Our Downtown museums and other cultural venues have been shuttered for over two months now, but their staffs have been anything but idle. Consider these virtual experiences which have been developed:
At the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art: Need a fun activity to keep your little ones entertained? Decorate a play box for all of their toys and stuffed animals to play in. Then, step back and watch as imaginations run wild. The theme for this box is spring flowers. Make a play box for all their little people, Sesame Street characters, Disney characters and other toy figures to play in. The theme for this box is spring flowers, but be creative, make it your own. Download an instructional sheet at https://2jff6z19ysq643rzti9bnl3x-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Play-Box_2020.pdf.
And share your creation by tagging us using #EiteljorgMuseum.
The Eiteljorg is also offering other virtual experiences. In one, “A Look Inside Quilts Tuesdays,”
Johanna M. Blume, curator of Western art, history and culture, talks about a quilt called Grand Entry by Fay Lone (Seneca), which is part of the Eiteljorg exhibition. To watch the video to hear Johanna tell the story behind this iconic quilt, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQnVDx5NL2A&feature=youtu.be
Another series is “Curator’s Choice Wednesdays.” An episode curator Jennifer Complo McNutt, who selected Cowgirls Get the Blues for the theme #TogetherMW. To read Jennifer’s description of the piece, go to https://www.facebook.com/eiteljorg/photos/a.101396304040/10159045317634041/?type=3.
At the Harrison Center: Without First Fridays to show off the works of Harrison Center artists, the Center has posted collections at https://www.flickr.com/photos/harrisoncenter/albums. Music lovers can find podcasts at https://www.harrisoncenter.org/podcast-music-in-place. And since many of us have had to cancel trips or vacations, and no one will be sending postcards from tropical or international places, the Harrison Center offers some “postcards” celebrating unique parts of the quarantine at https://www.facebook.com/HarrisonCenterArts/.
At the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site: Explore in 3D some of the 10,000+ artifacts. The Old Northside institution offers a curated selection of more than 100 items from its collection online to view in 3D and print in 2D or 3D – free of charge. Go to https://bhpsite.org/visit/collections/. The collection includes artifacts not only from President Harrison and his family, but from 21 other U.S. presidents, including George Washington, William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.
At the Indiana History Center: The Indiana Historical Society continues to offer you a (virtual) “High Five” to provide ideas for fun, educational and historical online experiences. The extensive list of resources is available can be found here
At the Indiana State Museum, Senior Curator of Art and History Mark Ruschman has shared the story of “the Painter of the Dunes,” artist Frank V. Dudley. Known for his striking landscapes of the Indiana Dunes, Dudley often painted in the impressionist style en plein air in the early 1900s. Along with his artistic talent, learn about his involvement in the Indiana Dunes conservation movement. The Indiana State Museum houses a large collection of Dudley’s oil paintings and preliminary sketches. Several of which are shown in this week’s behind-the-scenes video. To go https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLA0B4rTvZEzAeB4wJC_IUn2D3B7Yy9_A6&utm_campaign=general_news_CLOSURE&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery to watch the video, as well as other behind-the-scenes videos.
At the Indianapolis Zoo: Find news of a recent newborn at
https://www.indianapoliszoo.com/gazelles-born-in-plains/.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis: A playlist of videos, blogs and live chats is being offered at https://www.childrensmuseum.org/museum-at-home. The Museum at Home series includes “Digging for Fossils: Paleo Cookie Dissection” and “Real Science! Tie Dye Paper Experiment.”
