23 past events with the nature tag

Sarah Schaffer, "Life in Plastic," Cornerstone Center for the Arts View of Cornerstone Park The Fickle Peach and After Hours Art Reels present Fellini's "8 1/2" Suzanne Dittenber, "Midden Pile III," Gordy's Fine Art and Framing Billy Riggs at The Living Room Dave Franklin, "Orana," Muncie Makes Lab Kayla Goodpaster, "Tryion Lannister," Savage's Ale House

Cornerstone Center for The Arts

520 E. Main

“Sarah Shaffer: Life in Plastic”

Join Cornerstone Center for Arts for First Thursday on June 2, 2016 for an opening reception and art show featuring the art of Sarah Shaffer. The show titled “Life in Plastic” explores society’s monumental impact through the form of our tiniest role models.Beyond objectification and the weight of the world's expectations, creating this body of work was a very personal journey for Sarah. She created these paintings using one of her daughter's dolls as a model with the color palette of her childhood memory. These pieces embody her own path to define her self-image and the desire to not pass along physical insecurities to future generations.

Each piece is a depiction of a doll, focusing on a portion of the body and recreated on a large scale. This collection of acrylic paintings portrays the objectification and unrealistic expectations placed upon women. We perpetuate these damaging standards in our interactions with others and within ourselves. The titles are inspired by comments made to or about women in judgement of their appearance, their choices, and their actions.

The opening reception will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Cornerstone Art Gallery on the second floor of Cornerstone Center for the Arts. The show will be on display and open to the public throughout the month of June.

Sarah, a visual arts instructor at Cornerstone as well as a commissioned artist, is a native of Indiana, grew up in Fort Wayne with A love of art from an early age. Sarah is a graduate of Ball State University’s School of Art, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in metalsmithing earned in 2007. Her senior show titled "Playtime's Over," explored women's issues by combining Barbie dolls with precious metal to create conceptual jewelry.

Nearly 10 years after Sarah's senior project, she has revisited Barbie and some of the corresponding themes of objectification and unrealistic expectations through the form of painting rather than jewelry. In the near decade that has passed, Sarah has become a mother and wishes to confront these themes for the betterment of the next generation.

For more information about the show, call Cornerstone’s Department of Education & Communication at 766-281-9503, ext. 23.

Cornerstone Park

101 S. Madison

“Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Cornerstone Park”

Cornerstone Center for the Arts and the City of Muncie are excited to announce a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Cornerstone Park on Thursday, June 2 at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony will feature live demonstrations from students and instructors of Cornerstone Center for the Arts and remarks from Mayor Dennis Tyler, Jeff Robinson of Cornerstone, and Ron Spangler of Community Enhancement Projects. At the conclusion of the ceremony, guests are invited to Cornerstone for light refreshments and the opening of the art show “Life in Plastic” in Cornerstone's Art Gallery on the second floor until 7:30pm.

Cornerstone Park sits at 101 S. Madison St. at the former site of Holiday Cleaners. The development of the park was made possible through partnerships with the Ball Brothers Foundation, the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, the George and Frances Ball Foundation, Community Enhancement Projects, the Zeigler Foundation, the Muncie Sanitary District, the Muncie Redevelopment Commission, the Environmental Protection Agency, and Muncie Mayor Dennis Tyler. The park was created as a gateway to Downtown Muncie and will offer new outdoor opportunities for the surrounding businesses and organizations.

Cornerstone Park features lush landscaping and ornamental foliage from Jay-Crew Landscape and is home to the new public art piece titled EXTESS by PROJECTiONE. Cornerstone plans to utilize the new park for upcoming summer classes, workshops, and events.

For more information about the ribbon cutting ceremony or “Life in Plastic” visit cornerstonearts.org or call Cornerstone at 765-281-9503.

The Fickle Peach (21+)

117 E Charles

“Fellini’s 8 ½”

Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, in collaboration with The Fickle Peach, presents After Hours Art Reels following the First Thursday Gallery Walks in June. Come enjoy the gallery exhibits from 5-8pm, and join us afterwards at dusk for great cult and art film classics!

Films will be projected onto the Mutual Bank wall on Charles Street at dusk. Seating will be available on the Fickle Peach patio area located at 117 E. Charles St. for guests who are 21 and up. Viewers who are not yet 21 can watch the films from the sidewalk surrounding the patio area. 

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

“Joan Hamilton”

We will feature great music by local artist, Joan Hamilton. She is well-known in the Muncie area as a singer-songwriter. Come to Grace Episcopal Church at the corner of Madison St. and Adams St. for a great night of music. Also appearing is Yorktown High School student Iris Chalk. Art will be on display beginning at 5pm, and all other events will begin at 7pm. There will be an old-fashioned bake sale throughout the evening.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

“Summer Invitational”

Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company will celebrate First Thursday, June 2nd from 5 – 8 pm with an opening reception for the gallery’s third annual Summer Invitational. The exhibit will feature both 2D and 3D work by several area artists who will be on hand to engage with viewers. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

What started as a rare event in the exhibition schedule at Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. is back for its third year. The Summer Invitational is designed to introduce our patrons to some of the best new work our region has to offer by exclusively exhibiting artists who are not currently represented by GFAF. This refreshing shift in the gallery’s routine programming brings together artists from throughout Central Indiana and features oil painting, sculpture, furniture, photography, watercolor, and jewelry. The exhibit will be on view for two months through the end of July, offering visitors an extended opportunity to experience fresh, new art from beyond the Muncie scene.

Exhibitors include Hannah Barnes, Jasmine D’Angelo, Suzanne Dittenber, Holly Lay, Tim Miller, and Noelle Weigand.

Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend. A brief talk at 6:15 will introduce the exhibit and artists in attendance.

Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company promotes talented artists and offers expert design and craftsmanship for framing and displaying treasured family possessions and works of art. Summer Invitational may also be viewed through the end of July during regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm, Saturday, 9 am – 3 pm. Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company is located at 224 East Main Street, next door to Muncie Civic Theatre. For more information, visit www.gordyframing.com or call 765-284-8422.

The Living Room

130 W. Jackson

“Billy Riggs”

The Living Room will be featuring the work of artist Billy Riggs for June’s First Thursday celebration. Riggs is known for his artworks that are mostly created with spray paint. The show will feature nature scenes, futuristic pieces, comic book characters, and other mixed media works.

Muncie Makes Lab

628 S. Walnut

“CritChat: Unknown Territory”
For the past year, Muncie Makes Lab has been home to CritChat, a free, community meet-up developed and facilitated by artists Holly Lay and Braydee Euliss. This monthly gathering invites local artists of all kinds to participate in conversation about their own work and the work of others. Painters, photographers, sculptors, and makers alike are encouraged to bring completed work, work-in-progress, and even unrealized ideas with the sole intention of sharing. By enabling dialogue, promoting collaboration, and providing critical feedback, the group hopes to build community and support for emerging area artists.

The month of June marks CritChat’s one-year-anniversary. The group will celebrate with an opening reception for CritChat: Unknown Territory at Muncie Makes Lab on First Thursday, June 2nd, 5 – 9 PM. This exhibit explores a variety of media including photography, assemblage, installation, as well as video and sound manipulation performance with a focus on new techniques and subject matter. Featured in the exhibit are artists Spencer Davis, Kara Clark DuQuette, Michael DuQuette, Dave Franklin, Holly Lay, Rochelle Martin, and Jannell Summers.

Artists will be present and guests are encouraged to ask questions throughout the evening. Beginning at 8 PM, the exhibiting artists will introduce themselves and engage attendees in a sample CritChat experience, leading artists and viewers alike through the process of providing informed, critical feedback on select pieces featured in the exhibit. DJ JANNELL will provide music, and light refreshments will be served.

Find out more about CritChat & join the conversation every 3rd Thursday of the month from 7 – 9 PM at Muncie Makes Lab, 628 S. Walnut St. Muncie, IN 47605. No RSVP necessary. Muncie Makes Lab is a design/build, make, discuss, display, and workshop lab for students, faculty, staff from Ball State University as well as the Muncie community.

Savage's Ale House (21+)

127 N. High

“Kayla Goodpaster”

Savage’s Ale House will be featuring the work of Kayla Goodpaster, who has created a series of works inspired largely by the popular book and television series “Game of Thrones.”

Studio Exhale

103 N. High St.

“Public Art Master Plan”
Students from the Urban Planning Department, led by Prof. Lisa Dunaway, will be holding an open house to present their Public Art Master Plan, and will invite feedback from the public. The project is the result of an immersive learning course at Ball State University. Light refreshments will be served.

Pulling for Bats

Join the BSU Wildlife Society and the Wildlife Warriors Indiana Kids Club for our 3rd annual Pulling for Bats event. On Sunday, October 27th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm, we will remove invasive honeysuckle and other plants to improve the habitat for bats and other wildlife. To start the program off, Dr. Tim Carter will teach us about bat conservation with his captive teaching bats, Chocolate and Petunia. Then, we will get started on clearing plants. This event will take place at the Red-tail Nature Conservancy property Munsee Woods, located near Prairie Creek Reservoir. The address is 5701 S. 475 E. Selma, IN 47383. There will be green signs near the entrance of the property, and parking at the worksite. All ages are welcome! For more information go to: www.fortheland.org

ASHLEY BEATTY & JEFF SCHOFIELD INSTALLATION AT PRAIRIE CREEK

During their residency at PlySpace this August, Beatty and Schofield have installed sustainably themed artworks along the south shore of Prairie Creek Reservoir where the Mid-Indiana Trails (MINT) are located. Visitors to the MINT and Prairie Creek hiking and bicycle trails can see a series of artworks made from natural materials and found objects that investigate human transgressions of natural settings. Signage has been posted along the trails identifying the locations of the pieces. This art installation is a partnership between PlySpace and Mid-Indiana Trails.

The project is located at Prairie Mountain Bike Trailhead. The parking lot is located along East 650 Service Road (E 650 S Rd) near the intersection with South County Road 544 East (S Co Rd 544 E).

Beatty and Schofield will host a self-guided walking tour of the sculptures on Saturday, August 22nd, with a short artist talk and Q&A at 2:00 PM. Participants should meet at the trailhead parking lot. Visitors to the sites and trails must wear masks when unable to socially distance. Paper maps and descriptions of the project will be available at the site and online at plyspace.org/MINT. The work can be found at the eastern end of Prairie Creek Loop 1, in the “Maple Grove”.

PlySpace is an artist-in-residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council which promotes community collaborative projects throughout the city of Muncie. Mid Indiana Trails (MINT) was selected as a partner for this project due to the artists’ desire to work at a site that contemplates human transgressions in a natural setting. David Bradway of MINT writes, “Mid-Indiana Trails is very excited to be able to partner with PlySpace and provide an area for their resident artists to create. Ashley and Jeff have created incredible installations that are expressive while also fitting in well with the natural setting of Prairie Creek Trails.”

About the Installation

The permanent sculptural installations include dozens of sculptural trail markers made from forest materials and discarded plastic items found in the woods. These markers have been strategically placed by the side of the pathways like a series of core samples showing sediment layers beneath the forest floor. A series of stepping stones have also been laid across Prairie Park Creek for visitors to explore. They will be made from a similar mix of natural and manmade items to create a group of sculptural objects intruding upon the stream. As such, they embody a physical expression of human transgressions in the landscape.

In another permanent work, the artists dissected a fallen tree trunk by cutting it into segments that were spread out sequentially where it fell in the woods. This minimalist artwork expresses a singular act of slicing a tree trunk into sections. The installation distills the conversation about deforestation, forest fires, and waste of natural resources to a basic act of aggression.

Other work produced by the artists will be temporary and will be removed after August 22, 2020. In one work, Mycorrhizal Networks, a group of trees have been tied together with paracord creating an artificial canopy overhead. The installation expresses notions about Forest Mycorrhizal Networks, a root-based form of consciousness linking plants in local ecosystems. Plants communicate through the mycorrhizal network in a similar manner to data traveling through color-coded wires in electronic networks.

The artists have also wrapped a series of tree trunks with upcycled plastic items, involving an acre-sized grove of trees. The colorful installation represents the bondage of trees as a metaphor for human bodies and expresses the restriction of natural growth cycles. It questions the sustainability of our globalized culture focused on overproduction and mass consumption.