This installation features short films produced by area high school students over the course of their participation in the IMA’s Museum Apprentice Program. The students were mentored by acclaimed film director Julie Dash, who worked with the students over a period of six months as the students created a series of films exploring the concept of smuggling creative ideas into reality. The gallery also offers a short documentary that chronicles the students’ creative process throughout the apprenticeship.

Visitors to Smuggling Daydreams into Reality can contribute a representation of their own past, present, and future dreams to a “dream network” of visitor-created artwork. Additional free drop-in art making projects for all ages are offered Saturdays from Noon to 4 pm during the exhibition.

The Museum Apprentice Program is a unique learning opportunity for teens to work and be paid during the spring and summer as part-time employees of the IMA. Students sharpen job skills necessary for careers in the arts while working alongside Museum staff. In addition to working with Julie, this year’s select group of students also received intensive media and technical training from videographers Rogelio Garza and Louis Ly by way of IMA’s collaboration with FIRME Productions, the Latino/a Youth Collective, and the School of Informatics at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis which provided its state of the art media lab for the MAP students’ use. Students represent the following high schools: Ben Davis University, Broad Ripple High School, The Independence Academy of Indiana, Indiana School for the Deaf, Northwest High School, and Warren Central High School.