Indianapolis Museum of Art Blog » Parade

Denver Gold!

Meg Liffick — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:56:35 +0000

This won’t be a long post, because I’m exhausted! It’s a good tired though, and I would not give up the last 48 hours for all the sleep in the world. Just yesterday morning I was gearing up for the art parade in Indianapolis, and now I’m in Denver at the American Association of Museum’s (AAM) annual conference. Phew…It’s been quite the whirlwind.

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!

Mother Nature Loves the Parade

Meg Liffick — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:29:46 +0000

I’ve been obsessed with the forecast this week. Almost every hour from sunrise to sunup, I’ve visited weather.com to assess the temperature and rain chance for Saturday. On Monday and Tuesday the forecast called for rain. Yesterday thing improved significantly when the chance for rain dropped from 40% to 20%. Today, all weather stations are calling for mid-60 degree temps with no rain in the afternoon. PHEW! Mother Nature apparently is a fan of the parade. And why wouldn’t she be? Music, art, families, and projects with such fun and fantastic names as: “A Bag of Bees,” “Cinderella in the City,” and “Revenge of the Pinatas,” there’s something for everyone this Saturday.

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!

Confused? Confounded? Curious?

Meg Liffick — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:45:19 +0000

An art parade is an intriguing thing. Over the last few months I’ve received a lot of questions from folks wondering about the art parade. So, I thought with 9 days to go, I’d compile (with the help of my colleagues) a list of the public’s most burning questions. Knowing that a list of questions alone is probably not helpful, I’ve also included a list of answers.

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.

Now that I’ve answered your questions, I have a question for you. What’s a good soundtrack for a parade float?Let me explain…The IMA is not just organizing the parade, but it is also participating in it. The Museum will host a float with the theme of “SPECTATORS, PARTICIPANTS, MERRY MAKERS, PROTESTERS, PERFORMERS AND TRAILBLAZERS!” As the IMA’s float moves along the parade route, it will broadcast 3 songs that will relate to that theme. Your challenge is to help us determine those 3 songs. So what kind of music do you think of when you hear the word Protester? What about Merry Maker? Popular or Obscure. Old or New. Let us know by leaving a comment on this blog.

Meet the Parents

Meg Liffick — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:59:19 +0000

I’ve taken the concept of bringing work home with me to the extreme. Last week, I traveled to my hometown with the IMA’s assistant curator of contemporary art, Rebecca Uchill, and the artist Allison Smith. The three of us (as well as many others) are all currently immersed in the final stages of planning and implementation of the IMA’s upcoming exhibition, On Procession. As the artist in residence at the Herron School of Art and Design, Allison has been working with dozens of students on her piece for the parade and exhibition. Here’s the official description of her work:

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.