Catch a lecture and visual presentation by design authority John Berry.  He’ll  draw upon his 16 years of experience working closely with designers at Herman Miller, Inc. to describe how design and a creative culture were key to the company’s success. Berry will explore the role of design in today’s economy.  After the talk, see the Herman Miller exhibit curated by Berry. There will also be a book signing of his recent book, Herman Miller: The Purpose of Design.

When: Thursday, July 14, 2011
Where: Austin Museum of Art’s Community Room, 823 Congress Avenue at 9th Street
Cost: Free!

Summer Series Kick-Off at Gallery D

Gallery D is excited to start up their summer series of events with an evening of art, cocktails, music, shopping, socializing, and more. Artist Darvin Jones will be showing works from his most recent collections. Enjoy wine, cocktails, and a tequila tasting for the duration of the evening compliments of  El Viejo Luis Tequila.

When: Thursday, July 14, 2011
Where: Gallery D, 436 West 2nd Street
Cost: Free!

The Picasso was recently purchased at auction by the gallery and is estimated to be worth around $200,000 US.

QR codes have been around for some time now. In fact, they’re commonplace in countries like Japan. However, U.S. marketers are still struggling with how to use QR code technologies in ways that benefit both consumer and brand. The more we work to understand the capabilities and limitation of this marketing technology, the better we’ll become at integrating them into the communications mix and achieving desired results.

Here are some interesting points from the webinar to consider.

What type of consumers are scanning/using QR codes?

• 25 to 54 age range constitutes about three quarters of users
• Mostly male with a baseline income of $50k
• iPhone and/or Android-oriented people

The takeaway:

Before starting a campaign utilizing QR codes, determine who you are trying to reach. If your audience is not a younger, more affluent group, then QR codes may not resonate. Similarly, if the target audience is comprised of mostly feature phone users, consider incorporating SMS texting into your marketing rather than QR codes.

What’s the difference between all the barcodes in use today?

There are many different types of barcodes in use today such as the 1D (standard) barcode, 2D barcode, and other proprietary technologies.

Standard Barcode: a.k.a UPC code; used on product packaging and coupons. These have been in use since 1974. Not used for consumer engagement; mostly used by businesses for inventory control, coupon tracking, etc.

2D Code: referred to as “matrix codes,” “2D barcodes,” “QR codes,” etc. They can hold more information than a standard barcode allowing users to launch a wide range of applications/activities when scanned (launch a video, play music, visit a website, and so on).

Proprietary Technology: there are closed end solutions that are tied to specific reader/scanner application. Examples include Microsoft Tags, Snap Tags, Color Chrome, etc.

Limitations of QR codes in the retail environment:

Standard barcodes have been the predominant technology used in retail environments probably since the early 1980s. Therefore, much of the in-store equipment is designed to recognize that type of barcode. QR codes don’t universally work with many POS (point-of-sale) scanners, so marketers need to consider this point when deciding on which barcode to use. If the code will be used on direct mail, printed material, billboards, posters, etc. to deliver a coupon to consumers, then a QR code is appropriate. If the coupon will be used in-store after it is received by the consumer, it will most likely require a traditional 1D barcode for it to be recognized by the register.

What are some best-practice considerations?

• Tell people what will happen once they scan the code read more
• Size QR codes appropriately read more
• Ensure the destination/performed action is mobile friendly
• Think about how the QR code, and the user’s experience with it, integrates with the campaign as a whole (consider: target audience, media type, offer/call to action, ROI metrics, etc)
• Test, test, test functionality before rolling out to the public

This post originally appeared on The Direct Marketing Voice and has been reposted with permission.

Mr. Twombly was in love with the process of creating art and experiencing the action within the moment rather than the final outcome of a piece. From the NYTimes.com article remembering Twombly:

In the only written statement Mr. Twombly ever made about his work, a short essay in an Italian art journal in 1957, he tried to make clear that his intentions were not subversive but elementally human. Each line he made, he said, was “the actual experience” of making the line, adding: “It does not illustrate. It is the sensation of its own realization.” Years later he described this more plainly. “It’s more like I’m having an experience than making a picture.” The process stood in stark contrast to the detached, effete image that often clung to Mr. Twombly. After completing a work, in a kind of ecstatic state, it was as if the painting existed and he barely did anymore: “I usually have to go to bed for a couple of days.”

He will be missed. His paintings will live on for ages.

Cy Twombly at Cy Twombly Gallery in Houston in front of the gallery's largest painting, "Say Goodbye, Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor." Photograph by Michael Stravato for the New York Times

In THE ART OF THE STEAL, director Don Argott brilliantly chronicles the controversy surrounding the Barnes Foundation. This documentary is a must see for art lovers and collectors. It will get you thinking, it will likely make you angry, and hopefully, open your eyes to the value of preserving culture.

From IFC Entertainment’s website:

“An un-missable look at one of the art world’s most fascinating controversies and a celebrated selection of the Toronto, New York and AFI Film Festivals, Don Argott’s gripping documentary THE ART OF THE STEAL chronicles the long and dramatic struggle for control of the Barnes Foundation, a private collection of art valued at more than $25 billion.

In 1922, Dr. Albert C. Barnes formed a remarkable educational institution around his priceless collection of art, located just five miles outside of Philadelphia. Now, more than 50 years after Barnes’ death, a powerful group of moneyed interests have gone to court for control of the art, and intend to bring it to a new museum in Philadelphia. Standing in their way is a group of Barnes’ former students and his will, which contains strict instructions stating the Foundation should always be an educational institution, and that the paintings may never be removed. Will they succeed, or will a man’s will be broken and one of America’s greatest cultural monuments be destroyed?”

In a recent interview with CBS News, Steve Martin reflects on collecting art. When asked, “Do you remember the first time you saw a picture, a painting, or work of art and you said I’m moved by this?” he responded, “Yes, and by the way, it was a terrible painting. But, that’s how you begin. You cultivate your knowledge.” It was the first art piece he had purchased and he described it as a 19th century sea scape by James Gale Tyler. “I paid $300 for it in 1967, and today, that painting is worth… $300.”

Steve Martin’s art collection today includes works by Pablo Picasso, Georges Seurat, Roy Lichtenstein, Edward Hopper and David Hockney.

The takeaway… just start collecting and begin cultivating your knowledge of things that inspire you.

You can access the full CBS News interview of Steve Martin here.

John Foster is a meticulous and savvy collector—”and I do not buy in bulk,” he says. Over the years that he’s been collecting personal photographs from garage sales, antique shops, and eBay—including the last 10 to 12 years of hard-core buying—he’s assembled roughly 1,500 photographs that, to him, represent true found-art…. [read entire article and view slideshow]

Now, the impressive collection will have a magnificent new home. The HOK and Beck Group has designed a stunning masterpiece to showcase and protect Dali’s work. The new museum is scheduled to open on 11 January 2011, 11am. Brilliant!

Learn more about this project here.

The article does a great job examining the drive behind our need to organize “things” in our life as they help tell our story and define the relationship with ourselves and our community.

“When we envision emotional or historical relationships between seemingly disparate objects or experiences, we create narrative. We name our world, not only to understand it factually, but to make sense of it on an individual level.”

Look at the things you’ve collected over time… art, chotchkes, family keepsakes, etc. What narrative is emerging? What do those things say about you and your experience? What a rich story to share. Keep on collecting.

Read the full DesignMind article here.

The idea of MoPA is fascinating. A somewhat concrete description of MoPA = a wallet or small, pocket-sizedbook containing a curated collection of small-scale original artworks. Viewing art in this format takes the sometimes overwhelming experience with art away from an institutional  space such as a public museum or gallery and makes it a bit more accessible. The result is a more intimate experience that fosters conversation and a personal connection with the art. As Meredith Tromble describes it in the opening article for the newly published compilation:

“Reviewing the exhibitions the Museum of Pocket Art (MoPA) mounted in 2009, one senses that the curators gleefully pocketed the notion of museum as a grand, public, and authoritative place. When they pulled it back out, “museum” was transformed by intimacy, conversation, and adventure, as if a mausoleum came to life, shook the dust out, and began to dance. It’s amazing what a bit of fun and a pinch of anarchy can do.”

My first encounter with a MoPA show was earlier this year during an exhibit at OKMTin Austin, Texas. As I entered OKMT’s courtyard filled with people and conversations, I saw Robert Jackson Harrington, executive director of MoPA. Right then, my eyes opened wide and a broad smile graced my face. I knew what was going to happen next. Robert and I had a conversation weeks earlier where he told me about MoPA’s habit of “crashing” art receptions and events happening in more traditional spaces. I knew that this would be my chance to see some really great art, up close and personal.

The series of the MoPA show that I saw had to do with transparency, the traces of something that was once there, memory, etc. It was fabulous. There was something really precious and endearing about the small size of the work and my proximity to it. I was holding it my hands rather than standing away from it. For those used to experiencing art in a formal museum or gallery, seeing MoPA is a refreshing experience. To new art enthusiasts, encountering a MoPA show is as easy as having a conversation with a friend… see, not scary at all!

To learn more about MoPA, visit their website and/or be come a MoPA fan on Facebook.

Artwork by Katy Horan, MoPA