111 past events with the history tag

Cost: $16; member discounts apply

Minnetrista not only has a beautiful past with glass but is also an active participant in the future of glass. Through partnerships with experts like the Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass at Ball State University, exhibits like Imagine in Glass, and the hosting of Glass Workshops, Minnetrista helps carry on the legacy of glass in our community! Join us to learn about the history and importance of glass at Minnetrista.

Presenting sponsor: LifeStream Services

Join James Edwards, Minnetrista’s Horticulture Manager, to learn more about our spring flowers and the beauty they bring to Minnetrista’s grounds. From native ephemerals to bulbs from around the world. Discover the horticultural gems and jewels of the spring gardens, get a sneak peek of the tulip displays, and hear about the planting of over 10,000 bulbs last fall.

Using one of the oldest photographic methods, create your own work of art in cyanotype’s blue signature color. Using the sun, participants will create cyanotype photograms (or sun prints). Compose your own prints using local plants, foliage, found objects, and pre-made photographic negatives as inspiration.

Participants are asked to leave one print on loan to be featured in a two-week exhibition that will be on display at Madjax.

This workshop is offered in Partnership with the Ball State University R. Wayne Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning. Instructors have been chosen as a Ball State Madjax Fellowship.

Instructors: Jon Rees & Catherine Yong Hellsten, Ball State University

Date: Saturday, April 29 | 1–4 pm

Recommended ages: 13 through adult

Ages 8–12 may accompany a registered adult

Cost: $15

Scholarships are available to any individuals or families with a demonstrated need. Email Kyra Zylstra, Director of Initiatives and Partnerships, at kyra@madjax.org. 

TIME TRAVELERS-BSU

Explore the fascinating world of history and architecture with the Time Travelers program! Designed for children aged 9–12, this two-part workshop will take you on a journey through the past, as you learn about the importance of place and community.

Through hands-on activities, walking tours, scavenger hunts, and experiential learning, you will gain a new perspective on the built environment and how it shapes the communities we live in. You will also have the opportunity to make things, understand the process of designing and building, and engage with your community in a new way.

The Time Travelers program is facilitated at Madjax and is focused on the culture of making, giving you the opportunity to learn through hands-on experiences. Whether you're interested in history, architecture, or just want to learn something new, this program is perfect for you!

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to explore your community and discover the history and architecture that make it special. Register for the Time Travelers program today!

Instructor: J.P. Hall 

Dates: Tuesday, June 27 & Wednesday, June 28

Lunch will be provided

Scholarships are available to any individuals or families with a demonstrated need. Email Kyra Zylstra, Director of Initiatives and Partnerships, at kyra@madjax.org.

We have gift certificates available! Give the gift of a fun learning experience at Madjax to a friend or loved one. Click here to purchase a gift certificate.
 

E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

In fall 1902, Indianapolis police uncovered a prolific graverobbing ring operating across the city. Unlike graverobbers of yore plundering cemeteries for treasure, the Indianapolis ghouls were after fresh corpses; cadavers desperately needed by the city’s medical colleges for anatomical training. It was estimated that at least 300 bodies were ‘resurrected’ alone from Marion County in 1902. 

Chris Flook explores this history in his new book Indianapolis Grave-robbing. The presentation provides an overview of the subsequent trials of the graverobbers and a discussion of how the story intersected with Delaware County. Includes reception and book signing.

Author/Presenter: Chris Flook, associate lecturer, Department of Media, Ball State University; board member, Delaware County Historical Society

Limited to 40 guests. No charge - Reservations required. Please reserve at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057.

April 6; 1–5 p.m. 
Free community event 
Various locations across campus

Explore our solar system and learn about planets with family-friendly activities. Muncie Children’s Museum will help future astronauts prepare for the eclipse by making solar viewing crowns, offering space-themed sensory bins, and more. Local author and illustrator Laurie Lunsford will read her book The Solar Eclipse is Coming. Solar System Ambassador Sarah Vise will share her expertise with curious learners, and visitors can also attend a performance of the world premiere of A Golden Curve of Light, an eclipse-themed one-act play written by award-winning playwright, Jennifer Blackmer.

April 7; 3–8 p.m. 
Free community event
Various locations across campus

Join Minnetrista in appreciating the beauty of the heavens! Afternoon activities facilitated by Minnetrista and Muncie Children’s Museum staff will include coloring sun catchers, making solar viewing crowns, and exploring sensory bins. That evening, the stars align as Minnetrista and Orchestra Indiana present Eclipsed: A Magical Night of Music. With the sky as our backdrop, visitors are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and picnic blankets to revel in celestial-themed musical selections. Local arts partners and food trucks will be on hand to enhance your experience and round out the evening.

April 8; 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Free community event
Various locations across campus

Enjoy Minnetrista’s expansive lawns—all are welcome to one of the best places in town to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event! Celebrate the science of solar eclipses with demonstrations and activities meant to educate. Local author and illustrator Laurie Lunsford will read her book The Solar Eclipse is Coming, and the Muncie Astronomy Club will provide expertise. Visitors can attend a performance of A Golden Curve of Light, an eclipse-themed one-act play written by award-winning playwright Jennifer Blackmer. After the activities, visitors can claim their spots and prepare to experience the eclipse totality event at our viewing party!

Please join us for a very special evening, presented by Cuplets, Live Poetry at The Cup, on Sunday, July 28th, at 5p, The Indiana Chitlin Circuit! 

RSVP HERE:

https://facebook.com/events/s/the-indiana-chitlin-circuit/8336938519661109/

This Hoosier project is based on the historical Chitlin Circuit that sprouted during the period of Jim Crow segregation. African American performers weren’t allowed to share a stage with white performers, so a network of live entertainment venues in the US emerged that catered to black audiences and black entertainers. The PuICC facilitates and shares the pride and verve of the historical entertainers that burgeoned (bur-jn) African American entertainment throughout America.

With the PuICC, three poets collaborate, creating an atmosphere of artistic excitement, all three sharing the mic, taking turns reading a piece of poetry inspired by the last piece of poetry read. Each poet feeds off the other, not knowing what to read until that VERY moment. This magical round-robin of sorts goes on for about 20 minutes. We will take a small break and then each poet gets a solo set of about 10 minutes. As a group each, our poets read a poem by lucille clifton – line by line.

This is unlike any poetry event you have been a part of and it is likely VERY different than what you’ve seen or been audience to! We are excited for you to experience this with our very own Indiana State Poet Laureate, Curtis L. Crisler, and two of our local poets, Cuplets Host, Abigayle Devendorf, and Gayle Radwick!

Admission is FREE with a purchase from the menu of The Cup! 🥯☕️

Join Cuplets monthly on every 4th Sunday at The Cup at 5p! The Cup is a coffeeshop/restaurant at 1606 West University Avenue in The Village by the campus of Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Free parking is behind the café, enter the parking lot off of Dill Street by Be Here Now.

A celebration of the Muncie Gas Boom Era! The Old Washington Street Festival is a showcase for regional artisans and artists that connects the history of Muncie to the modern era. Join us for arts and crafts vendors, food, and free entertainment!

A celebration of the Muncie Gas Boom Era! The Old Washington Street Festival is a showcase for regional artisans and artists that connects the history of Muncie to the modern era. Join us for arts and crafts vendors, food, and free entertainment!

Beech Grove Cemetery

Held at Beech Grove Cemetery
No Charge—Reservations Required
Please reserve online at https://commerce.cashnet.com/BALL_EMS057

The Sultana was a wooden steamboat that exploded on the Mississippi just outside of Memphis on April 27, 1865. It was considered one of the deadliest maritime disasters in US history. The boat, built to carry 376 passengers, was vastly overloaded with paroled Civil War prisoners of war. On board were an estimated 2,300 people, 1,700 of whom lost their lives, including 55 from Delaware County. A monument in the Beech Grove Cemetery honors the 55 Delaware County members who died in the disaster. Despite the magnitude of the tragedy, the Sultana disaster received very little coverage as it was overshadowed by the end of the war and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln just days prior. 

Presenter: Jennifer Lewis Sparks, historical and genealogical researcher, lecturer, and cemetery enthusiast

All are invited to a presentation by BSU Political Science Professor Dr. Darren Wheeler who will delve into The Constitution in Black & White. “Interpreting the Constitution should be easy, right? Well, yes - and no. Join Dr. Wheeler in a discussion of the challenges that judges face when interpreting the Constitution in the judicial decision-making process." Sponsored by the Paul Revere Chapter (Daughters of the American Revolution) in recognition of Constitution Week (September 17-23) For more information https://www.facebook.com/share/tpemSFvYkkadHDee/?mibextid=qi2Omg or email paulreveremuncie@gmail.com

Opens September 21

Oakhurst Galleries

Step into the captivating narrative of the Ball family and their legacy in this original exhibition exploring Muncie’s most famous family. Through lively storytelling, family photographs, and cherished historic objects, the exhibition will trace the Ball family’s path from Buffalo, NY through their remarkable impact on the East Central Indiana region that continues to this day.