PREVIEWS N ews a n d E ven t s f o r M em b ers o f t h e I M A / S P R I N G 2 0 0 9
European Design Since 1985 Shaping the New Century MARCH 8-JUNE 21
F R OM THE DIR ECTO R
During an economic downturn, doubts about how to afford and sustain the arts— doubts present even during flush times—take on fresh urgency. How can we make room for discretionary spending to foster the creation and enjoyment of the arts when so many are facing sacrifice and anxiety about the future? The short answer to the question is that it would be immoral to privilege any creative endeavor above keeping people employed, fed and housed. In other words, food on the table trumps flights of fancy. The long answer is that tough times leave us with a skewed perspective, more Hobbesian than Aristotelian, limiting our ability to see ahead, and privileging fear over hope. Who has the ability to see down the road to a time when the cloud cover overhead will break and a bath of sunshine will nourish us once again? Where can you find the long view—a context for human struggle and triumph that is as old as civilization and as multifaceted as mankind? You can find it in our nation’s art museums. Our galleries are filled with hundreds of testaments of the imaginative power of mankind to triumph over flood, pestilence, war, poverty, greed, anger, intolerance and every other onslaught of nature’s and man’s worst traits. A late sixth-century B.C. Greek amphora portrays quiet anguish and pride as a young warrior sets out from his family to defend a way of life. The sublime countenance of a Northern Wei Dynasty Buddha from about 500 A.D. perseveres in the face of heartless nomads wreaking havoc to the north. The pacific gaze of Bellini’s late 15th-century Madonna as she contemplates her son’s fate channels the hopes of parents everywhere. A brass-cast 17th-century Benin sculpture plaque evinces nobility in the face of bloody colonial conquest and subjugation. Turner’s majestic canvas from 1800 portraying the biblical Fifth Plague of Egypt offers a hauntingly beautiful metaphor for nature’s wrath in recent times. And Tony Feher’s 2007 sculpture of glass bottles with red marbles in vodka speaks of the fragility of life in the age of AIDS, and of the search for joy in its shadow. Nowhere else can we today find more evocative expressions of empathy, the stoic endurance of suffering, triumph over adversity and our boundless quest for happiness than in the hundreds of works of art displayed in galleries at the IMA—for free. So click off the noisy free-associations and fear mongering of manufactured news and reality TV, and come visit us, to discover the reality shaped by visionaries from long ago and today. You’ll find cheer in the persistence of the human experiment across continents and millennia, and show your families and friends that the world we live in is the same world lived in by indomitable people from other places and times. Join the Museum or buy a ticket to European Design since 1985: Shaping the New Century and discover the ingenuity of those who have succeeded in making potentially prosaic design challenges into museum-quality keepsakes. And come discover how very essential the arts are in tough times as well as in flush times. Our generous patrons and members make it possible for us to offer free general admission, and our open-minded staff members insure that there is no prescribed route—no sermons, no rants and no limits on your imagination. It’s what we need right now as we embark upon a season full of worry about the economy and full of dramatically renewed hope about our national character.
Maxwell L. Anderson The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO
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E u r o pe a n D es i gn s i nce 1 9 8 5 : S h a p i ng t h e N e w C en t u r y Fa s h i o n i n b lo o m
EXHIBITIONS
B ehind the S cenes : T ed C elen k o
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T E C H N O L O G Y : A r t B abble
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I n the G a r dens : N onie ’ s G a r den
A F F I L AT E E V E N T S
GIVING
IMA EVENTS
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V oices : M a r ti G u i x e
I N F O R M AT I O N
15 ON THE COVER:
Tord Boontje, Garland Light. Photo: Angela Moore.
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tord boontje, garland light. photo: angela moore
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Over the past decade, Americans have become infatuated with design. From Michael Graves’ kitchen gadgets at Target and contemporary architecture on HGTV to Aeron chairs in our offices and Apple iPhones in our pockets, we’ve grown to appreciate good design. But not as much as Europeans.
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For decades European designers have continually set and reset the bar for good design, establishing and re-establishing its theoretical and aesthetic parameters. They have invented future styles and adapted those of the past and explored form and function and the points at which they both converge and diverge. In short, if you want to know where contemporary design is heading, you need to spend some time in Europe.
European Design Since 1985 Shaping the New Century MARCH 8-JUNE 21
But if a trip abroad isn’t in the cards right now, you can still experience the best in recent design when the exhibition European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century debuts at the Indianapolis Museum of Art on March 8. Featuring 250 pieces—ranging from furniture, glassware and ceramics to metalwork and an array of consumer products—created by 118 designers from 14 countries, it is the first comprehensive exploration of Western European design from 1985 to 2005. Organized by R. Craig Miller, the IMA’s Curator of Design Arts and Director of Design Initiatives, European Design Since 1985 is the third in a series of contemporary design exhibitions he developed while working at the Denver Art Museum, where he headed the design department for 17 years before coming to the IMA in 2007. The first two shows looked at recent Italian design and American design. Miller was hard at work on the European show when Maxwell L. Anderson, The IMA’s Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO, approached him about putting Indianapolis on the show’s schedule. In the end, Miller agreed not only to that, but to Anderson’s subsequent offer to become the IMA’s first Curator of Design Arts. He completed work on the exhibition and catalogue in Indianapolis. The Denver Art Museum and Kingston University in London, England also helped develop and shape the project. “Not only does this exhibition illuminate an extraordinary period of creativity and innovation in Western European design,” said Anderson of the show, “it is a crucial step in the IMA’s creation of a preeminent design department.” Having the exhibition, which was six years in the making, debut at the IMA will signal the Museum’s commitment to making design an important component of its collection, said Miller. “This is the first survey of contemporary European design done by any museum anywhere in the world. This project will put the IMA on the design world’s radar.”
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Two Movements, Eight Sections The rationale for the exhibition’s chronology of 1985 to 2005 was simple, said Miller. The starting point was the year when the influence of such Postmodernist Italian design groups as Memphis and Alchymia waned, allowing new designers and design concepts to emerge; the ending point, the year after the European Union admitted several Eastern European nations into its ranks, marking the demise of post-World War II Western Europe and the rise of a new 21st-century Europe. During that 20-year period, European design was in constant flux. To help make sense of the various concepts and styles that influenced it, Miller divided the exhibition into two major movements, which exemplify the dispute of function verses artistic concept. The first movement, Modernism, viewed design as industry—the creation of functional, mass-produced objects; the second, Postmodernism, viewed design as art—the appreciation of artistic concept. With those two movements as his foundation, Miller sub-divided the show’s layout into eight sections. Decorative design Based on the Postmodernist designas-art ideal promoted by Memphis and Alchymia, this approach to design was more about extending a decorative, historicizing tradition. Expressive design This Postmodernist mode viewed the purpose of design as the creation of sculptural objects, with little regard for functional purpose.
Geometric minimal design This approach reinvigorated one of the most influential aspects of Modernist design: the concept of functional objects based on simple geometric shapes. Biomorphic design Modernist in its concern for function, this approach looked to the natural world for its aesthetics. Neo-Pop design Harkening back to the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and 70s, this Modernist design mode celebrated a straight-forward, light-hearted and playful aesthetic approach to object design.
Conceptual design A movement in which concept was more important than function. Neo-Dada/Surreal DESIGN Arising in the mid-1980s and becoming stronger in the late 1990s, these Postmodernist designers looked to the Dada and Surrealist art movements of the early 20th century for inspiration, creating non-functional objects that served as metaphors for society. Neo-Decorative DESIGN An early 21st-century return to the earlier Decorative movement, this design mode brought the 20-year cycle full circle.
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Shaping the New Century:
A Two-Day International Design Symposium Friday and Saturday, March 6–7
Included in the various sections will be works by such established designers as Ron Arad, Jurgen Bey, Zaha Hadid, Hella Jongerius, Jasper Morrison, Marc Newson, Philippe Starck, Borek Šípek, Maarten Van Severen and Marcel Wanders, as well as by such well-known Italian manufacturers as Alessi and Kartell. Also on display will be the work of younger designers such as Tord Boontje, Konstantin Grcic and Studio Job. While many of the designers and the objects they have created may be unfamiliar to Americans, Miller said he hopes that exposure to such innovative designs will be a catalyst for visitors, prompting them to re-examine the impact that design can have on their lives. “People often forget the extraordinary power that a wonderful design can have on their daily existence.”
The Most Democratic of the Arts For those wanting to take away more than good memories from the show, an illustrated catalogue featuring essays by Miller, as well as by Penny Sparke and Catherine McDermott of Kingston University in London, will be available. So will many of the objects in the show, duplicates of which will be on sale in the IMA’s Design Center at much less than auction house prices. “Design is the most democratic of the arts,” said Miller. “It’s the most accessible and, generally speaking, the most affordable. You might not be able to meet the expense of a $50,000 painting, but you probably can afford a $50 teapot.” Mementos aside, Miller hopes visitors to the exhibition will leave with a sense of the pleasure inherent in good design. “I want people to enjoy the show,” he said. “And I hope that people will see that design is going to be an important new component of the IMA in the coming years.” After closing at the IMA, European Design Since 1985 will travel to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, as well as to other venues to be announced. Visit imamuseum.org/european-design to preview the exhibition. Save the date! Exhibition Opening Event: Thursday, March 5 8
As a complement to the exhibition European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century, the IMA is hosting an international symposium on recent European industrial and decorative design on March 6–7. Featuring some two dozen Modernist and Postmodernist designers, manufacturers, scholars, critics and dealers from throughout Europe, the symposium will examine four aspects of contemporary design: creating, manufacturing, judging and marketing. Among those taking part will be designers Jurgen Bey, Juli Capella, matali crasset, Michele De Lucchi and Jerszy Seymour; manufacturers Alberto Alessi, Beatrice de Lafontaine and Rolf Fehlbaum; scholars/ curators Catherine McDermott, Penny Sparke, Dr. Josef Strasser and the IMA’s own R. Craig Miller; and gallery owner Didier Krzentowski and auction house founder Richard Wright. The event, which is open to IMA members, graduate and undergraduate design students, design professionals, and the general public, will offer attendees a chance to meet and hear some of the leaders of contemporary European design, said Miller. He has heard from people around the country and abroad who are interested in attending. “We want people to see and judge the extraordinary achievements in European design over the last two decades,” said Miller. “I’m also hoping that the European Design project will begin to establish the IMA as a leader in contemporary design.”
Registration fees for the two-day symposium are $250 for the public, $150 for students. Visit imamuseum.org/european-designsymposium for more information and to register. Photos: Page 6: Tejo Remy Dutch (b.1960), You Can’t Lay Down Your Memories Chest of Drawers, 1991, Mfr: Droog Design. Photo: Droog Design Page 7, left: Hella Jongerius, Dutch (b.1963), Non-Temporary Ceramics, 2005, Earthenware. Mfr: Royal Tichelaar Makkum, Largest: 17 3/4 × 3 1/8 in. Photo Credit: Royal Tichelaar Makkum Page 7, right: Marc Newson, Australian (b.1963), resides United Kingdom and France. Orgone (POD Edition) Chair, 1993, Aluminum. Mfr: Bodylines, 31 7/8 × 42 1/2 × 37 7/8 in. Photo Credit: Marc Newson Ltd. Above: Jerszy Seymour, German (b.1968), Pipe Dreams Watering Can, 2000, Polyethylene. Mfr: Magis S.p.A., 10 5/8 × 11 1/2 × 7 in. Photo Credit: OCCHIOMAGICO
see it at the ima. Want it in your home? shop the design center. Many of the objects on view in the exhibition European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century aren’t only on view in the galleries. They can be purchased in the IMA’s new Design Center—Don’t just desire, take home and admire!
Dr. Skud flyswatter By Philippe Starck for Alessi $18 Casserole with lid By Bjorn Dahlstrom for iittala $300 Sim & Saladin Salad Bowl & Serving Pieces By Jasper Morrison for Alessi $42 Quack Thermos By Maria Bernsten for Georg Jensen $105 Embryo Lounge Chair By Marc Newson for Cappellini $4,500 European Design Since 1985: Shaping the New Century By R. Craig Miller, Penny Sparke and Catherine McDermott 272 pages and 300 color illustrations $45 softback / $65 hardback
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E XH IBI TI O N S
FASHION IN BLOOM April 4–October 25 Paul Fashion Arts Gallery What do you think of when you think of floral-themed works of art? Matisse’s water lilies? Van Gogh’s sunflowers? Georgia O’Keeffe’s calla lillies? What about dresses by the likes of Bill Blass, Norman Norell or Givenchy? That’s what you’ll find in the exhibition Fashion in Bloom, opening April 4 at the IMA. “Flowers are ancient motifs used in many cultures,” said Niloo Paydar, the IMA’s curator of textile and fashion arts, who organized the show. Using roses, poppies, petunias, peonies, chrysanthemums and wildflowers, artists gave life to the simplest of silhouettes. Featuring 27 pieces from the IMA’s permanent collection, the exhibition traces the use of floral motifs in European and American fashions from the 18th to the 20th centuries, as well as the various methods used to execute floral patterns on garments, including printing, embroidery, beading and brocading. While flowers are its theme, said Paydar, the exhibition’s emphasis is on clothing styles and silhouettes over the span of 200 years. From the age of corsets and layers of crinolines to the era of short hemlines and curve-hugging fabrics, Fashion in Bloom explores the many ways women’s bodies have been manipulated, disguised or exploited by fashion designers. It includes examples of fashions ranging from elaborate ball gowns to simple day dresses. By comparison, the show includes one example of men’s wear—a French suit from 1775. While more elaborate in cut and decoration than its contemporary counterparts, it is still the basic trio of a jacket, vest and pants. During the time period covered by the exhibition, men’s garments didn’t undergo the drastic changes that women’s did, said Paydar. “I don’t think people today realize how much time and effort it took for women to get ready back when they had to put on layers of clothes. Or how difficult it was to move around or sit down.” To help visitors understand the challenges inherent in women’s wear of the past, scaled-down versions of the dress styles are displayed in The Dorothy and Lee Alig Textile Learning Center, allowing hands-on inspection. “That’s the best way to appreciate what women have had to endure in the name of fashion,” said Paydar.
Top: Normal Norell for Traina–Norell, American, b. Noblesville, Indiana, 1900–1972, evening dress, 1959, silk taffeta. Gift of Jocelyn S. Schwartzman and Stanley E. Weaver in memory of Norman Norell. 1985.644 Bottom left: Hanae Mori, Japanese, b. 1926, dress, 1970s, silk velvet. TR10752 Bottom right: French or English, dress, c.1760, silk damask with silk supplementary weft. Emma Harter Sweester Fund. 81.290ab
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E X HI B I TIO NS OPENING Introducing Star(lite) January 24–May Entrance to Star Studio
Star Studio will be closed from January 20 until early May to prepare for the next exhibition. In the meantime, we are introducing Star(lite), a new series of free art-making projects inspired by works of art in the IMA’s permanent collection. Star(lite) projects are designed to be accessible and fun for museum visitors of all ages and levels of experience making art. Stop by the entrance to Star Studio on Saturdays and Sundays this spring.
Continuing Preserving a Legacy: The Wishard Hospital Murals Through March 29 Alliance Gallery
In 1914, a group of renowned Hoosier artists painted murals for the benefit of patients at Wishard Memorial Hospital (then known as City Hospital). The IMA conservation department has been working to bring these murals back to their original condition since 2004, when they conserved a painting by Indiana African American artist William Edouard Scott. Since then, the conservation of several works by such Indiana artists as T. C. Steele,
Clifton Wheeler, J. Ottis Adams and Wayman Adams has been completed. Once the conservation effort is complete, all of the murals will be back on display in public areas of Wishard Hospital. The conservation project is made possible through the generosity of the Efroymson Family Fund, a CICF Fund.
Collected Thoughts: Works from the Dorothy and Herbert Vogel Collection Through April 12 McCormack Forefront Galleries
The IMA is honored to be the first to present 50 works from the esteemed Vogel Collection that have recently joined the Museum’s permanent collection, as part of “Fifty Works for Fifty States” national gift program. New York collectors Dorothy and Herbert Vogel began to collect contemporary artwork in the early 1960s and amassed a rare and insightful collection of works over a period of more than 40 years. Sponsored by
Gifts of the Gamboliers Through June 7 Golden Gallery
In 1927 a group of influential Indianapolis citizens formed an organization called the Gamboliers in an effort to introduce more contemporary art to the Indiana art scene. Each member paid an annual fee of $25, and purchases were made by Mary Quinn Sullivan, an Indianapolis native who resided in New York City and traveled frequently to Europe. During the five years of the Gamboliers’ existence, more than 150 works on paper by European and American artists were purchased and entered the Museum’s collection. Approximately 35 works on paper, including works by Modigliani, Matisse, Picasso and Maillol, are featured in this exhibition. Above: Jean Artist Lurçat, French (1892-1966), Arlequin (Harlequin), 1925, Etching and screen printing (pochoir) with hand coloring. 10 1/2 x 7 in. Gift of the Gamboliers, 32.23
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E XH IBI TI O N S Fine Prints for Five Dollars Through April 19 Conant Gallery
This exhibition includes 60 Depression-era American prints published between 1935 and 1950. For economic reasons, Associated American Artists and the American Artists Group were able to attract the leading artists of the era including Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton and John Steuart Curry and offer their original lithographs to the public by mail order for $5 apiece.
Orly Genger: Whole Through June 14 Efroymoson Family Entrance Pavilion
Known for transforming common nylon climbing rope into elaborate, monumental sculptures, New York-based artist Orly Genger has created a unique site-specific installation for the IMA’s Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion. Genger’s project for the IMA is her largest and most ambitious to date, incorporating thousands of feet of rope, which she hand-knots, paints, and stacks, creating immense sculptures that engulf the viewer. Genger’s work challenges typical associations with craft and textile through its highly physical creation process, in which she wrestles rope into knots and amasses it into persistent and imposing sculptural objects. According to Genger, her sculptures are suggestive of “things that are beyond our control, they spill, flood and spread through space. Even as they stand still like steel monuments bolted to the ground, they threaten to envelop their surroundings like molten lava chasing anything in its path.”
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The Viewing Project Throughout the Museum
The Viewing Project is a three-year series of small-scale installations designed to offer visitors creative and enjoyable experiences with objects from the IMA’s permanent collection. Although themes vary, the main goals of all Viewing Project installations remain constant: to encourage active looking, to support visitor creativity and engagement, and to present objects from the permanent collection in new ways. Funded in part by a generous grant from ART MENTOR FOUNDATION LUCERNE.
Coming Soon
Adaptation: Video Installations by Ben-Ner, Herrera, Sullivan, and Sussman & The Rufus Corporation May 8–August 16 Forefront Gallery
While adaptation is a common practice in popular culture—familiar to moviegoers and booklovers who endlessly debate whether the film version is superior to the novel—it is perhaps less well known as a practice in contemporary art. This exhibition looks at the use of adaptation in the recent work of four leading contemporary artists: Guy Ben-Ner, Arturo Herrera, Catherine Sullivan, and Eve Sussman & The Rufus Corporation. These artists have transformed existing source material to make their own adapted works of art, re-envisioning classic literature, film, ballet, email and painting as new video installations. For example, Ben-Ner condenses Herman Melville’s Moby Dick into a brief silent video made almost entirely in the artist’s kitchen, while Sussman’s feature-length The Rape of the Sabine Women transforms an eighteenth-century painting into an extended contemporary narrative.
Eve Sussman & The Rufus Corporation. Photographic still from The Rape of the Sabine Women (Disintegration at Hydra), 2005. Photo by Ricoh Gerbl, courtesy of the artists and Roebling Hall, New York
B E H IN D TH E S C EN ES
IMA CURATOR
TED CELENKO
By the time Theodore (Ted) Celenko was appointed curator of the Art of Africa, the South Pacific and the Americas in March 1989, he was already a well-known figure to the IMA’s staff. Celenko had curated several exhibitions at the Museum during his 11 year tenure as curator of Harrison Eiteljorg’s extensive private collection. He documented and guided the growth of this collection, helping to shape it into a museum quality collectiom. In 1983 he published A Treasury of African Art from the Harrison Eiteljorg Collection.
Republic of the Congo and number of brasses from the former Benin Kingdom in Nigeria. With regard to more modest acquisitions Celenko states, “I’ve gone out of my way, to acquire some pieces that round out the picture of Africa art. I’m talking about such things as earrings, ceramics, textiles, stools–the kind of things that give a fuller picture of a culture’s daily life.”
When Eiteljorg donated his 1,200-piece African and 300-piece South Pacific collections to the IMA, Celenko was the natural choice to oversee their transfer and display. Celenko had both the scholastic background and the hands-on experience for this job, including four and a half years doctoral work at Indiana University in art history, terminating in a Fulbright-Hays funded field study in Nigeria.
The IMA’s Eiteljorg Gallery of African Art is among the largest and more progressive permanent displays of African art in this country. Since first installing the Africa and South Pacific galleries in 1990, Celenko has twice reinstalled the Africa and South Pacific galleries, and most recently developed the Native American gallery. A concept that Celenko has established in the African gallery is the importance of viewing ancient Egyptian civilization within the scope of Africa. This approach was first introduced in Celenko’s ground-breaking 1996 exhibition, Egypt in Africa.
The highlights of Celenko’s 20 year tenure are impressive. He has shaped and expanded the Eiteljorg gift of African art into a collection that represents most regions of the continent. Among the most significant acquisitions since the Eiteljorg gift are a Senufo ancestor figure from the Côte d’Ivoire, a Songye community figure from the Democratic
He has worked tirelessly to demonstrate the “living art” of Africa by combining historical pieces with contemporary African art, and using photomurals, videos and other devices to further the interpretation of African art. Also, he has worked to insure that most of the artworks are displayed in the open, not enclosed in plastic display cases.
In addition to developing the African gallery, Celenko curated 11 original exhibitions; hosted three traveling exhibitions; wrote and/or edited nine exhibition catalogues; and taught art history at IUPUI, Butler University and Marian College. He has also overseen the IMA’s smaller collections of South Pacific and Native American art. Dear to his heart, Celenko served as the Museum advisor to the Ethnographic Art Society of the IMA from 1990 to 2007, which sought to promote a greater understanding of the arts of nonEuropean cultural areas and to learn from past history and living societies alike. Celenko retires, effective March 31. But he will continue to help the Museum in his new role as curator emeritus, consulting on a variety of projects currently underway. Asked what he’s most proud of having accomplished throughout his 20-year career at the IMA, Celenko didn’t hesitate. “I’m quite pleased with the (African) gallery itself,” he said. “It’s a progressive gallery.”
Above left: Celenko conducting fieldwork in Nigeria, 1975. Above right: Celenko in the Eiteljorg Gallery of African Art, 2008.
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T E CH N O LOG Y
Where can you go to see one of America’s leading artists Robert Irwin describe his newest installation art and watch a major new documentary by landscape sculptor Maya Lin? This January, the IMA will launch a new art video Web site called ArtBabble. The site features an innovative approach to the presentation of HD video by incorporating a cutting-edge video player with lots of extras. ArtBabble is the first art video Web site to offer related content, a searchable index of videos by unique “notes” and full text transcription of videos. The end result—a new way to interact with the IMA using video as an entry point into art, artists, exhibitions and events that make the Museum an exciting place to be. “The web remains for the most part a ‘point-and-click’ realm, in which static content can at best load and twirl. Moving images are usually low resolution. For a visual arts institution like ours, the ability to present, annotate and invite comment on high-quality moving images is a long-awaited breakthrough,” said Maxwell Anderson, The IMA’s Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO. While the IMA already produces video on imamuseum.org, iTunes U and YouTube, ArtBabble’s unique design organizes hand-selected digital video content and provides a number of enhancements to both the presentation and utilization of video. “The ArtBabble team has created a series of video notes, offering visitors to the site additional content related to the video, such as events on the IMA calendar, images on Flickr, books on Amazon, topics on Wikipedia and additional videos on YouTube. This tool allows you to jump from point to point within the video depending on your interests,” said Daniel Incandela, director of new media at the IMA. Video options include a high resolution video player with full screen mode and download options including video iPod, iPhone and HD formats. ArtBabble plans to stream live events in the future. 14
Perhaps most importantly, ArtBabble allows visitors to interact. A video rating system lets users vote for favorites, tag videos and see the most popular content. A powerful search tool allows keyword searching, results sorting and browsing on many ArtBabble channels. Several channels premiere channels include In the Factory, Behind the Scenes, Roman Art from the Louvre Webisodes and 100 Acres. “Send to a friend” and “Embed” features allow users to share IMA video content easily, personalize messages and use video for both educational and entertainment purposes. “Even the hand drawn design elements of ArtBabble were created to keep the site casual and entice users to jump in, interact and play around,” said Matt Gipson, the IMA’s web and interactive designer. “The design lets the site’s content and usability shine through as much as possible.” ArtBabble originated from the goal of supporting the growth of online communities by providing video with associated content tailored to specific areas of interest, making art video content more accessible and fun. The IMA strives to create a strong web of content based on video topics with depth beyond what the IMA offers by tapping into other online resources and art institutions. The design and infrastructure of ArtBabble has been built in a way to allow other museums to join the IMA in building the premiere online art video destination. The IMA plans to create new digital content generated in response to user interest, IMA programs and exhibitions.
ArtBabble in The Davis LAB Located on the first gallery level of the Museum, The Davis LAB opens January 24 and will be an interactive space for IMA visitors to view original video content, read the IMA blog, check out party images and learn about the Museum in a comfortable environment. Drop in to try ArtBabble or hop on a computer to play with the latest in IMA technology. visit artbabble.org
ArtBabble is made possible by a grant from the Ball Brothers Foundation.
IN TH E G A RD ENS
Nonie’s Garden “Here marks the passage between art and nature, nature and art, for in reality, they are one.”
Indianapolis Museum of Art Horticultural Display Coordinator Irvin Etienne shares the story of a fitting tribute to a woman who loved nature and gardens.
Who is Nonie? Last fall, the circular garden bed in front of the Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion was dedicated in honor of Nonie (Eleanor) Krauss. Nonie, the late wife of John Krauss, the vice chairman of the IMA Board of Governors, was very involved at the IMA. She was a life member of the Nature Conservancy, an advisory board member of the Central Indiana Land Trust, and Secretary of the Indianapolis Garden Club. Nonie’s work appeared on The Heartland Garden, a gardening show broadcast on Indiana public television stations which often showcased the IMA’s horticulturists and gardens. Nonie’s Garden is a fitting tribute to a woman who loved nature and gardens.
How did this gift come to be? A generous gift from Nonie’s husband along with her friends and family allowed the IMA to convert a space that was covered in mulch half of the year into a fully planted year-round garden.
What makes Nonie’s Garden unique to her memory?
What can IMA visitors see in the garden this winter? This winter, as the weather becomes unpleasant, the plants in Nonie’s garden only become more beautiful. The display includes a central grouping of ‘Whitespire’ birch trees with pale gray bark that can capture and reflect even January’s dim sunlight. Surrounding this planting are several blue weeping Alaska cedars, also known as Nootka cypress. These graceful evergreens look especially lovely when it snows. We have also included several yews for more green in winter, and for bright color, two types of deciduous hollies. These plants provide bright-red berries that contrast with the gray bark of the birches and the dark evergreens. For continuous color through early spring, we planted a red twig dogwood called ‘Cardinal’— another appropriate plant, as Nonie was an avid bird watcher who had compiled a list of more than 600 birds that she had spotted throughout her life.
How will the garden change with spring? Four hundred tulips will enhance the spring garden display. In May, we will remove the winter planting and install a summer display, which will be lush, exuberant and colorful—a planting that truly expresses the joy of life that Nonie represented. After frost we will again install a winter garden. Each year, major elements of the garden will change, both in winter and summer.
The plants currently in Nonie’s Garden are part of its winter display. Each plant was chosen for its potential to brighten the space during our dreary winter period, not unlike the way Nonie brightened the lives of those who spent time with her. I M A P r e v i e w s Sp r i n g 2 0 0 9
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AFFILI ATE E V EN TS TALK: The Authentic Garden Five Principles for Cultivating a Sense of Place Sunday, March 8 / 2:00 pm International School of Indiana Kathy and Sidney Taurel Building 4330 Michigan Road Free
Horticultural Society TALK: Antique Gardens: American Home Landscapes, 1800–1940 Thursday, January 29 / 7:30 pm Tobias Theater Free
From the scanty pioneer gardens of the early 1800s through flamboyant Victorian carpet-bedding, to the “old-fashioned” perennial borders of the early 20th-century, “Antique Gardens” illuminates 140 years of American yards and gardens in colorful, fast-paced slides. Join landscape historian and preservationist Scott Kunst for this eye-opening primer on the landscape relics all around us. The talk is an essential backgrounder for gardeners wanting to restore a historic landscape or to enliven even the most modern garden with a touch of the past. Scott Kunst is the owner of Old House Gardens, the country’s only mail-order source devoted entirely to antique flower bulbs. Since its founding in 1993, its unique, endangered and amazing heirlooms have been featured in Fine Gardening, Country Living, Garden Design, and The New York Times. They’ve been planted on national TV by Martha Stewart and grow today at historic sites from Mount Vernon to Alcatraz. Supported by the IMA Horticultural Society.
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What makes a garden truly authentic? For American gardeners, this question can be vexing because it is a young nation, still developing its own garden style. American gardeners tend to turn to other national traditions from Italy, Japan or England for inspiration. The result of this stylistic borrowing is the creation of gardens that bear little relationship to local landscapes and history. Claire Sawyers, director of the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College—regarded by some as “the most beautiful campus in America”—shows how this tendency can be reversed. Sawyers says gardens can be created that are both deeply rooted in their surroundings and satisfying to both creators and owners. Drawing on her knowledge of a vast array of American and foreign gardens, Sawyers identifies the five principles that help instill a sense of authenticity to make a garden that is true to a specific time, place and culture. Sawyers holds masters degrees from both Purdue University in horticulture and from the University of Delaware where she was a Longwood Fellow. Stay for a reception of tea and refreshments and a book signing immediately following the talk. Supported by the IMA Horticultural Society.
TALK: Tried and True! Proven Perennials from the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Trials Thursday, April 2 / 7:30 pm Tobias Theater Free
Field observation, years of experience and a passion for plants—all blend together in the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plant Evaluation Program. For 25 years, this program has been dedicated to the scientific study of perennials, annuals, vines, shrubs and trees and is one of the largest and most diverse in the nation. It is also one of the few programs in the U.S. that formally evaluates perennials and received the Award for Program Excellence from the American Public Garden Association in 2008. The goal of the program is to determine, through scientific evaluation, which plants are superior for gardens in the Upper Midwest. Join Richard Hawke, CBG’s Plant Evaluation Manager, for a discussion of his work, including comparative evaluation of over 10,000 plants representing 1,200 taxa of herbaceous perennials, vines, shrubs and small trees. He writes for numerous horticulture publications and teaches frequently at the garden. Hawke recently received the Perennial Plant Association’s Academic Award for teaching excellence. Supported by the IMA Horticultural Society.
Above left: Sonnenberg Gardens, Canandaigua, New York. (Talk: Antique Gardens) Right: Tim Hawkinson, American, b. 1960, Möbius Ship, 2006, wood, plastic, plexi, rope, staples, twist tie, glue. Contemporary Art Society Fund, Koch Contemporary Art Purchase Fund and Purchased with funds provided by Michelle and Perry Griffith. Image courtesy of Pace Wildenstein Gallery, New York.
IMA Alliance
CONTEMPORARY ART SOCIETY (CAS)
Artist Studio Tours
The Contemporary Art Society is a dynamic group that gives members the opportunity to expand their understanding and appreciation of contemporary art through educational programs, social events and community collaborations. Visit local artists’ studios, tour private collections and attend international shows. Join contemporary art study groups, learn about emerging trends and compare views. Dine and dialogue with prominent artists, collectors, critics and historians at special CAS events. Through generous support, CAS members also help build the Museum’s contemporary art collection.
Join Alliance members and guests for art lectures and studio tours. Space is limited, so make your reservations as soon as possible. For pricing and more information, please call Leah Leifer at 317-253-6319 or Carol Edgar at 317-889-8129.
Stout Library Workshop and Tour— Alba Fernández-Keys, Reference and Instruction Librarian Thursday, February 26 6:30–7:30 pm IMA, Adult Lecture Space B
The Stout Reference Library is a non-circulating research library that focuses on the encyclopedic collection of the IMA. Originally, the library formed part of the Herron Art Institute and served as a resource for the curatorial staff, faculty and students of the school. The library was Herron Art Institute’s first special department and eventually relocated with the Museum to our current address. Today, the library’s collection consists of approximately 120,000 volumes including books, exhibition catalogues, museum bulletins, journals, auction catalogs and thousands of files on artists, including prominent Indiana artists. The library also subscribes to electronic resources where users can find up-to-date auction information. Join us for a guided visit and an introduction to a variety of research resources for the art collector. For security reasons, please do not bring any art objects into the Museum.
CAS regularly hosts lectures featuring nationally and internationally renowned artists such as Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Tony Feher, Julianne Swartz, Lida Abdul, Alfredo Jaar, Mark Lewis, Dawoud Bey, Orly Genger and many more! This spring, join your fellow CAS members for the “2009 Art Study Group and Collection & Studio Visits.” Attendance is limited, so sign up today.
CAS Art Study Groups Thursdays, February 12 & 26, March 12, April 2 $20 per class or $60 for the series
These sessions will feature scholars and curators discussing IMA special exhibitions, works on view in the galleries and recent acquisitions.
Studio of Emel Doner Thursday, March 12 1:00–3:00 pm Artist studio
Emel Doner has been a professional watercolorist since 1980, specializing in florals and floral landscapes. She is a signature member of the Midwest Watercolor Society, Kentucky Watercolor Society and Watercolor Society of Indiana and is a recipient of numerous awards, including the “Best of Show” prize from both the Watercolor Society of Indiana and the Indiana Artists Club and “1st Place” award from the Indianan “Outstanding Floral” award. Doner has also taught advanced watercolor classes at the Indianapolis Art Center. Her work is in numerous private collections such as Eli Lilly and Company, Riley Children’s Hospital and the Turkish Embassy in Washington, D.C.
CAS 2009 Home Collection Visits March 22, April 25 & May 10 $30 per visit or $80 for the series
Please contact Amber Laibe at 317-923-1331 ext. 223 for more information about Affiliate Groups.
These visits will include tours of private art collections and artists’ studios in Central Indiana and the chance to engage in conversation about art and collecting.
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GI VI N G As Chairman and President of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, what are the primary interests of the Foundation? The main focus of the Fairbanks Foundation is health. We have a geographic focus on central Indiana, including Indianapolis and Marion County. We also concentrate on workforce development and the vitality of Indianapolis, which means funding significant projects that make the city a more attractive place to live and work.
The Fairbanks Foundation gave $4 million to the IMA’s Capital Campaign to name 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. The Foundation also gave $11 million toward the operating endowment for the Park. Why was the IMA chosen for these generous gifts? The Foundation wanted to honor Virginia B. Fairbanks, wife of Richard Fairbanks, the founder and original director of the Foundation. Virginia had a particular interest in gardens so when the IMA circulated the art and nature park idea, we focused on this project and another project involving gardens at the Indianapolis Zoo. The Art & Nature Park also seemed like a unique project that would differentiate Indianapolis from other cities. No other museum in the country has a major museum with an art and nature park of this scale.
What do you see as the IMA’s role in the community?
MEET… L E N
B E T LEY
The Museum provides a resource to people in the community with interests in art, gardens and historic homes, but the IMA also has a role in the community because of its history and heritage. The IMA is a facility that rises above the norm as a regional and national player and gives the community something for which it can be extremely proud. I think the IMA is an organization which, again, can be a differentiator in elevating the city’s prominence.
What do you foresee as the future of the Foundation’s role in Indianapolis? The Fairbanks Foundation’s focus will be ongoing in health and development areas in which there are unending opportunities. We plan to focus on “safety net” organizations that take care of the uninsured and underinsured.
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Lilly Endowment Awards IMA $2.6 Million for Conservation Lab Lilly Endowment Inc. has recently awarded the IMA a $2.6 million grant toward establishing a state-of-the-art conservation science laboratory. The lab will complement the IMA’s existing expertise in the care and treatment of more than 54,000 objects in its collection, which span over 5,000 years and require a comprehensive conservation approach. Through the addition of this laboratory, the IMA aims to create an internationally recognized conservation center that will enhance the IMA’s capability to conduct art historical research through science technologies. The center will serve as an important nucleus of research and will present myriad opportunities for partnerships with universities and corporations involved in central Indiana’s growing role as a hub of the life sciences industry. The IMA will conduct an international search for a senior conservation scientist, followed by a comprehensive plan for outfitting the center with instrumentation funded through the Lilly Endowment grant. Even with the Endowment’s significant contribution to this project, an additional $3.2 million must be raised to renovate and furnish the current conservation lab, purchase essential information technology equipment and hire a conservation scientist. For more information on how to contribute to this important project, please contact Fred Duncan, director of development, at (317) 923-1331 ext. 251 or fduncan@imamuseum.org.
Indianapolis Foundation Contributes $200,000 to 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park The Indianapolis Foundation, a CICF affiliate has awarded the IMA a $200,000 grant toward 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park. The grant will support one of the eight inaugural art works commissioned for the Park. 100 Acres will feature site-specific installations by emerging, mid-career and veteran artists. The Park’s multimedia artworks will engage in a dialogue with their environment, inviting visitors to consider our multi-faceted relationship with the natural world. Upon its opening, the Park will be one of the largest museum art parks in the country and the only one to feature ongoing temporary commissions from international artists at all stages of their careers. Established in 1916, The Indianapolis Foundation was one of the first community trusts in America. As Indiana’s oldest and largest community foundation, The Indianapolis Foundation is a public charity and an affiliate of Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), a collaborative effort between the community foundations serving Marion and Hamilton Counties. Six publicly appointed trustees govern The Indianapolis Foundation and make final grant decisions. To date, the IMA has raised $23.6 million of its $25 million goal for the Park. If you are interested helping to complete the campaign for 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, please contact Fred Duncan at (317) 923-1331 ext. 251 or fduncan@imamuseum.org.
IMA Previews
Sp r i n g 2 0 0 9
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I MA EVEN T S
REVERSE
Kate Appel and Randy Deer
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Dan and Kate Appel
Anne and Gordan Wishard
Mel and Bren Simon
125th Anniversary Gala On Saturday, October 11, the Indianapolis Museum of Art celebrated a landmark year as it marked its 125th Anniversary with an unprecedented gala complete with thousands of magenta colored roses, a five-course dinner by Wolfgang Puck and dancing to an 18-person band under a candle-lit, clear-top tent. The night also included the unveiling of Robert Irwin’s new Light and Space III installation in Pulliam Great Hall and a one-of-a kind live contemporary art auction hosted by Christie’s, in which many of the artists were present. The release of a special publication about the IMA’s history, Every Way Possible, also commemorated the Museum’s remarkable past.
Above: Wayne Zink, Fran Zore, Shaun Zore, Allica Zink, Randy Deer Right: Jacqueline Buckingham Anderson and Maxwell Anderson I M A P r e v i e w s Sp r i n g 2 0 0 9
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Maxwell Anderson, John Pellazari and son
Galin Shi and a guest from Suzhou, China
Power and Glory On Friday, October 24, the special exhibition Power and Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty opened at the IMA. Four museum officials from China, as well as four members from the Consulate: Consul General: Mr. Ping Huang, Cultural Consul and Director of Culture Department: Mr. Zongguang Guo, Cultural Consul: Mr. Haiquan Yang, and Cultural Consul: Ms. Jing Zhu attended the exhibition preview and party. Guests experienced contemporary Chinese hors d’oeuvres and specially-made fortune cookies containing IMA messages.
Matt Huffine, Susan Jones and guests 22
Dance Kaleidoscope
Above: Maxwell Anderson, Jacqueline Buckingham Anderson, Jim Robinson (IMA Curator of Asian Art), Philip Hu (Saint Louis Art Museum Curator), Li He (Asian Art Museum San Francisco) Left: Liberty Harris, Kenoth Shane Patton, Ina Mohlman and George Salinas Below: Members of the delegation from the Chinese Consulate, Chicago and dignitaries from the lending museums in China
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The Toby The Randall L. and Marianne W. Tobias Theater opening performance of Virtuosos & Visions on Friday, November 21 drew an audience of 420. The performance included music from both Western and Chinese classical and contemporary traditions. The second portion of the concert, entitled “Ghost Opera�, enchanted with a five-movement work for string quartet and pipa with special sound effects made by water, metal, stones and paper. IMA Council members enjoyed a backstage pass where they met the musicians.
Marianne and Randall Tobias and guest
Cho-Liang Lin (violin), Susie Park (violin), Atar Arad (viola), Sophie Shao (cello), and not pictured Min Xiao-Fen (pipa) 24
Artist Orly Genger
Orly Genger: Whole Friday, November 21 marked the opening of the IMA’s newest Efroymson Family Entrance Pavilion exhibition Orly Genger: Whole. The New York-based artist, known for transforming common nylon ropes into elaborate, monumental sculptures, gave an artist talk with IMA Curator of Contemporary Art Lisa Freiman. Genger’s installation for the IMA is her largest and most ambitious to date.
Carrie and William Cuozzi, and Anita Harris
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v oices
Intervie w w i th
D es i gner M a rt i G u i xe
Can you describe the body of your work?
Can you describe your artistic influences?
I started in 1997 with an interest in food, but I was really interested in mass production and mass consumption. I started to create edible objects. I design things that have a function, but in a way they don’t have a body or matter. A lot of things make the matter disappear but the function remains, such as edible objects that disappear by ingestion. My 10 years of experimental projects evolved into three main areas: food design, ex-design and Design 2.0.
I’m very interested in contemporary art, but I am also interested the evolution of the internet and how information in society is passed on. In the 1990s, my work changed with the internet. I am working internationally, and I can only do that through the internet. My work is influenced by user-generated content and based in new media technologies. One of the first items I created was a snack that you eat in front of the computer. I follow current world happenings and seek to understand the changes that are occurring by reacting very fast through my work.
What is Design 2.0? Design 2.0 is similar to Web 2.0. It is design that refers to platforms, strategies or tools, but refuses any relation with materials, shapes and forms. The object is not a final, formal object but can be used for many things. It is new way of understanding design.
Can you talk specifically about the two pieces that will be in the exhibition European Design Since 1985 at the IMA? The “Galleria H20 Chair” is an homage to books. It is a chair on which you put books, and then sit. In this way you can regulate the height. You are sitting on your books which show what you are. This chair is an abstract concept. The second object, “Frame”, is a printed tape that allowed me to appropriate space in this exhibit very easily. The idea was to reduce the frame into a very thin graphic pattern. It is a tool to produce something. The frame allows you to create your own museum at home.
What is the role of design in the lives of people? It should change lives. Design was this modern movement that wanted to improve lives for people everywhere in this social democratic way of thinking, but in my opinion it has something from colonialism. We have learned from the last years that there are geographic, political and social contexts that need their own specific solutions. A modern object made for one place doesn’t fit another. Design affects in a way that sometimes makes distortions but changes the way people are perceiving reality, working and living everyday lives.
What is unique about design in Europe? In many places, big companies do a very generic design, but they are not spicy enough to provoke. Europe is unique because it has personalities that make special products.
What aspect of design are you most excited about?
This article was compiled from an IMA video interview with Guixe in Barcelona, Spain in October 2008. Above: Portrait Marti Guixe, Foto Imagekontainer
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I am most excited about things that create a new perception of reality. I am more and more interested in designing business models. I think the future of design lies in concepts and culture rather than the mechanical and physical.
IN FO R M ATIO N IMA Hours
Membership
Restaurants
Editor:
Indianapolis Museum of Art & Lilly House Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, 11:00 am–5:00 pm Thursday and Friday, 11:00 am–9:00 pm Sunday, noon–5:00 pm Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
For questions concerning membership, call 317-920-2651. To renew or join the IMA, visit imamuseum.org.
Puck’s Wolfgangpuck.com/rsvp or call 317-955-2315 for reservations
Noelle Pulliam
Gardens & Grounds Open daily from dawn until dusk. Admission
General admission is free. Admission charges for special exhibitions in the Clowes Gallery in Wood Pavilion are: IMA members Free Adults (18–64) $12 Children (7–17) $6 College students with valid I.D. $6 Seniors (65+) $10 Groups of 10 or more, each person $10 Children 6 and under Free School groups Free (must book through IMA Education Division education@imamuseum.org) IMA members, depending on membership level, receive one or more complimentary tickets for guests for ticketed exhibitions. Phone MAIn:
317-923-1331
24-Hour Information Line:
317-920-2660 Internet
imamuseum.org E-MAIL: previews@imamuseum.org WEB SITE:
Free Parking
Visitors may park in the garage and designated outdoor lots at no charge. Wheelchairaccessible spaces are marked. Accessibility
The Museum building and Lilly House are accessible for wheelchair users.
Lunch: Tuesday–Saturday, 11:00 am–2:00 pm Brunch: Sunday, 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner: Puck’s is no longer serving dinner. IMA Cafe Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, 11:00 am–5:00 pm Thursday and Friday, 11:00 am–7:00 pm Sunday, noon–5:00 pm
Shopping
The IMA Store Unique selection of books, crafts, gifts and more. Open all Museum hours. IMA Design Center Now open! Design solutions for everyday life. Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, noon–5:00 pm Thursday and Friday, noon–7:00 pm Gallery Shop Located on the north end of the first gallery level, this shop offers merchandise related to special exhibitions and IMA collections. Greenhouse Shop Perennials, annuals, herbs and gardening gifts for sale. Open all Museum hours, except Thursday and Friday, when it closes at 8:00 pm. Public Tours
Public tours are offered each day at 1:00 pm and also on Thursdays and Fridays at 7:00 pm. Tour size is limited. Meet on the first gallery level at top of escalator.
Happy Hour Thursday, 5:00–9:00 pm AMP: art, music, people Friday, 5:00–9:00 pm IMA Libraries
Stout Reference Library Noncirculating collection of more than 90,000 items 317-920-2647 Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, 2:00–5:00 pm Thursday, 2:00–8:00 pm and by appointment
contributer:
S.L. Berry Graphic Design:
Matthew Taylor pRODUCTION ASSISTANT:
Hester DeLoach photographers:
Tad Fruits Mike Rippy RIGHTS & REPRODUCTIONS:
Ruth Roberts image processing specialist:
Laurie Gilbert
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 and Reproductions office, 317-923-1331, ext. 171. Copyright ©2009 Indianapolis Museum of Art
Horticultural Society Library Books on gardening and related topics. Located at Newfield. 317-923-1331, ext. 429 Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, noon–3:00 pm Previews is published by IMA, 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46208-3326, as a benefit for IMA members. Questions or comments may be directed to the Previews staff at 317-923-1331.
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, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
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Perennial Premiere Member Preview Day / Friday, April 17 / 11 am–5 pm The IMA’s popular spring Greenhouse event is back! Members receive a 20% discount on all purchases from April 7–30. Choose from hundreds of perennials and annuals, including native plants and hard-to-find gems. Guided garden tours will be offered throughout the weekend, and IMA horticulturists will be on hand to answer your gardening questions.
4000 Michigan Road Indianapolis, IN 46208-3326 317-923-1331 imamuseum.org
This edition of Previews was made possible through the generous support of Saint Clair Press.
Non-Profit Org U . S . Po s t a g e
PA I D Indianapolis, IN Permit #2200