parent’s interaction with my colleagues (and friends) that I loved the most. It was an idyllic blending of personal and professional, past and present.

Ironically, “taking work home with me” was a nice break before the hard work of April begins. In the next few weeks leading up to On Procession, the exhibition team will be rushing to complete tasks and finalize details.

Stay tuned…My next few blogs will be updates on the progress of the exhibition. You might also see a couple of guest bloggers tackle the subject as well. In the meantime, mark your calendar for April 26 at Noon. That’s when On Procession takes to the streets of Indianapolis.

You can take to the streets as part of the art parade. The IMA with the support of the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission is calling for submissions from artists and community members to be part of the Art Parade! Visit OnProcession.org for more details as well as an online submission form.

A couple of weekends ago I was having drinks with the assistant curator of contemporary art, Rebecca Uchill, at Deano’s Vino in Fountain Square. Sitting outside, sipping our beers we started to talk to folks from the neighborhood about the art parade. I was really fired up by the response we received . The other patrons of the bar were coming up with really brilliant ideas as to how to be part of the Art Parade! Deano proposed his own float that would represent the culinary arts. Other people discussed making costumes for their kids to walk in the parade. Apparently, everyone loves a parade or at least everyone at Deano’s Vino at 2:00 am loves a parade. Either way, I’m really excited about the Street Spectacular! As we are still months from the actual event, I’m sure I will be updating you often with details. Check the blogs, check OnProcession.org and stay tuned.