On the roof of the IMA

I’ve been so lucky to work on some ground breaking digital projects that have helped place the IMA on a global map – the IMA (or the Indianapolis in IMA) is now more than ‘south Chicago’ or a ‘suburb of Chicago’. It’s been especially rewarding to see how well perceived the museum is in places likes NYC and overseas. I’m glad I could help with that.

This is more than just a going away announcement. My favorite part of the job has been the projects and travel, so with that in mind, I thought I would write a couple of top-5 lists, in no particular order.

PROJECTS

Roman Art from the Louvre Webisodes – 11 short HD videos, on location in Paris and Rome, hours and hours of footage and interviews, award winning, blend of education, marketing and an authentic voice, funny, edgy and I got a private showing of the Mona Lisa. It’s a project I never thought would happen…but it did. And – a perfect example of what can happen if an organization is willing to trust staff. My favorite video below…

The IMA Blog – Produces more digital content than any other IMA project, features the perspectives from a variety of departments including technology, education, curatorial and conservation, some pretty cool guest bloggers that have included Dan Wheldon, Adrianne Curry and author Patrick Smith. It’s one of the best out there.

Nature Holds My Camera – What happens when a museum (especially Director and CEO Maxwell Anderson) allows staff from education and new media to develop a major exhibition? Well, success for one. Fun, second. And the opportunity to work with video artist Sam Easterson, animals, great exhibition design, interactivity and the chance for a museum to reveal it’s fun side.

ArtBabble – it’s been called the YouTube for arts. It’s also been one of the biggest projects I’ve ever worked on; from actually producing videos, to developing the site, to the branding, to the content, to the partner relations, to the marketing. Babble On. Award winning and got me a quote in my favorite newspaper, The Guardian.

Play Art Loud - ArtBabble

Video, Video, Video – Ok, it’s not one project, but it’s been four years of hard work and evolution. When it comes down to it, my colleagues Dan Dark and Danny Beyer have turned the IMA into one of the world’s leading museum video producers. Not bad. Videos range from marketing trailers, to kind-of-boring lectures, to engaging artist interviews, interpretive and educational pieces and major documentaries. One of my favorite videos below.

Those are just 5 projects. It does not include 2 major web redesigns, an iPod Touch tour, the Davis LAB gallery space, exhibition web sites, podcasts, Flickr projects, marketing campaigns, side blogs, creative solutions and so on (I didn’t want to bore you).

TRAVEL

Before I list 5, let me say that this is almost impossible. I love traveling and every destination, so don’t hold me to just these 5.

Martha’s Vineyard – yes, I once actually went there for work for a weekend-long meeting to discuss a major educational project. A summer meeting on Martha’s Vineyard? Yes please.

House on MV

Havana, Cuba – yeah I got in. It’s a stunning country and a place I would visit again in a heartbeat. It triggered my love for good rum, cigars and cuban music.  Here’s some video I shot (and actually edited!).

Walla Walla, Washington – it might just be the name. It might be the gorgeous 4 hour drive from Seattle. I don’t really care. It’s a beautiful area filled with vineyards. Call it the Tuscany of NW.

Lovely Walla Walla

Singapore – exotic, hot, AMAZING food, beautiful people – you name it. I was lucky to travel with my best friend Despi Ross and also snuck in a trip to Malaysia. I also got stuck in Japan on the way back. Why, thank you.

Hindu temple in Singapore

London, England – it’s where my heart is and it was a dream come true to visit on business (and then visit my family). I would move to London in a heart beat – if they could afford me. Pubs, football, amazing clouds and the britishness – I’ll queue up for that!

Millenium Bridge

So, 5 destinations. It doesn’t include New York City, Tijuana, Rome, Atlanta, Paris, Madrid, Wellington, Sydney, Toronto and much more. I’ve loved them all and it’s been a real honor to visit them.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll begin my next professional challenge as a Producer, Online Media and Strategies at the IMS, where I’ll be responsible for developing Online Media strategies including Social Media for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IZOD IndyCar Series and Firestone Indy Lights Series. It’s an amazing opportunity for me both personally and professionally, I have a million ideas for this new position and a lot to learn.

Who knows what the next five years will be like?