Spring 2011 Magazine by Newfields

Hard Truths FLOW (Can You See The River?) The Passionate Collector Perennial Premiere The Tomb of Vigna Codini II

FEB/APR

2011

04 PROVENANCE The Quai d’Austerlitz

07 WHAT’S NEXT Miller House and Garden

08 SPECIAL EXHIBITION Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial

N1 NOTES News, On View, Program Highlights, Calendar, Events

13 IN THE GALLERIES The Tomb of Vigna Codini II

14 VOICES The Passionate Collector

18 100 ACRES FLOW (Can You See The River?)

The IMA, like many other American museums, is a museum of collections; its foundation created through the generosity of collectors. Today collectors are no less important to the

Museum. Whether it is a gift or a loan, it is the collector who

SPECIAL EVENT Perennial Premiere

aids the Museum in growing its collection and illustrating

the history of man’s creativity. In this issue, we talk to some

IN THE GARDENS Spring at the IMA

collectors to learn why they collect and why they have

decided to share their holdings with the Museum.

MEET OUR MEMBERS David Gorden

On the cover » Thornton Dial, American, b. 1928, Trophies (Doll Factory) detail, 2000, Barbie dolls, stuffed animals, plastic toys, cloth, tin, wood, rope carpet, Splash Zone compound, oil, enamel, and spray paint on canvas mounted on wood, 75 x 123 x 18 in., Collection of Jane Fonda. Artwork photographed by Stephen Pitkin, Pitkin Studio. Above » Greene & Greene (Charles Sumner Greene, American, 1868–1957 and Henry Mather Greene, American, 1870–1954); Dining room suite designed for Casa Barranca, the Charles Millard Pratt House, Ojai, California, 1908; table: walnut and ebony; chairs: walnut, ebony, and new upholstery; Lent by Daniel Wolf.

The art world is a vast territory of competing interests, but one piloted by a relatively small circle of arbiters of artistic quality and value. Thornton Dial has been making spectacular artworks for well over a generation, but those arbiters have only very sparingly accorded him his due. The last effort, at Houston’s Museum of Fine Arts, was a stirring presentation of his works between 2000 and 2005, and gave real insight into the achievements of this unflinching African American observer of modern American history. His life is not the topic of our exhibition Hard Truths (opening February 25), but his perspective on world events makes more manifest our collective responsibility for the plight of African Americans over the course of modern history.

Erica Marchetti Managing Editor Matthew Taylor Art Director/Designer Annette Schlagenhauff Maxwell L. Anderson Joanne Cubbs Linda Duke Sue Nord Peiffer Contributors

Comprised for the most part of raw, powerful assemblages of found materials, his art is both formally riveting and coaxes us to linger and decipher the subject of each large-scale meditation.

Tad Fruits Tascha Mae Horowitz Mike Rippy Photographers

It will repay multiple visits, and the exhibition will travel to at least three other major American museums, in Atlanta, New Orleans, and Charlotte. We anticipate that museums in other cities will express interest in hosting it as well—but regardless it will already be the most widely circulated exhibition in the history of the IMA. With strong support from the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation and from the National Endowment for the Arts, Hard Truths is likely to be a watershed exhibition, and a lasting testament both to the talent of Thornton Dial and to the power of art to awaken our consciousness about social injustice.

Anne M. Young Rights & Reproductions Coordinator

In January a renewable two-year loan arrived from the Museo Nazionale in Rome. The marble sculptures are remarkable works of art, but in addition, their arrival heralds the first long-term loan of antiquities from Italy to the United States not connected with the return of illegally exported works. The IMA is proud to have initiated this inaugural project in what is hoped will be a series of such loans and exchanges across the United States intended to highlight the value of archaeological context in our understanding of ancient art. Another illustration of our focus on ethical and progressive professional activity is an ongoing commitment to provenance research of our collections, in particular those acquired with incomplete knowledge about their ownership history during the Nazi Holocaust. This issue of IMA Magazine includes a close study of the ownership history of an oil on canvas in our collection by Armand Guillaumin, titled The Quai d’Austerlitz (dating from about 1877). We will continue mining our holdings through documentary research in order to insure our members, staff, and board that works long in our care did not arrive under improper circumstances during the long, traumatic saga bracketed by the rise to power of the Nazi party and the cessation of hostilities at the end of World War II. This spring, as we recall the beau monde of 1920s Indianapolis with our annual fundraiser, we toast a reawakening of the importance of our interdependence with the rest of the world, and the possibility that with the green shoots of spring will arrive a more robust American economy, with better times ahead for all of our visitors, patrons, staff, and volunteers.

Tascha Mae Horowitz Photo Editor

The IMA Magazine is published by the IMA, 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana 46208-3326. Questions or comments may be directed to the staff at 317-923-1331. All reproduction rights are reserved by the IMA, and permission to sell or use commercially any photographs, slides or videotapes must be obtained in writing from the Rights & Reproductions office, 317-923-1331. © 2011 Indianapolis Museum of Art The IMA Magazine is printed on FSC® paper manufactured with electricity in the form of renewable energy (wind, hydro, and biogas), and includes a minimum of 20% post-consumer recovered fiber.(The FSC trademark identifies products which contain fiber from well managed forests certified in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council.)

Maxwell L. Anderson The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO

PROVENANCE

The Quai d’Austerlitz by Annette Schlagenhauff » Associate Curator for Research

In this issue we continue the series of articles on the provenance, or history of ownership, of works of art in the IMA’s collection. Armand Guillaumin’s impressive, early-career painting, The Quai d’Austerlitz was acquired by the IMA in 2008 as a generous gift from Stephen W. and Elaine Ewing Fess of Zionsville, Indiana, on the occasion of the Museum’s 125th anniversary. While Guillaumin remains less well known than his contemporary colleagues Paul Cézanne, Camille Pissarro, and Vincent van Gogh, he was, like them, highly adventuresome in the use of color, and was greatly respected by his colleagues as an accomplished “draughtsman” in oil paint. His favorite motifs were views of modern, industrialized Paris, such as this view of one of the city’s embankments near the Austerlitz train station.

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The story of the painting’s provenance reveals a great deal about the nature of the Nazi looting machine, about the subsequent efforts made by the governments of Allied nations to return works of art to their rightful owners, and about the IMA’s commitment to research. On long-term loan from the Fess’s since 1996, The Quai d’Austerlitz required in-depth research regarding its whereabouts during the Nazi era, as prescribed by the guidelines of the American Association of Museums. In the course of this research, IMA curator Ellen Lee learned that the painting had, in fact, been confiscated from its Jewish owner in Paris in 1943. The story of the painting’s provenance reveals a great deal about the nature of the Nazi looting machine, about the subsequent efforts made by the governments of Allied nations to return works of art to their rightful owners, and about the IMA’s commitment to research. The Nazi invasion of France followed swiftly on the heels of the invasions of Holland, Luxembourg and Belgium, and by the end of June 1940 swastika flags had replaced the French tricolore on major public buildings in occupied France. Art looting soon followed, beginning with the removal of stock still in the possession of the most prominent Jewish art dealers in Paris. When storage space for the confiscated works of art ran out in the German embassy, rooms at the Louvre were temporarily used to house the items. Subsequently the Jeu de Paume, a small museum previously used for temporary exhibitions, was chosen as a repository. Works of art coveted by Hitler and his cohorts, such as Old Master paintings and works by artists they deemed “Germanic,” were stored cheek by jowl with modern works they considered “degenerate.” The former were often intended for the “Führer Museum” that Hitler was planning in his hometown of Linz, Austria; the latter were used in trade for Old Masters, or sold to unscrupulous buyers for hard currency. Next, the Nazis and their French collaborators began to confiscate works of art from private Jewish collections, often relying on informants to assist in locating where works of art had been hidden. When a collection was of particular significance due to its quality or scale, a French “administrator” was put in charge to oversee its removal and storage, and its subsequent relocation or dispersal. The Quai d’Austerlitz was part of one such collection and, in October 1943, it was seized and brought, with all probability, to the Jeu de Paume. Earlier in the century the wealthy arts patron Simon Bauer had built a collection of more than 100 paintings by French 19th-century artists. Particularly strong in French Impressionism, Bauer’s collection boasted at least three paintings by Alfred Sisley, 10 paintings by Camille Pissarro, and no less than five paintings by Armand Guillaumin, including The Quai d’Austerlitz. The Parisian art dealer Jean-François Lefranc, who was appointed administrator of the Bauer Collection, quickly began selling parts of the collection to other dealers or willing buyers in France, Belgium and Holland. Although it is not known how much profit Lefranc himself pocketed, we know from surviving documents that Guillaumin’s The Quai d’Austerlitz was sold for 25,000 francs to a “M[onsieur] Ullmer” of Amsterdam in July 1944. (Microfilm copies of cultural property claims were made and today reside at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, D.C.)

Left » Armand Guillaumin, French, 1841–1927, The Quai d’Austerlitz, about 1877, oil on canvas, 15 x 24 1/8 in. (38.1 x 58.7 cm). Gift of Elaine Ewing Fess and Stephen W. Fess, 2008.374.

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After the war the Allies established a policy of restituting works of art to their original owners. Because many looted works had changed hands several times during the war, victims of Nazi theft were encouraged to file claim applications with their respective governments for the return of stolen items. Simon Bauer submitted multiple claims to the French authorities who had set up a Commission for Art Recovery (Commission de récupération artistique). All information the commission had obtained or received from claimants was assembled and published in 1947 as the Répertoire des biens spoliés en France durant la guerre 1939–1945 (Catalogue of Spoliated Goods). This tome listed close to 8,000 paintings that were registered as missing.

The organization known as the Art Loss Register (ALR) had been established in London in 1991 to gather information on lost or stolen art worldwide and to assist in recovering it. Today, ALR has additional offices in Amsterdam, Cologne, New York and Paris. When works of art are stolen, thefts can be registered with the organization and the items in question added to their growing database. Museums routinely submit their prospective acquisitions to ALR to be checked against this database. This is one measure museums take to reduce the risk that a work of art they wish to acquire is “hot.” As World War II-era provenance issues became more prominent in the 1990s, the ALR’s London office was expanded to include a division devoted specifically to art looted during the Holocaust. When Lee contacted Sarah Jackson, director of its Division of Historic Claims, in 1999, Jackson agreed to assist. While the name Simon Bauer was known to her, Jackson did not know the current status of works formerly in his collection. She planned to conduct additional research and to contact relatives of Simon Bauer in France. Several months passed and in late 1999 Jackson reported back to the IMA. Bauer’s heirs were, indeed, still looking for paintings that had never been restituted to the family. However, she had met with Bauer’s great-grandson in Paris and had been shown a list of paintings that the family had recovered by various means after the war. Guillaumin’s The Quai d’Austerlitz was on this list! Through Jackson the IMA further learned that while some paintings were restituted right after the war, others were recovered in the 1960s with the help of Interpol and the French police. The Quai d’Austerlitz was restituted as the result of a civil lawsuit in 1965 and put up for auction sometime thereafter.

The Répertoire, as it is known to provenance researchers, was reprinted in facsimile in the late 1990s and it was in this reprint that curator Ellen Lee noticed a poor black-and-white illustration that was unquestionably The Quai d’Austerlitz (see illustration above). Her discovery quickly set a number of wheels in motion at the IMA. Lee immediately contacted the Art Loss Register for their assistance with unraveling the painting’s history of ownership during the Nazi era. She also informed the Fess’s of her discovery and received their complete and whole-hearted endorsement for her course of action. With the awareness that paintings listed in the Répertoire might have been restituted to the rightful owners in the intervening half century, the looming question was: Had The Quai d’Austerlitz been returned to Simon Bauer or his heirs and sold legitimately by them, or was the family still looking for it?

With the assistance of the Art Loss Register and due to its commitment to in-depth research, the IMA was able to unravel the World War II-era provenance of Guillaumin’s The Quai d’Austerlitz. Although not every detail about the painting’s whereabouts following its restitution to the Bauer heirs is known, the IMA can demonstrate that it has clear title to this important Impressionist painting by one of the movement’s leading masters.

Above » A page from the Répertoire des biens spoliés en France durant la guerre 1939-1945 with Guillaumin’s The Quai d’Austerlitz at bottom left.

WHAT’S NEXT

Miller House Opens to Public in May

As many may recall, in 2009 members of the Miller family donated Miller House and Garden, along with many of its original furnishings, to the Museum. Located in Columbus, IN, and one of the country’s most highly regarded examples of mid-century Modernist residences, Miller House was designed by Eero Saarinen, with interiors by Alexander Girard, and landscape design by Daniel Urban Kiley. After much anticipation, the IMA, with the help of the Columbus Area Visitors Center, will open Miller House to the public in May. Visitors will be able to purchase tickets online in April (more specific details will be shared in coming weeks). Commissioned by industrialist and philanthropist J. Irwin Miller and his wife Xenia Simons Miller in 1952, Miller House and Garden was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2000. The house expands upon an architectural tradition developed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe—epitomizing the international Modernist aesthetic—with an open and flowing layout, flat roof and vast stone and glass walls. The rooms, configured beneath a grid pattern of skylights supported by cruciform steel columns, are filled with strong colors and playful patterns. Amid the residence’s large geometric gardens, its grandest feature is an allée of honey locust trees that runs along the west side of the house. A generous grant from the Cummins Foundation is underwriting start-up costs to make Miller House and Garden fully accessible to the public.

Learn more about the Millers and the property’s designers in the Summer issue of the IMA Magazine.

SPECIAL EXHIBITION

“All truth is hard truth. We’re in the darkness now, and we got to accept the hard truth to bring on the light. You can hide the truth, but you can’t get rid of it. When truth come out in the light, we get the beauty of the world.” 15 09

Thornton Dial is a keen observer of the human spectacle and its narratives of corruption and moral strength, folly and triumph. As an artist, he has spent the last two decades exploring the truth of American history and culture in all its complexities and contradictions. Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial presents the largest survey of Dial’s work ever assembled, an epic gathering of 70 largescale paintings, sculptures and drawings—including 25 works never before shown—that address the most compelling issues of our time. Dial’s journey as an artist has been an extraordinary one. Born in 1928 and raised in the rural South, Dial spent his childhood toiling in the farm fields of western Alabama, followed by decades working in the region’s factories and heavy industry. Throughout his life, in addition to his labors, Dial also made “things.” And increasingly, he used these expressions to comment upon the human spectacle around him. Using a wide range of symbolically charged, castaway materials—from grave flowers, children’s toys and bedsprings to carpet scraps and animal skeletons—he soon began to reshape the discarded remnants of the world into paintings and sculptural assemblages that explore a wide range of social and political subjects. Over the last 20 years, Dial has created gripping commentaries on poverty, global conflict and the abuse of the natural environment, as well as haunting meditations on the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, and the tragedy of 9/11. Concerned with representing those otherwise invisible within the contours of history, he has also fashioned many works on the plight of women, labor, immigrants, the rural poor, and the urban underclass. Still other paintings and sculptures examine the long history of racial oppression in America. Recounting the atrocities of slavery and southern sharecropping, the aspirations of the Great Migration, the fight for Civil Rights, and other episodes in black memory, his pieces form a powerful anthology on the human struggle for freedom and equality.

Although Dial was never schooled as an artist in the usual sense— in fact, he has had very little schooling of any kind—his paintings and sculptures quickly captured art world attention when they were “discovered” in the mid 1980s. Since then, his work has been shown at a number of museums, featured in the prestigious Whitney Biennial, and included in the collections of some of the nation’s most important art institutions. But despite these moments of critical attention, there has continued to be much bewilderment about how to truly comprehend Dial’s art. Focusing on the turbulent fields of dripped paint and bold brushstrokes that often engulf his accumulations of found objects, many critics have attempted to understand his work within the paradigms of mainstream fine art, likening it to the expressionist paintings of such iconic figures as Jackson Pollack, Willem de Kooning and Anselm Kiefer. Others have argued that Dial’s creations should be classified as “folk art” or “self-taught art,” or labeled with that most mysterious of all terms, “outsider art.” More accurately, Dial’s work is rooted in a number of unheralded expressive traditions of the black South that have not yet been mapped into our understanding of art history. Among these is the widespread practice of the African American yard show, an idiom of found object art that serves as a major source of inspiration for his refuse-laden canvases and giant assemblages. Looming behind the celebration of Dial’s painting and sculpture is the acknowledgement of this highly influential yet little-known art form. In many ways, his work can be viewed as the visual art counterpart to the better known forms of black musical expression, including the blues, gospel, jazz and hip hop, that have gained such worldwide renown.

An unprecedented exploration of Dial’s prodigious career, the IMA’s Hard Truths exhibition is an attempt to bring long-overdue recognition to an important contemporary artist who speaks in a powerful voice that has long been overlooked in the canons of modern art and culture. Since the 1990s, a primary mission of museums has been to see beyond the old established boundaries of the institutional art world and to represent a greater diversity of artists and aesthetic traditions. Today, as the cultural map continues to be re-plotted and redrawn, old art historical narratives are being replaced with an exciting new awareness of artists and expressive practices whose presence, once rendered invisible, now transforms and enlarges our understandings of art and culture. Thornton Dial is one such artist. Through his unique merging of aesthetics, history, and social conscience, Dial demonstrates art’s ability to engage the public imagination and to open up a larger conversation about truly significant social and cultural concerns. There are perhaps only a few moments in the everyday life of museums when we have the chance to genuinely expand public conceptions about the nature of art and its relevance in our world. Dial’s art allows us this opportunity. It stirs our imagination, inspires our humanity, and moves the discourse of contemporary art making into remarkable new territory. Organized by the IMA, Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial opens February 25. Works in the exhibition will be drawn from several lenders, with the largest number on loan from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports the preservation and documentation of African American art from the South. Following its premiere at the IMA, the exhibition will travel to a number of other museums, including the New Orleans Museum of Art (February 26–May 20, 2012), the Mint Museum in Charlotte (July 2–September 30, 2012), and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta (March 23–June 16, 2013).

Dial’s work is rooted in a number of unheralded expressive traditions of the black South that have not yet been mapped into our understanding of art history.

Page 8 » Photograph by David Raccuglia. Left » Thornton Dial, American, b. 1928, New Light (detail), 2004, wood, wire, twine, caning, cloth, wire screen, cow bone, enamel, and Splash Zone compound on wood, 81 ½ x 94 x 8 in., Collection of Souls Grown Deep Foundation. Artwork photographed by Stephen Pitkin, Pitkin Studio. Above » Thornton Dial, American, b. 1928, Looking Out the Windows, 2002, metal grating, fabric, plastic toys, stuffed animals, rope carpet, wire fencing, carpet scraps, metal, corrugated metal, metal screening, wire, nails, paint cans, Splash Zone compound, enamel, and spray paint on carpet mounted on wood, 100 x 50 x 13 in., Collection of Souls Grown Deep Foundation. Artwork photographed by Stephen Pitkin, Pitkin Studio.

HARD TRUTHS The Art of Thornton Dial

HARD TRUTHS OPENING RECEPTION Thursday, February 24 » 7–9 pm » Pulliam Family Great Hall » $50 Public, $25 Members, Free IMA Council* Be among the first to see this extraordinary exhibition. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, cash bar and music provided by DJ Kyle Long. Purchase tickets at imamuseum.org or call 317-955-2339. *up to 6 tickets, additional tickets can be purchased at member price

The exhibition is made possible through the generosity of the Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation. Additional programming support provided by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

HARD TRUTHS: A FORUM ON ART AND THE POLITICS OF DIFFERENCE Friday, April 8 » 9:30 am–5 pm » The Toby » $15 Public, $10 IMA members & Students (includes exhibition entry, evening performance) This one-day public forum explores the status of African American artists within mainstream culture. Using Hard Truths as a touchstone, nationally known figures from the fields of art, history, cultural criticism, and ethnic studies will discuss the ongoing effects of contemporary class and race politics on the recognition and understanding of black visual art, particularly those expressions arising from still “invisible” regions of our art history. Ticket does not include lunch but does include related performance (see right). Teachers attending the forum are eligible for PGP points (see page N5).

AND THE WHOLE YARD SAID AMEN Friday, April 8 » 7 pm » The Toby » $6 Public, $3 IMA members & Students Join Chicago-based installation artist Theaster Gates and his ensemble, The Black Monks of Mississippi, for a performative response to the visual art of Thornton Dial. Gates uses vocals and music (and anything else, such as visuals, dance, text, etc.) to embody the experience of another, to channel alternate stories about America. What does it mean to exist in and out of the mainstream? This program is ASL interpreted.

Hard Truths will be accompanied by a lavishly illustrated book that features essays by three prominent scholars: David Driskell, the distinguished historian of African American art; Greg Tate, renowned cultural critic; and Joanne Cubbs, the IMA’s adjunct curator of American art. Offering audiences an in-depth look at Dial’s creative world, the volume explores the history, themes and development of his painting and sculpture, with a particular discussion of his work’s relationship to African American memory, sociopolitical struggle, global politics, and the retelling of history. The book, also provides a critical inquiry into Dial’s identity as an artist, the origins of his art practice within the expressive traditions of the vernacular South, his hybrid position between cultural worlds, and the conundrums of contemporary class and race politics that have often marked the reception and understanding of his work.

Available at the IMA Museum Store and online at imamuseum.org/shop for $45 (hardback). Above » Thornton Dial, American, b. 1928, Trophies (Doll Factory), 2000, Barbie dolls, stuffed animals, plastic toys, cloth, tin, wood, rope carpet, Splash Zone compound, oil, enamel, and spray paint on canvas mounted on wood, 75 x 123 x 18 in., Collection of Jane Fonda. Artwork photographed by Stephen Pitkin, Pitkin Studio.

NOTES: FEBRUARYâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;APRIL 2011

NEWS CALENDAR PROGRAMMING EXHIBITIONS EVENTS JOIN THE IMA LEGACY CIRCLE IMA invites you to become a member of the Legacy Circle. Legacy Circle members join a distinguished group of individuals who have included the IMA in their estate plans. A planned gift commitment provides the opportunity to make a significant gift while maintaining financial responsibilities. Planned gifts allow the IMA to prepare for the future, and may result in significant tax benefits or even a new source of income for you and your spouse. There are many vehicles available for planned giving: including charitable bequests, gift annuities, gifts of art or real estate, and life insurance policies. The IMA Development Department can work with your financial advisor to find the best gift option for you.

General support of the IMA is provided by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and the City of Indianapolis; and by the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency, and the Lilly Endowment Inc.

For information about leaving your legacy, contact us at 317-923-1331, ext. 268.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MATCHING GIFTS Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees, doubling or sometimes tripling the impact of your support. Some companies also match gifts made by retirees and spouses. Please check with your employer to see if your gift to the IMA is eligible for a match. Simply request a matching gift form from your company, and send the completed form in with your gift to the IMA. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do the rest!

News NEW STRATEGIC PLAN ADOPTED At its December meeting, the IMA Board of Governors adopted the strategic plan that had been shaped by both board members and IMA staff over the course of 2010. This plan will guide the Museum through 2015, with annual review for updates, revisions and augmentations. During the planning process, there were six topics of focus; these have been combined so there are now three key areas: Collection and Program Vitality; Financial Strength and Stewardship; and Research Leadership. These areas are rooted in the IMA’s mission and its continued commitment to community engagement. Later this year, view the IMA’s progress on its new strategic plan via the Dashboard (imamuseum.org/dashboard).

IMA HIRES CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Cynthia Rallis has been hired as the IMA’s chief development officer. In this role, Rallis will lead a significant capital campaign and guide fundraising for major IMA projects. She will also provide the leadership, management and coordination for the IMA’s broad-based individual and institutional fundraising efforts and membership activities. As chief development officer, Rallis will devise and implement strategies leading to the museum’s increasing self-sufficiency through annual support, major and capital gifts, membership, foundation and government grants, corporate partnerships, planned gifts and special events. Rallis most recently served as director of development for the National Museum of Science and Industry (NMSI) in London from 2005 to 2009 where she more than doubled private philanthropic support. Before joining NMSI, she was director of development for the Cleveland Museum of Art, where she developed strategic plans for fundraising activities while increasing annual operating support by 20%. She has also served as deputy director at the UCLA Hammer Museum and manager of administration for the Getty Education Institute for the Arts in Los Angeles. Rallis began her career in banking before shifting to museum management and operations.

IMA BLOGGER RECEIVES GARDEN WRITERS ASSOCIATION AWARD A regular IMA blogger and IMA horticultural display coordinator Irvin Etienne received the Garden Writers Association 2010 Gold Award for Best Electronic Media Writing. Etienne’s colorfully illustrated and often humorous entries earned him this noted recognition by his peers. Read Etienne’s award-winning entries as well as other IMA blogs at imamuseum.org/blog.

IMA STAFFER SELECTED AS 2010 INDY’S BEST & BRIGHTEST FINALIST Chad Franer, IMA’s Horticulture Manager, was honored in October as one of the finalists for Junior Achievement’s annual Indy’s Best & Brightest awards. The award, now in its seventh year, recognizes Central Indiana’s outstanding young professionals (age 40 and under) who are the next generation of leaders in the community. There are 10 categories; Franer was recognized in the area of Education and Nonprofit.

100 ACRES RECEIVES ANOTHER AWARD The Indiana Urban Forest Council, Inc. (IUFC) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) presented eight annual awards for outstanding projects at the IUFC 20th annual fall urban forestry conference held at Fort Harrison Inn, Lawrence. 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park was honored as urban forestry project of the year. The award recognizes the IMA’s efforts in clearing invasive plants and replanting new native plants.

On View

HARD TRUTHS: THE ART OF THORNTON DIAL Opens February 25 » $8 Public, Free for IMA Members » Clowes Special Exhibition Gallery » Floor 2 See page 8.

BALL-NOGUES STUDIO: GRAVITY’S LOOM Closes March 6 » Free » Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion Los Angeles-based design team Ball-Nogues Studio created an immersive site-specific installation of multi-colored strings configured in catenary curves for the IMA’s entrance pavilion. Trained as architects, Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues worked with the pavilion’s architecture to develop an installation related to the function of the space as a thoroughfare and meeting point for visitors.

FRAMED Closes March 6 » Free » McCormack Forefront Galleries and Holeman Video Gallery » Floor 4 Taking two seminal late-1960s films by Bruce Nauman and Richard Serra as points of departure, this exhibition brings together recent video works that document artists’ bodily confrontation with the frame of the camera and boundaries delimited within. Through a variety of movements, procedures, and performances, the artists in Framed investigate the space between self and environment, self and other, and the divide between what is recorded by a camera and the indefinite expanse of unmediated life.

Supported by a grant from the Efroymson Family Fund, A CICF Fund.

GAUGUIN’S VOLPINI SUITE March 11–September 18 » Free » Golden Gallery » Floor 2 The IMA debuts a critically important addition to its Pont-Aven School collection, a complete set of Paul Gauguin’s famed Volpini prints. The suite, one of the most important printmaking projects of 19th-century France, was Gauguin’s first attempt at printmaking, and the prints reveal his rapid mastery of graphic techniques. The portfolio of 11 zincographs printed on canary yellow paper was nicknamed “Volpini” after the owner of the Café des Arts in Paris, where the prints were presented during the summer of 1889.

Above (left to right) » Thornton Dial, American, b. 1928, Stars of Everything, 2004, Paint cans, plastic cans, spray cans, cloth, wood, steel, carpet, plastic straws, rope, oil, enamel, spray paint, and Splash Zone compound on canvas mounted on wood, 98 x 101 ½ x 20 ½ in., Collection of Souls Grown Deep Foundation. Artwork photographed by Stephen Pitkin, Pitkin Studio. Kate Gilmore, American, b. 1975, Break of Day, 2010, paint and ceramics on wood and vinyl, performance, single channel video on DVD (color, sound), 18:34, Courtesy of the artist. Commissioned by the Indianapolis Museum of Art.

On View

THE VIEWING PROJECT: THE PLEASURES OF UNCERTAINTY Closes March 13 » Free » Alliance Gallery » Floor 2 Explore the deliberateness and the delights of ambiguity in art. Some works of art instantly throw the viewer into confusion. It may be difficult to tell what meanings are intended or even what material an object is made from. It is hoped that visitors find enjoyment and make discoveries as they consider art objects which offer both uncertainty and pleasure. This is the fifth installation in The Viewing Project series. Supported by a generous grant from ART MENTOR FOUNDATION LUCERNE.

OLD MASTERS Opens March 25 » Free » Conant Galleries » Floor 3 Old Masters provides a quick tour of the history of printmaking from 1470 to 1800 through a selection of 51 of the finest examples from the IMA’s collection of Old Master prints. Works by Dürer, Goltzius, Callot, Rembrandt, and Goya, among others, show how the graphic arts developed as an important form of personal artistic expression.

SELECTIONS FROM PROJECT 35 April 1–October 30 » Free » Holeman Video Gallery » Floor 4 Project 35 consists of videos selected by a team of 35 international curators who strove to select works that acknowledge the adaptability and flexibility of video as a medium for artistic expression.

The IMA has chosen to feature three videos created by Robert Cauble, Kota Ezawa and Wanda Raimundi-Ortiz. All of these works engage popular culture through the appropriation of iconic images, personas, historical events and cultural movements.

INDIANA ARTISTS CLUB ANNUAL EXHIBITION April 16–June 5 » Free » North Hall » Floor 2 Since its inception in 1917, the Indiana Artists’ Club has held an annual juried exhibition. This spring the Club returns to the IMA for its 79th annual exhibition. Works are composed of a wide variety of styles and mediums both contemporary and traditional, with many works available for purchase.

MATERIAL WORLD April 22, 2011–Feburary 5, 2012 » Free » Paul Textile & Fashion Arts Galleries » Floor 3 From court dress to couture, the objects in Material World feature extravagant ornamentation of textiles and personal adornment from cultures around the world while highlighting the significance of textiles in displaying wealth, status and power. The exhibition will showcase items adorned with luxurious materials including gold and metallic threads, beads, shells, mirrors, semi-precious stones, bones, fur and feathers, ranging from a Buddhist bone apron to Dior and Chanel couture pieces, spanning several centuries to the present day.

Above (left to right) » Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471–1528, The Sea Monster, about 1498, engraving on laid paper, 9 3/4 x 7 3/8 in. (image & sheet), Gift of A. Ian Fraser, 2004.73. Coco Chanel, French, 1883–1971, evening cape (detail), about 1925, silk georgette and feathers, Mr. and Mrs. William B. Ansted Jr. Art Fund, 2004.29.

Program Highlights FOR EDUCATORS

TALKS

Many IMA public programs may be eligible for Indiana Dept. of Education Professional Growth Plan (PGP) points, toward teaching license renewal.

GAUGUIN BECOMES A PRINTMAKER: THE VOLPINI SUITE

Contact schoolprograms@imamuseum.org for more information.

In Paris 1889, Paul Gauguin executed a suite of 11 zincographs on bright yellow paper. These remarkable prints comprise a visual resumé of his career as an artist. Join Dr. Heather Lemonedes, Curator of Drawings at the Cleveland Museum of Art, for a revealing talk about the connections between the iconography in the Volpini Suite and Gauguin’s work in other media, his artistic process, his choice of materials—and the mysterious identity of the professional printer who executed the prints.

TOURS Visit imamuseum.org for complete tour schedule including tour themes. All tours are free unless noted.

PERMANENT COLLECTION Tuesday & Wednesday » 1 pm Thursday » 1 & 7 pm Friday » 1, 2:30 & 7 pm Saturday » 1 & 2:30 pm Sunday » 1 & 2:30 pm (ASL interpreted tours: 2nd Friday at 7 pm and 3rd Sunday at 2:30 pm)

Thursday, March 10 » 7 pm The Toby » Free

This talk is made possible with support from the Myrtie Shumacker Lecture Fund.

EMILY PILLOTON ON DESIGNING SOCIAL IMPACT

HARD TRUTHS: THE ART OF THORNTON DIAL

Thursday, March 24 » 7 pm DeBoest Lecture Hall » Free

February 25–May 15 » Times vary » included with exhibition admission

Emily Pilloton is an architect, designer, teacher and founder of Project H Design and the educational program Studio H. Now based in the poorest county in rural North Carolina, Pilloton is working with students and citizens to sustain their community by re-designing public education and stimulating creative capital. After her talk, Pilloton facilitates a conversation about sustainable design solutions for Indianapolis. (PGP)

FAMILY TOURS 2nd & 4th Saturdays » 1:30 & 2:30 pm

GARDEN WALKS Beginning April 2 Saturdays & Sundays » 1 pm Meet at main visitor entrance to Lilly House

LILLY HOUSE Beginning April 1, Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays » 2 pm (Lilly House closed January 3–March 31)

Presented with promotional support from Herron School of Art & Design as part of the IndyTalks series, and the IMA’s Planet Indy speaker series featuring innovative voices on all aspects of sustainability.

ART FOR SOME: EXHIBITING INTERNATIONALLY FOR PROFIT AND GLORY Thursday, April 21 » 7 pm The Toby » Free Art has long been an instrument of cultural diplomacy. Yet in the mid-20th century the settings for sharing a nation’s art with the world have become highly politicized and major propaganda opportunities. More recent festivals and fairs reflect both the changing character of art consumption and the insertion of identity politics. On the eve of the IMA’s featured role in the 2011 Venice Biennale, join historian Neil Harris as he explores the evolving role of art displays on the international stage. (PGP) Presented by the IMA Contemporary Art Society.

100 ACRES Beginning April 2 Saturdays & Sundays » 11 am Meet at Lake Terrace Above » Entrance to Exposition Universal Paris 1900

PERFORMANCES THE KID AND THE IDLE CLASS: SILENT COMEDIES WITH LIVE SCORE Friday, February 4 » 7:30 pm The Toby » $30 Public, $25 IMA Members and Groups of 10 or more, $10 Students The Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and IMA collaborate for a third year to present the screening of Charlie Chaplin’s The Idle Class and The Kid with live orchestral accompaniment. In The Idle Class (1921, 25 mins.), Chaplin plays the parts of two look-alikes and comical mistaken identity follows suit. The Kid (1921, 60 mins.) tells the story of a boy and man who form an unlikely business partnership. Music by Charlie Chaplin; arrangements by Carl Davis. Conductor: Kirk Trevor. Film Projectionist: Eric Grayson.

STILL LIFE BY EIGHTH BLACKBIRD Saturday, March 26 » 7:30 pm The Toby » $30 Public, $25 for Ensemble Music Society subscribers & IMA members Chicago-based Grammy Award-winning ensemble eighth blackbird brings their brand of adventurous, unpretentious contemporary sound to Indianapolis. The program includes composer Stephen Hartke’s Pulitzer Prize finalist, Meanwhile (2007), Philip Glass’s Music in Similar Motion (1969) and Missy Mazzoli’s Still Life with Avalanche (2008). The program finishes with Steve Reich’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Double Sextet (2007). Enjoy pre-concert chat in The Toby lobby at 6:30 pm. Presented by the Ensemble Music Society and the IMA.

FILM

SPECIAL EVENT

VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR

SPRING EQUINOX: SUN BOXES

Thursday, March 3 » 7 pm The Toby » $9 Public, $5 IMA Members, Free for IMA FAS members

Friday–Sunday, March 18–20 » Noon–Sunset 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park » Free

Valentino: The Last Emperor (2008, 96 mins, directed by Matt Tyrnauer) is a documentary portrait of fashion’s emperor of fantasy glamour. Valentino’s house produced exquisite works of fashion art worn by Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor and many others. The film follows the imperial Valentino Garavani as he prepares one of his final couture shows and a retrospective at the Ara Pacis Museum. The New York Times called the film “a must-see for fashion lovers.”

Mark the start of spring at 100 Acres with sound artist Craig Colorusso’s Sun Boxes. This group of 20 solar-powered speakers— each programmed with a different loop of guitar notesreacts to the natural fluctuations of cloudiness and sun to create an ephemeral composition. All are welcome to enter the sound environment at will during the three-day installation.

Presented by the IMA Fashion Arts Society.

Above » Valentino poses with his dogs and five models in the courtyard of his headquarters. Rome, June 2007. Courtesy of Lorenzo Agius / Orchard Represents.

Presented in part by Big Car.

IMA Affiliates ART, DESIGN, AND NATURE INTEREST GROUPS IMA affiliates offer members unique opportunities to become more involved with the IMA by exploring their own interests. Affiliates do exclusive tours of IMA’s permanent collection, programs and special events related to the mission of each group. To learn more about how you can join one or more of these interest groups, contact Jessica Borgo, Board and Affiliate Relations Manager, at jborgo@imamuseum.org or 317-923-1331, ext. 434.

THE ALLIANCE The IMA’s longest establish affiliate group develops and supports activities and projects that stimulate public interest in the Museum, its educational programs and collections.

Mary Cassatt’s Parisian Fashions Thursday, March 31 » 7 pm » The Toby » $5 Public, Free for IMA members Explore how Cassatt used the clothing in her paintings to comment on modern life and modern art. Talk preceded by an Alliance members-only dinner.

ASIAN ART SOCIETY (AAS) AAS offers its members the opportunity to learn more about Asian art, history and cultural traditions, and socialize with others who share a deep interest in Asian art.

CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY (CAS) CAS is a dynamic group which promotes the understanding of and appreciation for contemporary art through educational programs, social events and community collaborations. CAS support has improved the quality and scope of IMA’s contemporary art collection.

Art for Some: Exhibiting Internationally for Profit and Glory Thursday, March 21 » 7 pm » The Toby » Free See page N5 for more details.

DESIGN ARTS SOCIETY (DAS)

Ian Fraser on Collecting British Silver

DAS works to promote a greater awareness of the central role that design plays in our daily lives and to also help establish the IMA as an important center for the design arts in the U.S.

Fraser discusses his lifelong love affair with collecting decorative arts, in particular British silver.

Thursday, March 17 » 6 pm » DeBoest Lecture Hall

FASHION ARTS SOCIETY (FAS)

Valentino: The Last Emperor

FAS seeks to promote awareness and appreciation of textile and fashion arts through the study of haute couture and cloth. Members also help facilitate the expansion and enrichment of IMA’s fashion and textile arts collection.

See page N6 for details.

Thursday, March 3 » 7 pm » The Toby » $9 Public, $5 IMA Members, Free for FAS members

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (HORT SOC)

Richard Reynolds on Guerilla Gardening

The Horticultural Society celebrates the art of gardening at the IMA by helping to develop, enhance and maintain the gardens, grounds and greenhouse through volunteer and financial support. The Society also maintains an extensive horticultural library on the IMA campus.

Thursday, February 10 » 7 pm » The Toby » $8 Public, $5 IMA Members & Students, Free for HortSoc members Reynolds discusses a worldwide movement of cultivating plants in public spaces without permission.

February DAILY 03 THR 04 FRI 10 THR

11 FRI 12 SAT 13 SUN 17 THR 18 FRI 24 THR 25 FRI 26 SAT

Lilly House Closed for Seasonal Maintenance. Tour » Offered daily. See page N5 for more information.

Dining » Chef’s Table: Foods of Love » 6:30 pm » $60 per person

Performance » The Kid and The Idle Class: Silent Comedies with Live Score » 7:30 pm » $30 Public, $25 IMA Members and Groups of 10 or more, $10 Students

Symposium » Passion and Pursuit: Searching for the Perfect Perennial » 9 am–5 pm » $119 Talk » Planet Indy: Richard Reynolds on Guerilla Gardening » 7 pm » $8 Public, $5 IMA members & Students, Free IMA Hort Soc (PGP) Special Event » Member Night » 5:30 pm » Free Film » Winter Nights: Kiss Me Deadly » 7 pm » $9 Public, $5 IMA Members

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Family Tour » Get in Touch with the Asian Gallery » 1:30 & 2:30 pm » Free

Dining » Valentine’s Day Brunch » 11 am–3 pm » $35 Adult, $16 ages 4–10

Talk » Design Series: Chris Ware + Chip Kidd » 7 pm » $8 Public, $5 IMA members & Students (PGP) Dining » Chef’s Taste: Foods of Love » 6:30 pm » $35 per person

Film » Winter Nights: Detour » 7 pm » $9 Public, $5 IMA Members

Special Event » Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial Opening Reception » 7–9 pm » $50 Public, $25 IMA Members, Free for IMA Council

Film » Winter Nights: Memento » 7 pm » $9 Public, $5 IMA Members Tour » Alliance Studio Tour: IMA’s Important Watercolor with Martin Krause » 7–8:30 pm » $20 Public, $15 Alliance & IMA Members

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Family Tour » Get in Touch with the Asian Gallery » 1:30 & 2:30 pm » Free

March DAILY

03 THR 10 THR 12 SAT 13 SUN 17 THR 18 FRI 19 SAT 20 SUN 24 THR 26 SAT

31 THR

Lilly House Closed for Seasonal Maintenance. Tour » Offered daily. See page N5 for more information.

Film » Valentino: The Last Emperor » 7 pm » 9 Public, $5 IMA Members, Free IMA FAS Dining » Chef’s Table: Comforting Foods » 6:30 pm » $60 per person

Talk » Gauguin Becomes a Printmaker: The Volpini Suite » 7 pm » Free Special Event » Member Night » 5:30 pm » Free

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Family Tour » Learning to Look: Art Basics » 1:30 & 2:30 pm » Free

Tour » Alliance Studio Tour: Teri Burnett » 1:30–3:30 pm » $20 Public, $15 Alliance & IMA Members Talk » Miller House and Garden: An Icon of Modernism » 2 pm » $5 at door

Talk » Ian Fraser on Collecting British Silver » 6 pm » Free Dining » Chef’s Taste: Comforting Foods » 6:30 pm » $35 per person

Special Event » Spring Equinox: Sun Boxes » noon–sunset » Free

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Special Event » Spring Equinox: Sun Boxes » noon–sunset » Free

Special Event » Spring Equinox: Sun Boxes » noon–sunset » Free

Talk » Planet Indy: Emily Pilloton on Designing Social Impact » 7 pm » $8 Public, $5 IMA members & Students (PGP)

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Performance » Still Life by eighth blackbird » 7 pm » $30 Public, $25 for Ensemble Music Society & IMA members Family Tour » Learning to Look: Art Basics » 1:30 & 2:30 pm » Free Class » The Art of Gardening » 9 am–4 pm » Full Day: $50 Public, $40 IMA Members / Half Day: $30 Public, $25 IMA Members Talk » Mary Cassatt’s Parisian Fashions » 7 pm » $5 Public, Free for IMA members

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April Tour » Offered daily. See page N5 for more information.

DAILY

07 THR

Talk » National Identity, Cultural Diplomacy and the Role of Contemporary Art » 7 pm » Free Dining » Chef’s Table: Late Winter & Early Spring Vegetables » 6:30 pm » $60 per person

08 FRI

Special Event » Hard Truths: A Forum on Art & the Politics of Difference » 9:30 am–5 pm »$ 15 Public, $10 IMA members & Students (PGP) Performance » And the Whole Yard Said Amen » 7 pm » $6 Public, $3 IMA members & Students

09 SAT

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Family Tour » Changing Seasons » 1:30 & 2:30 pm » Free

13 WED 14 THR 16 SAT 17 SUN 21 THR 23 SAT 28 THR

Tour » Alliance Studio Tour: Joanie Drizin » 1–3 pm » $20 Public, $15 Alliance & IMA Members

Special Event » Member Night » 5:30 pm » Free Talk » Kitchen Garden Renaissance » 7:30 pm » $5 Public, Free for IMA and Hort Soc Members

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Special Event » Perennial Premiere » 11 am–5 pm (9–11 am Members Only) » Free

Special Event » Perennial Premiere » noon–5 pm » Free

Talk » Art for Some: Exhibiting Internationally for Profit and Glory » 7 pm » Free (PGP) Dining » Chef’s Taste: Late Winter & Early Spring Vegetables » 6:30 pm » $35 per person

Art-Making » Starlite » noon–4 pm » Free Family Tour » Changing Seasons » 1:30 & 2:30 pm » Free

Talk » Planet Indy: Temple Grandin on Visual Thinking and Animal Behavior » 7 pm » $8 Public, $5 IMA members & Students (PGP)

Assistive listening devices available for all Toby events and public tours. ASL interpretation available at Toby events where noted. Visit imamuseum.org for FULL program descriptions, TICKETS and more.

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Events

Project IMA returned to the IMA in late October, featuring many creative looks from local designers. Winning design is pictured at lower left.

On November 11, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited the IMA for a tour of Read My Pins, as well as a public talk.

The IMA transformed into The Factory for the opening of Andy Warhol Enterprises. Thanks to event and exhibition sponsor PNC Financial Services Group.

Despite the cold and snow, many enjoyed the annual Winter Solstice celebration on December 16.

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4000 Michigan Road Indianapolis, IN 46208 317-923-1331 imamuseum.org

ADMISSION

TOURS

General admission is free.

The IMA offers free public tours of its galleries, 100 Acres, Lilly House, and gardens. For a complete schedule, including tour themes, visit imamuseum.org.

Special Exhibitions » Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial » $8 Public, Free for members. School groups are also free (must book through IMA Education Division at education@imamuseum.org). The IMA also offers free parking, Wi-Fi, coat check, wheelchairs, rollators, strollers, public phone, and lockers. GETTING HERE Location The IMA is located at 4000 Michigan Road in Indianapolis. The main entrance is approximately one block north of 38th Street and Michigan Road. Note that south of 38th Street, Michigan Road becomes Martin Luther King Jr. Street. The IMA is accessible off the Central Canal Towpath (an Indy Greenways trail). Bike racks are available on campus, including in parking garage. By Indy Go Bus » From downtown Indianapolis, take #38 Lafayette Square » From Michigan Road, take #34 North or South » Visit indygo.net/tripplanner to plan your trip. HOURS

ACCESSIBILITY The IMA strives to be accessible to all visitors. » The Museum building and Lilly House are accessible for wheelchair users » Open captioning is available on in-gallery videos; Closed captioning available with select public programs » Assistive listening devices are available for all public tours and Toby events » ASL interpretations during select public programs and tours or by request. Call 317-923-1331 at least three weeks prior to event. » Service animals welcome » Family restrooms and nursing mothers room available For more information: imamuseum.org/connect/accessibility or 317-923-1331. DINING Nourish Café Nourish Café offers delicious snacks and inexpensive meals set in a chic cafeteria setting.

Museum Tue, Wed, Sat » 11 am–5 pm Thur, Fri » 11 am–9 pm Sun » noon–5 pm

Happy Hour Thur & Fri » 5–9 pm

Lilly House Open April through December, all Museum hours except on Thur and Fri; closes at 5 pm.

Museum Store Books, jewelry, and museuminspired merchandise

Both Museum and Lilly House are closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 100 Acres, Gardens and Grounds Open daily from dawn to dusk

SHOPPING

Design Center Design objects, furniture, and more Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse Rare and choice plants, gardening supplies, and gifts. Closes Thur & Fri at 5 pm (Beginning April 1 closes at 8 pm).

IMA LIBRARIES Stout Reference Library A non-circulating research library that consists of thousands of resources on the visual arts. 317-920-2647 Tue, Wed, Fri » 2–5 pm Thur » 2–8 pm and by appointment Horticultural Society Library Non-circulating collection of books and videos on gardening and related topics, open to the public. Located at Newfield. 317-923-1331 ext. 429 Tue, Wed, Sat » noon–3 pm FACILITY RENTAL The IMA offers a variety of spaces to rent—perfect for any occasion from cocktail parties to weddings to business conferences. For more information: imamuseum.org/special-events or 317-923-1331, ext. 419 MEMBERSHIP Membership helps support free general admission at the IMA. For questions concerning membership, call 317-920-2651 or visit imamuseum.org/membership AFFILIATES For more information about IMA art interest groups and clubs, contact affiliates@imamuseum.org or see page N7 VOLUNTEER For more information about how you can get involved contact volunteer@imamuseum.org or 317-923-1331, ext. 263 CONTACT THE IMA 317-923-1331 (Main) 317-920-2660 (24-Hour Info Line) imamuseum.org magazine@imamuseum.org

IN THE GALLERIES

The Tomb of Vigna Codini II by Maxwell L. Anderson » The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO

We have all seen Roman portraits on pedestals in museums. Mostly of white marble, they are among the first true portraits in art history, and capture the appearance of men and women from all walks of Roman society. But no American museum has portraits on view along with precise information about their original location and display—until now, at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Three life-size Roman portraits recently arrived from Rome’s Museo Nazionale Romano (Italy’s leading museum dedicated to the ancient heritage of the city of Rome) for a prolonged stay—at least two years, with the possibility of an extension. They are being displayed near the Redish Gallery on Floor 3, where examples from our permanent collection of Ancient Art of the Mediterranean are on view. The portraits are of three freedmen—or freed slaves—who served the families of the original dynasties of Roman emperors (Julio-Claudian and Flavian). The busts of two men and one woman have the hairstyles and demeanor typical of the 1st century A.D., and once stood in deep niches in the walls of a large underground tomb outside the city walls of Rome. These portraits depict high ranking servants, to judge from the fact that they are among the few to merit sculpted commemorations in marble. The tomb was discovered in 1847 under a vineyard of the Codini family, and an accompanying photograph taken later in the 19th century shows the exact location of these heads, and a meticulously carved cinerary urn, in niches on the walls. The photograph allows a contemporary visitor to see the portrait busts exactly as they were seen 2,000 years ago—a rarity in the field of archaeology. The context of these portraits lends remarkably to our appreciation of their significance. The fact that servants of the imperial family banded together to form a corporation, selling shares in the tomb to allow for the purchase of funerary niches, is attested through inscriptions discovered there. As a result we are able to understand the nature, background, purpose, and identity of these works—all because they emanated from a controlled archaeological excavation.

Other antiquities in U.S. museums lack evidence of the kind that the Vigna Codini portraits bear, and it is for this reason that IMA adopted a policy in 2007 disallowing the acquisition of archaeological objects without an adequate history. We would prefer to borrow important objects that come with a known history than to purchase works which were likely spirited out of their place or discovery illegally. For at least two years, visitors to IMA will have these superb examples of Roman sculpture along with precise evidence of how they were displayed at the time of their making. This is just the first of such loans—we will pursue others around the world in the years to come. For now, we welcome visitors to a unique experience, and thank the Italian Ministry of Culture for making the first long-term loan to an American museum not connected with the return of illegally acquired works (there have been other recent long-term loans to U.S. museums, but these have resulted from the return of objects discovered to have been illegally exported). We are in discussion with the Ministry about jointly developing new means of mobile computing to enhance tours of archaeological sites, and look forward to other forms of collaboration in the future. On view in February.

Above » Portrait Bust of a Woman, circa 54–68 AD, Luna marble, 50 x 30 x 22 cm. (base: 18 x 18 x 10 cm.), With permission of the Ministry of Heritage and Culture – Special Superintendency for the Archaeological Heritage of Rome

VOICES

The Passionate Collector Collectors are important figures to museums. Through loans or gifts, they assist curators in filling the holes in a museum’s collection. In celebration of the reinstallation of the pre-1945 design arts galleries, which opens this spring on Floor 2, we share a glimpse of three collectors whose objects will be featured. IAN FRASER For nearly 40 years, Ian Fraser was curator of the Clowes Collection, a group of Old Masters paintings that is one of the cornerstones of the IMA’s collection. Fraser oversaw the collection when it was still at the Clowes residence and continued to do so when the IMA acquired the collection (a gift which required a new museum be built to house the art, resulting in the Clowes Pavilion being added to the Museum building in the early 1970s). And it was because of the Clowes Collection that Fraser met Mrs. Muriel Hardy and began collecting English silver. The two met when Hardy wished to make an appointment to view the Clowes collection, which at the time was still in the Clowes’ home. Mrs. Clowes, who handled the appointments, gave Hardy’s request to Fraser when Hardy insisted on seeing the collection at a

time when the family would not be home. Fraser, a transplant from London, quickly became friends with Hardy, who also was British and happened to have an important collection of English silver. Learning a great deal from Mrs. Hardy, Fraser became interested in English silver because “it is the only thing you can look at and just by reading its marks know where it was made, who made it, its standard of silver, if tax to the King or Queen was paid, and so on. French, German, Dutch pieces have marks but their systems aren’t as old or rigid (the English system had been law since 1300).” The art historian in him is intrigued by the changing aesthetic of different periods. For example, Fraser has given the IMA a James II child’s cup, which he describes as a perfect simple example of the Baroque era because it is exactly what it should be for that period. Fraser’s collection focuses on women silversmiths, a niche he discovered reading the catalog of a National Museum of Women in Arts (Washington, D.C.) exhibition—Women Silversmiths 1685–1845: Works from the Collection of the National Museum of Women in Arts. There are two categories of women silversmiths: the widows of silversmiths1 and actual female artisans. The latter are more interesting to Fraser due to the fact that the pieces were actually made by women and thus are rarer. “It’s easy to collect something that there’s a lot of, it’s not so easy to collect work by women silversmiths as there is less of it available.” Fraser also attributes the lack of objects available to the fact that silver can be easily damaged or overcleaned, ruining the patina; and the age-old practice of melting down objects due to the value of silver. While Fraser collects for personal enjoyment, he acknowledges an important role of his hobby. “Collectors collect things that play no part in modern life. We save things from oblivion. If you have beautiful things, you want to share them with the public at large and have those things kept beautiful forever.”

When her husband passed, a wife had to have any remaining silver marked as it was against the law to sell unmarked silver. So many marks attributed to women are for just one year. Some of these marks did continue on if there was an apprentice who continued to make silver under the woman’s mark.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Collectors collect things that play no part in modern life. We save things from oblivion.â&#x20AC;?

“Some people have the collector gene; some people have the ‘get rid of everything’ gene; I have the collector gene.” DANIEL WOLF “I collect because I can.” This is the simple answer from Daniel Wolf, a New York City art dealer about why he collects. At first it sounds bold, but the soft-spoken Wolf goes on to explain. “Some people have the collector gene; some people have the ‘get rid of everything’ gene; I have the collector gene.” Wolf also collects because he loves collecting; it is intuitive and emotional. Yet amid that instinct, Wolf admits there is a strategy. He acquires with the goal of creating a collection that can stand alone, and that has important examples. He looks for the right masterpieces, the right artists to fill in the gaps. So back in the late 1970s and early ‘80s, under the advice of a new friend named Craig Miller (IMA’s Design Arts curator), Wolf began to form an important American Arts and Crafts collection. Important pieces were on the market, and few people were buying. That, of course, was not the only reason. Wolf says he was drawn to Arts and Crafts pieces initially because of the architectural element of the style. The furniture was as important as the building in which it was housed and carried its own presence. He also mentions the craftsmanship, the masculinity of Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustav Stickley, and the femininity of Greene & Greene and Charles Rohlfs. Yet he concedes there is a point at which there is no reason except he just really likes it.

A case in point: when he was building his Arts and Crafts collection, the contents of some important houses (for example Greene & Greene’s Pratt House and Blacker House) were being sold off by Christie’s. One of those sales included the Greene & Greene dining table and chairs, which Wolf is lending the IMA. Recognizing the suite as a great masterpiece by the important Arts and Crafts duo, Wolf wanted it for his collection. With this collection-building style, Wolf sees himself more as a curator than a collector. “It is a gift to be able to go out and put a collection together. My talent is putting a collection together, and it is my responsibility to put the collection together when the opportunity is there. Collecting is very opportunistic. You buy when there are a number of things on the market, when the competition is low. You don’t ask ‘why’ because things are always getting passed over in the art world.” Wolf also views collecting as a very personal endeavor. “I have no problem owning world-class masterpieces and using them in my home.” However, Wolf does see the value in lending pieces from his collection, especially if he is not using a piece. “I’d rather lend something than put it in storage.” So how did the IMA secure the loan of a great Arts and Crafts masterpiece from a New York City collector with no ties to Indianapolis? Of course, Wolf ’s relationship with IMA’s Craig Miller played a part; but Wolf comments, “it doesn’t matter about the size of the city. I lend where the passion is.”

Pages 14 & 15 » Dorothy Grant, British, tankard, 1681, silver; Gift of A. Ian Fraser, 2010.113. Pages 16 & 17 » Greene & Greene (Charles Sumner Greene, American, 1868–1957 and Henry Mather Greene, American, 1870–1954); Dining room suite designed for Casa Barranca, the Charles Millard Pratt House, Ojai, California, 1908; table: walnut and ebony; chairs: walnut, ebony, and new upholstery; Lent by Daniel Wolf. Chinese, 18th century; Imari coffee pot, ca. 1725; porcelain; Lent by Shirley Mueller.

the coffee and tea to use with them. However in the 1700s, both coffee and tea became more accessible leading to innovation. Pots became bigger in size; handles, spouts and finials became more ornate; and Chinese designs were modified to reflect Western tastes. This evolution was also affected by the emergence of the American market. Until 1776, it was illegal for the American colonies to buy or order porcelain without going through England. So when the young nation was able to request its own pieces, two branches of export porcelain emerged—one American and one European. This distinction, for pieces made at the same time, is seen mostly in the decorations (for example, pieces for the American market featured images, like the flag and eagle, that are specific to the United States as a nation).

SHIRLEY MUELLER An Indianapolis resident, Shirley Mueller is an independent scholar and collector of Chinese export porcelain—she has lectured all over the world and been published multiple articles. However, her path into collecting started innocently—a personal interest in China and its culture and a need to find mental respite from her work as a physician. Since her first initial acquisitions, Mueller has blurred the line between work and play. Trained as neurologist, Mueller has used her medical skills to not only further her own private collection but also collaborate with museum curators and other experts. “As a neurologist, I’m trained to detect changes in patients. I found that lent itself well to collecting: applying a critical eye to what is out there.”

The American pieces tend be acquired mostly by East Coast collectors; perhaps due to that area of the country’s closer connection to early American history. Yet for seasoned collectors like Mueller, the European pieces are desirable simply because they are older and harder to find. “I started collecting with late famille rose2 pieces, as most people do. Now I prefer the earlier export, from late Ming (1368–1644) or early Kangxi (1654–1722).” This “maturing” in Mueller’s collecting has resulted in a loan that now allows the Museum to show the evolution of coffeepots and teapots over some two centuries—an extraordinary experience for IMA visitors.

Chinese export porcelain covers a wide range of ceramics that were made and decorated in China exclusively for export to Europe, and later to North America, between the 16th and the 20th centuries. Mueller’s collection focuses on pouring vessels, i.e. teapots and coffeepots. With each vessel having a minimum of five pieces (spout, handle, lid, body and finial), Mueller finds them visually and functionally interesting. “Pouring vessels with all their parts are technologically more difficult to make, but sadly they are greatly underappreciated and thus not collected as vigorously.” Mueller’s collection spans 1580–1790, with a focus on late 1600s and early 1700s—right when coffeepots and teapots were evolving. Prior to the 1700s, only aristocrats could afford the vessels and 2

A term referring to the pink color palette of the pieces. It was extremely popular in the 18th and 19th centuries.

100 ACRES: THE VIRGINIA B. FAIRBANKS ART & NATURE PARK

FLOW (Can You See the River?) What does the White River mean to you? If you live in Indianapolis, it touches your life every day. New York-based artist Mary Miss believes that people cannot care about something they don’t notice or understand. Her FLOW (Can You See the River?), commissioned by the IMA for 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, opens September 22. FLOW includes a series of installations along a six mile stretch of the Central Canal and the White River, from Broad Ripple to White River State Park; each marking significant features of these important water resources. At the IMA, visitors will be able to explore a giant, walk-able floor map of the entire FLOW project in a special installation in the Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion. Waterside installations will be enhanced by a unique cell phone application that features the voices of hydrologists and environmental scientists.

Public and educational programs offered by the IMA and other organizations will occur throughout the fall. These will include teacher and school programs, talks, performances, and outdoor activities. For more details, see: www.marymiss.com

Miss views FLOW as a pilot project, part of a larger series she calls City as a Living Laboratory. She has worked with scientists, city officials, environmental groups, educators and designers to present the project first in Indianapolis; the second in the series will take place on Broadway in New York City. “With this installation, Indianapolis can set a precedent for how a city makes sustainability and its many challenges more tangible to its residents,” Miss said. “By uniting the cognitive power of science with the affective power of art, FLOW will raise awareness of the vitality role the river plays in their community.” A large number of organizations join the IMA in presenting FLOW. These include: the City of Indianapolis; United States Geological Survey; IndyParks; Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Center for Earth and Environmental Sciences; Butler University Center for Urban Ecology; Marian University EcoLab; White River State Park; HARMONI (a group of residents, business owners and Indianapolis public/private leadership committed to rejuvenating the Midtown area of the city); Indianapolis Art Center; and several neighborhood associations. This project is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts Mayors’ Institute on City Design 25th Anniversary Initiative and is one of only 21 awarded to projects that contribute to the livability of cities. Project support provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA).

ABOUT MARY MISS Mary Miss is known for her environmentally based artwork. She has reshaped the boundaries between sculpture, architecture, landscape design and installation art by articulating a vision of the public sphere where it is possible for an artist to address the issues of our time. Social, cultural and environmental sustainability are the focus of installations that allow the visitor to become aware of local history, ecology or other aspects of the site that have gone unnoticed. Miss has collaborated closely with architects, planners, engineers, ecologists and public administrators on projects as diverse as creating a temporary memorial around the perimeter of Ground Zero, marking the predicted flood level of Boulder, Colorado, revealing the history of the Union Square Subway station in New York City or turning a sewage treatment plant into a public space. A recipient of multiple awards, Miss has participated in exhibitions at the Harvard University Art Museum, Brown University Gallery, The Institute of Contemporary Art in London, the Architectural Association in London, Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and the Des Moines Art Center.

SPECIAL EVENT

Perennial Premiere While the rest of us are slowly emerging from winter’s slumber, the Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse staff is busy preparing for the IMA’s annual salute to spring—Perennial Premiere. For 20 years, the Greenhouse and Horticulture staff have welcomed the outdoor gardening season with a weekend full of the season’s hottest plants, guided garden walks and the opportunity for the public to get gardening advice from IMA’s experts. The April event has consistently been a success, but last year the staff looked to make Perennial Premiere bigger and better. Their answer: expand the annual two day kick-off to spring into a community festival of gardening. Despite the soggy weekend, the expanded format was well received. So this year’s Perennial Premiere will once again feature other local gardening vendors and non-profit horticulture and nature organizations. Also making its annual return is the Indianapolis Bonsai Club’s special bonsai exhibition. Held at Garden Terrace, visitors can also watch demonstrations and purchase bonsai plants. “What sets Perennial Premiere apart from other events in the area is that its focus truly is gardening and plants,” says Sue Nord Peiffer, Greenhouse Manager. “The Greenhouse will have its broadest selection of live plants ever and the Premiere Partners will be offering plants and garden accessories that expand the selection of product available.” This year attendees will find larger than usual trees and shrubs, native plants, herbs, dwarf conifers, and of course, perennials. Preview a list of expected plants and Premiere Partners beginning March 15, at www.imamuseum.org/shop/greenhouse.

PERENNIAL PREMIERE Saturday, April 16 » 11 am–5 pm (Members only 9–11 am) Sunday, April 17 » noon–5 pm Nourish Café will provide sandwiches and other treats for purchase.

As a benefit of IMA membership, there will be a special members-only preview. Show your member card or purchase a membership on the spot for the best choice of everything on Saturday from 9–11 am. Members also receive a special 20% discount on IMA Greenhouse purchases from April 16–May 1. Assuming the weather cooperates, it is a wonderful weekend to explore the IMA’s gardens, to gain inspiration for your own garden, and to purchase tried-and-true favorites as well as some new items. The Greenhouse specializes in carrying native and harder-to-find plants, including specimens found on the IMA’s campus. While Saturday offers the best choice, Peiffer suggests coming back. “On Sunday there will be big markdowns on special items, making a return trip well worth it.”

IN THE GARDENS

Spring at the IMA A preview of what IMAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beloved grounds have in store this spring. Guided garden walks every Saturday and Sunday beginning April 2. (See page N5)

MEET OUR MEMBERS

David Gorden Why did you decide to join the Horticultural Society? As a landscape architect, I naturally have a keen interest in plants and gardens. Mark Holeman (David has worked for Holeman for 20 years) introduced me to the lectures and other activities of the Horticultural Society, as well as a good many of his friends who were likewise active members. I enjoyed, and still do, the educational and social opportunities the Society provided. By then I had come to greatly appreciate the grounds and gardens of the Museum and was happy to become a part of an organization that supported them. Do you have a favorite spot in the gardens or grounds? Two actually. I greatly enjoy the grandness of the Sutphin fountain and the dramatic welcome it gives museum visitors. Yet, there is an intimacy to the space as well with the Dawn Redwoods and other plantings that encircle the fountain. I am also inspired by the quiet experience of walking the path behind the Deer Zink Events Pavilion as it winds among large ribbons of well planned plantings in manicured beds, leading to shaded woods as you cross the stately bridge over the service road, finally leading you to the traditional formal gardens of Oldfields. The wonderful variety of the Museum’s grounds is highlighted in just this short distance. It’s an especially enchanting walk when luminaries light the way on the evening of the winter solstice celebration. What has been your most memorable experience as a Horticultural Society member? Last year’s “A Garden Affair,” the Society’s biennial fundraising event. It was a great evening of socializing and bidding on a vast array of interesting auction items, including many plants, pots and ornaments I just knew needed to find a spot in my home landscape, even if I didn’t actually have room for them. The event was a fitting celebration of the Museum’s horticultural treasures while raising money to help enhance and maintain them. I’m looking forward to more memorable experiences ahead, perhaps on one of the Society’s trips. What are you looking forward to this year? I look forward to watching the maturation of 100 Acres. As it was rushed to completion in time for its celebratory opening last year, one sensed that things weren’t quite settled. With construction stress a year removed, plants establishing themselves, paths looking like they’ve been there awhile, and the works of art looking more at home in their settings, 100 Acres will take on a much more finished feel. Most landscape creations get better with age. I will enjoy watching it happen here. What is one thing that people should know about the Horticultural Society? What a wonderfully diverse membership it has–long-time museum members and recent college graduates, landscape professionals and weekend gardeners. But, all loyal supporters of the IMA who recognize the great beauty and artistic value of the Museum’s outdoor treasures and have an interest in plants, gardens and the landscape in general. Also, the Society’s Horticultural Library is a hidden jewel that is a wonderful resource of information and inspiration that deserves greater appreciation and use.

David Gorden is an active member in the Horticultural Society, which is one of the six special interest affiliate groups at the IMA. Affiliates offer members unique opportunities to become more involved in the life of the Museum by exploring their own passions.

Learn more about these groups on page N7 or visit imamuseum.org.

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