Natalie Phillips

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.

Alexander Landerman, "Rabbit in Flax" Alexander Landerman, "Expulsion" The "Bison-Tennial" Project, Muncie Arts and Culture Council "Little Shop of Horrors" playing at The Fickle Peach Sarah Shaffer, "Life in Plastic"

Savage's Ale House (21+)

127 N. High

“The Art of Alexander Landerman”

The work of Alexander Landerman will be on view at Savage’s Alehouse for July’s First Thursday. Landerman notes that: “As our society evolves, so does our relationship with animals. Due to industrialization, factory farming, and massive monocultures, our connection with food sources has been diminished. My interest lies within the roles played by animals, insects and plants, which are increasingly becoming overlooked and mistreated. My hope is to encourage a reconnection between consumers and their food sources and foster a sense of social responsibility.” While there is no formal opening reception, the artist will be on hand throughout the evening to talk about the work with anyone who is interested.

Muncie Arts and Culture Council

227 S Walnut Street; Muncie, IN

“Open House: Bison-tennial Project”

As part of July’s First Thursday activities, the Muncie Arts and Culture Council and the United Way of Delaware County are pleased to announce an open house showcasing Delaware County's Bison-Tennial project - our own Indiana Bicenntenial arts project. Please plan to stop by 227 S. Walnut (former Royal Crown Poker Club) between the hours of 5:00 and 9:00pm to see the Bison project "in progress" and hear from artist Denise King about the inspiration for her design, the Lenape Indian tribe, and their history.  Light refreshments provided.

This project is part of a 2016 state-wide endeavor to celebrate Indiana's 200th Statehood Day. The arts project will feature a 5-foot-tall fiberglass bison that will be decorated and displayed with an end goal of at least one bison on display in each of Indiana's 92 counties. The bison are expected to make appearances in the local community and along the Bicentennial Torch Relay route leading up to Indiana's Bicentennial Statehood Day on December 11th, 2016. The Delaware County Bison will then find its home in Tuhey Park in downtown Muncie.   

The selection committee in Delaware County, composed of United Way representatives and MACC committee members, used an RFP process to solicit proposals and ultimately select Denise King as the artist to complete our Bison project. Denise has a fine arts education with an emphasis in painting and drawing, and is a self-proclaimed Muncie and Delaware County enthusiast and promoter. As a mural artist and community activist with a love of history, she was drawn to this particular project. In Denise's words, "My intention is to create a piece that is not only beautiful, engaging, and interesting, but respectful, informed, educational and a vehicle to spark public interest in the subject matter." Denise has been working on the Bison for the past month and hopes to be finished by August. Until then, the public is invited to "watch the progress" through the window panes of 227 S. Walnut, and venture inside to talk with Denise on the days she is "in studio." 

The Fickle Peach (21+)

117 E. Charles

“Little Shop of Horrors”

Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, in collaboration with The Fickle Peach, presents After Hours Art Reels following the First Thursday Gallery Walks in May through September. Come enjoy the gallery exhibits from 5-8pm, and join us afterwards at dusk for these great cult and art film classics! July’s First Thursday screening will be Little Shop of Horrors.

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. 

Cornerstone Center for The Arts

520 E. Main

“Sarah Shaffer: Life in Plastic”

Cornerstone Center for the Arts will be open until 5pm and is showing the art of Sarah Shaffer. Please note that this is an ongoing exhibition; there is no opening reception for this show on First Thursday.

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.

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.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. will be closed July 4 - July 16. The shop will re-open and resume regular business hours Monday, July 18th. Their Summer Invitational exhibit continues through July 30th.

"Exhibiting Excellence," Cornerstone Center for the Arts "Labyrinth," AfterHours Art Reels at The Fickle Peach Gunther Cartwright, "Palm Springs," at Gordy Fine Art and Framing "Be Our Guest," open-door rehearsals at Muncie Civic Theater Spencer Davis, "Figure Study," at Muncie Makes Lab

Cornerstone Center for The Arts

520 E. Main

“Exhibiting Excellence”

In celebration of another successful class session at Cornerstone Center for the Arts, the organization will feature artwork from its youth and adult students in the Cornerstone Art Gallery throughout the month of August. This mixed media collection of art will showcase the best visual arts pieces of the session chosen by Cornerstone’s instructors. With selections from both youth and adults with various artistic backgrounds, this show will truly highlight all that Cornerstone’s arts program has to offer.

An opening reception will be held in conjunction with First Thursday on August 4th from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Cornerstone Art Gallery. The reception is free and open to the public and many of the student-artists will be onsite to speak about their artwork.

The show will continue to be on display throughout the month of August to help promote upcoming fall twelve-week classes beginning in September. Information and registration for upcoming classes, workshops, and camps will be available on the evening of the opening reception as well as throughout the month of August.

For more information about the show call Cornerstone’s Department of Education and Communication at 765-281-9503, ext. 23.

The Fickle Peach (21+)

117 E. Charles

“Afterhours Art Reels: Labyrinth”

Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, in collaboration with The Fickle Peach, presents After Hours Art Reels following the First Thursday Gallery Walks in May through September. Come enjoy the gallery exhibits from 5-8pm, and join us afterwards at dusk for Jim Henson’s 1986 film Labyrinth, featuring David Bowie.

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. 

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

“Industrial Blues: An Exhibit of Photography by Gunther Cartwright”

Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company will celebrate First Thursday, August 4th from 5-8 pm with an opening reception for Industrial Blues, an exhibit of landscape photography by Gunther Cartwright. The artist will be on hand to engage with viewers throughout the evening and will speak briefly to the audience about his work at 6:15pm. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

Cartwright’s landscapes exquisitely capture the details of industry that form the backdrop of life in today’s modern world. About his interest in this subject matter, Cartwright explains, “The power lines, telephone poles, fences and industrial structures are a part of my daily visual experience. They are not in my way. I see them as elements of the landscape. They are there and they make their visual ‘sound.’ I am not interested in the picturesque but rather the formal arrangements of elements and color within the landscape.” His eye for vivid color and graphic compositions often draw unexpected connections among things seen in the everyday landscape, transforming banal and rarely celebrated visual moments into striking works of art.

Cartwright holds a Master of Fine Arts degree from the renowned Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, New York. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Applied Photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. An active lecturer and exhibitor, Cartwright has presented throughout Europe and the United States. He is a recipient of a Polaroid Corporation Photographer’s Grant and a New York State Council on the Arts Public Service Grant (CAPS). He has exhibited internationally in many one-man and group shows, including at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., the George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY, the National Museum of Photography, Bradford, England, The Photographer’s Gallery, London, England, and at Photokina, Köln, Germany.

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. Industrial Blues may also be viewed through the end of August during regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 9am-5:30pm, Saturday, 9am-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.

Muncie Civic Theatre
216 E. Main

“Be Our Guest: Open-Door Rehearsals”

During August’s First Thursday events on August 4th, Muncie Civic Theatre will have wine in the lobby and open door rehearsals for Be Our Guest on stage (which opens August 6th). In a First Thursday “first,” they will also have a Pokemon Go Lure turned on throughout the evening.

Muncie Makes Lab

628 S. Walnut

“CritChat Exhibit: ART via CRAFT”

Muncie Makes Lab will host its third CritChat exhibit of the year for First Thursday, August 4 from 5-9 PM. “CritChat: ART via CRAFT” is a one night only pop-up exhibit that explores craft as an impetus for art making.

The line between art and craft is a blurry one that often looks to intention and function for clarification. Historically, practices such as painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking have been classified as “arts,” while ceramics, textiles, metalwork, and woodwork have been considered “crafts.” The primary distinction between the two has relied on whether the work was made with the intention of being expressive or solely utilitarian. “CritChat: ART via CRAFT” exhibits work that questions this distinction and further blurs the line between them.

Exhibiting artists will be present and guests are encouraged to ask questions throughout the evening. Beginning at 8 PM, the artists will introduce themselves and engage attendees in a sample CritChat experience, leading the audience 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.

CritChat is 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.

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, and staff from Ball State University, as well as the Muncie community.

Harlan Mathieu, woodcut, The Atrium Gallery "The Bird Cage," After Hours Art Reels at The Fickle Peach Hillcroft Services on the Goldspace Stage "Facing Humanity: A Parade of Masks," at Gordy Fine Art "Beauty and the Beast," at Muncie Civic Theatre "DIDACTIC" at the Muncie Makes Lab Faith Kellermeyer, "Own It," at Savage's Alehouse The Book Arts Collaborative

The Atrium Gallery

Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

“Dellas Henke and Harlan Mathieu”

There will be an Opening Reception for First Thursday from 4-6pm for an exhibition of woodcuts and engravings by Dellas Henke and Harlan Mathieu at The Atrium Gallery on Ball State University’s campus. The opening reception is on Thursday, and the shows run until Sept. 21.

Dellas Henke has a BFA from SUNY Brockport where he worked with Robert Marx and an MFA from the University of Iowa where he worked with Mauricio Lasansky. While still a student, Henke started what would become three projects creating illustrations for literary works by Samuel Beckett. This included gaining permission from Beckett and meeting with him for discussion and signatures. Henke currently teaches at Grand Valley State University where he has been a faculty member since the early 1980s. He has continued to work and exhibit widely and mostly creates work in a series that has a particular theme. His series Chemo Waste deals with his illness from cancer.

Harlan Mathieu also has an MFA from the University of Iowa where he too worked with the renowned artist, Mauricio Lasansky. Although he has had work published by The Iowa Review, Mathieu 's fortunes did not include a career in university teaching. Instead, Mathieu worked for many years as a carpenter at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Only in the last ten years or so has he been involved in teaching, as an elementary art teacher in the New York City Public Schools. Yet, Mathieu has still continued to work and exhibit at many venues, including the prestigious Society of American Graphic Artists. He is featured in the book The Fine Artist’s Career Guide by Daniel Grant.

The Fickle Peach (21+)

117 E. Charles

“Afterhours Art Reels: The Bird Cage”

Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, in collaboration with The Fickle Peach, presents After Hours Art Reels following the First Thursday Gallery Walks in May through September. Come enjoy the gallery exhibits from 5-8pm, and join us afterwards at dusk for the 1996 comedy, The Birdcage, starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, and Gene Hackman.

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. 

Goldspace Theatre

At Canan Common (500 block of Walnut Street, near the Roundabout)

“Free Concert at Canan Commons, sponsored by Goldspace Theater”
Thursday, September 1st Artswalk at Canan Commons there will be very special free concert at 6pm on behalf of Goldspace Theater, where creativity uplifts the disadvantaged and marginalized, both children & adults.

Dale Basham will MC a concert celebrating Middletown and Indiana's Bicentennial by including works created for this celebration. "Doc" Peterson premieres his composition, Happy Birthday, Muncie, featuring long-time favorite Muncie singers, Beth Leavell-Davis and Phil Dunn. "Doc" accompanies rockin'-soul performances by Kyle Ivy, Barb Frost, Vanessa Ament, and Beth of three songs set in Heartland High School. These works are collaborations of born-again Hoosiers: Flo Lapin, Joe Spence, Dee Hartmann, and John Clark. The works include Bells N' Balls and I Want To Be A Teacher.

Muncie's own Mike Milligan of Steam Shovel fame will be performing his original works, as well as Steve Robert of The Jazzmanians, who will entertain with several of his compositions. Last, but certainly not least, Goldspace students from Hillcroft will cheer on the crowd into a celebratory mood. On hand for excellent eats will be Paraiso Restaurant and Rolling Hawaiian. 

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

“Facing Humanity: A Parade of Masks”
Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company will celebrate First Thursday, September 1st from 5 – 8 pm with an opening reception for Facing Humanity: A Parade of Masks, an exhibition of hand-made masks by artist and performer Jonathan Becker. The artist will be on hand to engage with viewers throughout the evening and will speak briefly to the audience about his work at 6:15pm. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

Jonathan Becker is a mask maker, teaching artist, and performer. His first experience with masks was in the summer of 1979. At 15 years old, he attended a summer conference on clowning at Oberlin College where he had the opportunity to hear Avner Eisenberg, hailed as one of the greatest clowns of all time, speak about the universal qualities of the “neutral” mask and what it revealed to the actor.

Reflecting on the indelible experience, Becker recalled, “He put it on, stood for moment in a stillness that created a deafening silence and then, slightly turned his head. In that moment, the world shifted. I saw the mask change, I saw Avner change, I saw the audience change, and I felt the air in the room change.”

He began sculpting masks in 1986 while attending The International School of Theatre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France. Upon his return to the United States, Becker founded Theater-Masks.com, a full service production shop which creates masks for the international theatre community. His masks are currently being use by educational institutions, professional theatres and individual artists. Over the past 16 years, Becker has seen more than 10,000 masks leave the studio for destinations in 45 countries with clients including Disney Theatrical in association with The Lion King, Focus Films, NBC, The Bravo Cable Network, and Theater of Enchantment in Philadelphia. You can visit the studio at www.theater-masks.com.

Since 1988, Becker has helped in the development of fifteen original plays. He co-founded and was Co-Artistic Director of two theatre companies: Les Senokrates in Luzern, Switzerland and The Brodeur Brothers in Paris, France. He is a regular guest artist at the International Acting with Masks Program at Olso University College in Oslo, Norway. Currently, Becker is the Artistic Director of the North American Laboratory for the Performing Arts. For the past ten years, he has lived and worked in Muncie, IN where he is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Ball State University.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

“Exhibition and Music at Grace Episcopal Church”

At Grace Episcopal Church, our doors open at 5pm for First Thursday Artswalk with an exhibition by several local artists. At 7:30pm we will host singer-guitar player Ric Dwenger, who is known for his folk songs and ballads. We will also have something new! At 6pm we will host an all-ages mini-camp/workshop program called “Anti-Bullying,” presented by A Better Way. All donations this evening will be given to A Better Way.

Muncie Civic Theatre
216 E. Main

“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast”

Muncie Civic Theatre presents Disney's Beauty and the Beast on the main stage for First Thursday starting at 7:30pm (tickets required). This "tale as old as time" tells of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, trapped under the spell of an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love another and earn their love in return then the spell would be broken. If not, he and his household would be doomed to remain cursed for all time.

The show runs from August 19-20, 25-28 to September 1-4. Thursday, Friday, & Saturday shows are at 7:30pm, and the Sunday Matinees on Aug 28th and Sept 4th are at 2:00pm. Tickets are $18 for adults, $15 for groups of 10+, and $13 for students & children.

Muncie Makes Lab

628 S. Walnut

The Muncie Makes Lab will be hosting three exhibitions for September’s First Thursday:

“Art Mart @Muncie Makes Lab, Karen Fisher, Brittaney Edwards & Tracy Jarrett”

 Several of the members of Art Mart’s staff have the same thing in common; they are all graduates of Ball State University’s School of Art. Since they work for the local art supply, they are all pretty knowledgeable on art supplies and how to use them, each using personal favorites to compose this show.

Karen Fisher, Art Mart’s owner, is a 1976 graduate, majoring in Art Education. Fisher completed her master’s degree in Education in 1991 and has owned Art Mart since 2003. She likes to draw natural things or any of her collections, which are extensive. She is a self-proclaimed “supply junkie” who likes to collect just about anything of interest. When asked, “What are your interests?,” she would answer, ”Everything”!

Brittaney Edwards graduated in the spring of 2015 from Ball State University. Since then she has been exploring different media that she did not have time for while in college. Edwards usually likes to draw things related to society and culture that normally come from personal experience or observations of the everyday. She also enjoys blending the dividing lines of painting and drawing in her work. She does so by working in watercolor, ink, and more recently, colored pencil, keeping a focus on mark-making and line work. 

Tracy Jarrett graduated from Ball State University in the spring of 2015 with a BFA in glass. Although she loves working with glass, she also enjoys drawing in many different media and painting with watercolor. A primary focus within her work is navigating life with an anxiety disorder. She expresses visually the reality of being incapable of decompressing or winding down at the end of the day and the exhaustion that comes with not being able to relax. Through the presentation of her work, she aims to normalize the discussion of mental illnesses.

“Flim Flam with instructor James Kerestes”

Flim Flam is an exhibition of artifacts produced by Architecture Design students from Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning. Characterized as architectural misfits and oddities, these objects aim to explore conditions of the unfamiliar and strange.

“Didactic Launch for Exhibit Columbus” 

Join us for the launch of the 3rd issue of DIDACTIC, which look at the architectural history of Columbus, Indiana. Featuring nine site histories by Enrique Ramirez, the issue also includes an examination of Eames Aluminum Group by Amy Auscherman, a B-sides tour of Columbus by Matt Shaw, and images by Hadley Fruits. Produced and published by PRINTtEXT, DIDACTIC 03 is a textual supplement to the inaugural symposium for Exhibit Columbus, "Foundations and Futures." For more information visit exhibitcolumbus.org. or https://www.facebook.com/PRINTtEXT.co/

Savage's Ale House (21+)

127 N. High

“Faith Kellermeyer”

A series of paintings by Faith Kellermeyer will be on display at Savages Alehouse for September's First Thursday. The artist will be on-site throughout the evening to talk about her work with anyone who is interested.

As a hand-letterer, Kellermeyer is often commissioned to design home decor displaying inspirational quotes. With this series of paintings, she turns the inspirational quote on its head by pairing traditional decorative and floral patterns with both empowering feminist messages and an irreverent sense of humor. She is also a member of We're Trying Collective, a group of Muncie-based artists who work collaboratively to promote community interests while building a culture of inclusion and creative expression.

For those interested in purchasing her work, Kellermeyer also sells prints of her paintings at a lower price point. Please contact her at faithkellermeyer@gmail.com for questions and inquiries.

JUST ADDED!

There will be an open house from 5-8pm at the Book Arts Collaborative  (in the Madjax building located at 514 E. Jackson) and also an open house at Tribune Showprint (501 E. Main St.)

John Scofield to perform at Cornerstone Center for the Arts Patricia Kriegh's "Splang" exhibition opening, Cornerstone Center for the Arts Monkey Thunder at Gordy Fine Art and Framing One year anniversary celebration at Heidi J. Hale Karl Erickson, "Video Thunder" at Black Box Theatre AIAS Art Sale at Muncie Makes Lab Jennifer Smith, "Badlands," at Rose Court Janice Carter at Twin Archer Brewpub The Yart Sale, Old National Trust Parking Lot

For full information on all of the events happening for October's First Thursday Arts Walk, please visit Muncie's Downtown Development website at the following link:

http://www.downtownmuncie.org/artswalk/

Stacie Kammerling, Book Arts Collaborative Erin McAtee, The Pelican's Sacrifice, at The Fickle Peach Andrew Schultz, Flightless Slumber, at Gordy Fine Art and Framing Heidi J.Hale Daniel Williams, Muncie Central Art Show, at Muncie Makes Lab Kevin Miller, Macchu Picchi, CAP Americano SUR Exhibition, at Muncie Makes Lab Stitchery: The Art of the Thread, at Studio Exhale

Book Arts Collaborative

At Mad Jax Muncie

600 E. Main

Book Arts Collaborative will be showing work by art students in the collaborative. This is a show of affordable art by BSU students, all priced in gift-giving range. Book Arts Collaborative will also offer its work, hand-sewn journals, and letter-pressed items for sale

The Fickle Peach (21+)

117 E. Charles

An opening reception for Erin McAtee’s exhibition "In Communion With" will be held from 5-8pm.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company will celebrate First Thursday, November 3 from 5-8 pm with an opening reception for Desperately Seeking Charles, a small group exhibit featuring current work from five Ball State University’s MFA Glass candidates with a wide range of glass forming techniques represented. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

Desperately Seeking Charles features a collection of 3-D work in which each artist individually interprets the material properties of glass through their own perspectives and inspirations. The work explores techniques involved in the making of traditional, vessel forms as well as contemporary, glass-based sculpture.

“The exhibition title is derived from a philosophical approach. Desperately Seeking Charles is our effort to find a voice and style of expression with glass. We are all desperately seeking a niche of our own within the contemporary glass community,” explained the group of MFA candidates.

Evan Burnette, Dylan Martinez, and Andrew Schultz are third year candidates who are currently working toward their Creative Project which will be exhibited in the spring of 2017.

Allyssa Burch and Lily Rawson are second year candidates who are currently exploring material investigations and processes within their studio practice.

Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend. A brief talk at 6:15pm 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. Desperately Seeking Chares may also be viewed through the end of November 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.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

Do you enjoy classical guitar music? If so come out to Grace Episcopal Church (corner of Madison and Adams St.) at 7:30pm for an evening of classical guitar music performed by Paul Reily, an international performer. Come early at 6pm (until 7pm), for a cooking demo with Velvet Miller of Purdue Extension. The focus will be on quick skillet dishes and creating easy, healthy meals especially for the upcoming holidays.

Heidi J. Hale

301 S. Walnut

Heidi J. Hale will be open late for shopping from 5-8pm for First Thursday

Muncie Makes Lab

628 S. Walnut

Muncie Central Art Show (1st fl.)

A selection of artwork by student's from the Muncie Central High School Art Department, led by art teachers’ Britt Husman and Margie Frank, and student teacher Erin McAtee.

CAP Americano Sur Exhibition (2nd fl.)

A curated exhibition outlining the travels and learnings of Architecture professor, Ana de Brea, and students who went on the CAP Americano Sur 2016 excursion. Three countries were visited over the course of 24 days: Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru. While in these three counties, students visited an assortment of architectural sites, museums, and local landmarks. The exhibit showcases selected sites and their importance to ongoing education and the greater architectural discourse.

Studio Exhale

103 N. High St.

Join Studio Exhale for an opening reception for “Stitchory: The Art of the Thread” from 5-8pm. This art show features fiber arts from artists Stephanie Hutchison and Lisa Dunaway.

Hutchison is a co-owner of Studio Exhale and a lifelong student of art. She started to sew through her local 4-H program more than a decade ago, where she created her first embroidery at age nine. She has shown locally at several Muncie galleries including the Fickle Peach and Savage's Alehouse. Her favorite art mediums include painting, sewing, embroidery, and mixed media.
 
Dunaway began crocheting when her grandmother taught her when she was only four. She learned quickly and took up other fiber arts over the years. Dunaway finds the making of fiber art very meditative and therapeutic. Her macramé and cross-stitch work are beautiful examples of the power of her craft.

Tribune Showprint

501 E. Main

Tribune Showprint Posters will be open for tours, and will offer an array of letter-pressed items for sale.

Holiday sale from the Book Arts Collaborative and Tribune Showprint Detail of work by David Palm, Cornerstone Center for the Arts Scott Anderson, "Cerberus Banana," Annual Salon Show, Gordy Fine Art and Framing Painting by Caryn Moore, from "In the Limelight" at Made in Muncie Holiday Muncie Makers Market Daniel Combs, "Ripped Away," CritChat Open House at Muncie Makes Lab, 1st floor Melissa Livermore and Sarah Lassiter, "I Used Google Translate for This," at Muncie Makes Lab, 2nd floor "Eat, Drink, and Cartography," Twin Archer Brewpub

Book Arts Collaborative and Tribune Showprint

At Mad Jax Muncie

600 E. Main

Book Arts Collaborative will be open for First Thursday with a variety of affordable gift items available including holiday cards for $2 each, printed coasters 4/$2, letter pressed wrapping paper, broadsides, and hand sewn blank journals from $12-40. Students will be on hand to give tours of the Collaborative as well as our community partner's shop, Tribune Showprint.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts

520 E. Main

Cornerstone will open a new art gallery titled “Stop all the Clocks,” with artwork created by the late David Palm. This show explores the desires many of us have had when deep feelings are experienced or special moments occur. The best ways to preserve these moments can be through drawings and paintings like the ones by Palm.

The artwork displayed at this show features landscape, still life, and street life paintings and drawings with an impressionist style. This work was created over the span of Palm’s lifetime and provides a unique perspective on culture and time. Much of the featured artwork captures natural, everyday life, while some of the pieces showcase the messiness of life’s circumstances.

Palm, an Indiana-native, received his degrees in graphic design from the University of Michigan and Yale University. He later moved to New York City where he spent most of his life living and working. He visited Indiana as much as possible and later retired to Muncie, Indiana. He used his painting and drawing to stop time and remember life’s moments of sorrow, pain and joy.

The opening reception will be 5-7pm in the Cornerstone art gallery located on the second floor of Cornerstone Center for the Arts. His framed pieces will continue to be on display in the gallery from December 2016 through January 2017.

For more information about the show call Cornerstone’s Department of Education & Communication at 765-281-9503, ext. 23.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Company will open its Annual Salon Show on First Thursday, December 1st from 5 - 8 PM. Included in the exhibit will be work by all 25 artists represented by the downtown Muncie gallery. Artists will be on hand to chat and answer questions. The reception will also celebrate the first year of business under new owners Carl and Barbara Schafer.

A feast for the eyes, the GFAF Annual Salon Show celebrates Muncie’s robust fine art scene as dozens of paintings, prints, and pottery pieces fill the gallery. Both new and familiar work will be on view by area artists Kim Anderson, Brian Gordy, Jim Faulkner, Sarojini Johnson, Jan McCune, Alan Patrick, Martin Price, Carol Strock Wasson, and more. This unique exhibit allows for works of art to be taken away at the time of sale, giving patrons the opportunity to consider art in the show for holiday decorating and gift giving.

“There is no other GFAF exhibit that appropriately and visually conveys the impressive amount of artistic talent Muncie and the rest of East Central Indiana supports. The Annual Salon Show is both a testament to that talent and the community of art patrons that continues to reinforce our efforts to grow the local arts scene,” offers Gallery Manager Braydee Euliss reflecting on her tenth year of involvement with exhibitions at Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.

Carl and Barbara Schafer will introduce the exhibit and artists in attendance during a brief talk at 6:15. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

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. The Annual Salon Show may also be viewed through the end of January 2017 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.

Idia Lab

119 W. Charles St.

Ball State University's IDIA Lab will showcase an immersive, virtual reality art installation at 119 E. Charles St. If you want to check out the latest Oculus Rift VR headset and other fun tech, come on down!

Made in Muncie
313 S. Walnut

An opening Reception for “In the Limelight” will be held from 5-8pm.

Muncie Artists Guild will be stepping into the "Limelight" again with their show at Made in Muncie Pottery. Their opening reception will be from 5-8pm. Many of their works in various media will be featured and for sale. The work will be on display for the entire month of December 2016 through January 2017.

Madjax

514 E Jackson St.

What can we learn from today’s extreme environments that can help us adapt to a rapidly changing climate? You can experience the answer at 134°: Architecture for Extreme Environments, the exhibition of 12 shelters designed and built by Ball State University architecture student recently returned from a research trip to Death Valley. Led by BSU Professor George Elvin, the students explored the world’s hottest place and drew lessons from it that can help us live better in a changing climate. At the Project Open House, Thursday, December 1, 5-8pm at MadJax Muncie, visitors can experience twelve unique shelter structures designed and built by the students and learn how today’s most extreme environments can teach us about sustainability, resilient design, and how we can thrive in tomorrow’s climate. MadJax Muncie is located at 514 E Jackson St. 

Holiday Muncie Makers Market
Jackson and Cherry Streets

The Holiday Muncie Makers Market is coming to Light Up Dwntwn! Our local artisans will stock this festive gift market during the 2016 Tree Lighting Ceremony at Canan Commons, on Walnut at the Roundabout in Downtown Muncie, Indiana, on Thursday, December 1st, from 5-8pm. This fun annual family event features Santa Claus, children's activities, music, and the Holiday Muncie Makers Market in a heated tent full of an amazing array of art and gifts!

This community gift sale, with a goal of showcasing the talent of Muncie artists and makers, will help you get all your shopping done early while enjoying traditional family entertainment and kicking off the holiday season. The Holiday Muncie Makers Market will feature a wide variety of fantastic holiday gifts of jewelry, breads and sweets, clothing, gourmet pet treats, photography, oil/acrylic/watercolor paintings, jams and jellies, knits, dogwear, plants, candy, pottery, wreaths and swags, toys, drawings, pies, purses, silk scarves, afghans, fudge, soaps, holiday decorations, prints, perfume oils, headbands, sculpture, stuffed animals, and so much more! FREE to attend!

Holiday Muncie Makers Market event details and RSVP here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/933097013501779/

During the Spring, Summer, and Fall, the Muncie Makers Market is an outdoor, weekly Growers and Makers Market. We will return in Spring 2017! Fresh food, locally grown produce, plants, art, handmade crafts, and live entertainment, all weekly at the Muncie Makers Market on Saturdays from 4-7p on the corner of Jackson and Cherry Streets in the Old West End of Downtown Muncie, and, we are a PokéStop just full of lures. Watch for our Market to return with warm weather!

JOIN the Muncie Makers Market on FaceBook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627047027524961/

Muncie Makes Lab

628 S. Walnut

1st Floor:

CritChat Open House

Muncie Makes Lab will host its fourth CritChat exhibit of the year from 5-9pm. CritChat Open House is a one night only pop-up exhibit of new, experimental artwork by several CritChat members. Exhibiting artists will be present and guests are encouraged to ask questions throughout the evening. DJ JANNELL will provide music, and light refreshments will be served.

CritChat is a free, community meet-up developed and facilitated by emerging, Muncie-based artists. 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.

Find out more about CritChat & join the conversation every 3rd Thursday of the month from 7-9pm 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, and staff from Ball State University as well as the Muncie community.

2nd Floor:

I Used Google Translate For This

Melissa Livermore and Sarah Lassiter join together to create work that explores their experiences with second and third languages. This exhibition looks at self-teaching, code-switching, and the role technology plays in the process of learning a new language.

Savage's Ale House (21+)

127 N. High

Dream Cloud Skateboards will be showing a variety of skateboard art throughout the month of December.

Twin Archer Brewpub

117 W. Charles St.

Eat, Drink, and Cartography: Celebrating “My Indiana Home” with Maps and a Wicked Book

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) is coordinating an exhibit for the Muncie DWNTWN First Thursday Arts Walk.  This Thursday, December 1 Twin Archer Brew Pub (117 West Charles Street) will be hosting an exhibit of maps of Indiana starting at 5:00 through 8:00 pm.  And Keith Roysdon and Douglas Walker will be signing copies of their new book, Wicked Muncie.

The map exhibit, “My Indiana Home,” features Indiana history maps created by the GRMC in celebration of the state’s Bicentennial this December 11.  The maps cover Indiana’s rich political history, women’s history, military history, music, sports, and even movies that take place in the state.  The newest map in the collection depicts the Vice Presidents from Indiana.  The collection of Indiana history maps is available in digital format in the Libraries’ Cardinal Scholar repository or may be circulated from the GRMC.  Teachers can use the maps for classroom exhibits or research, especially for fourth-grade Indiana history lessons.

Ball State University students in Dr. Hannah Barnes’ watercolor and painting class also created original maps of their interpretation of home.  The students visited the GRMC to look at all the different kinds of cartography (above) for inspiration and then painted maps of their Indiana homes.  This collection is extremely creative: One student painted a compass rose of a common Indiana insect, the cicada (above).  These maps will be included as a special collection in the Libraries’ Digital Media Repository.

The book Wicked Muncie by Keith Roysdon and Douglas Walker describes the criminal history of Muncie.  The authors explored the notorious and unusual side of Muncie’s history of crime, including murder, corruption, and illegal gambling.  Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Twin Archer Brew Pub serves all ages as a restaurant and a bar that serves craft beer.  The menu includes fresh ingredients every day.

For more information, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.

Natalie Haidle, Studio Exhale

Rose Court

125 E. Charles

“Random Whimsy Art Show”

Join Natalie Haidle, Studio Exhale's Meditation Teacher, as she showcases an eclectic variety of artwork.

Mike Sigman, "Ken Preston: 40+ Years of Student Prints," The Atrium Gallery David Palm, "Stop All the Clocks," Cornerstone Center of the Arts Erin Williams, "The Romance," Gordy Fine Art and Framing Heidi J. Hale Angela Garrels "Self Portrait at the End of One Career," at "Ken Preston: 40+ Years of Student Prints," Madjax An informal conversation about race and diversity will be held at the Muncie Civic Theatre to celebrate the imminent opening of their performance of "To Kill a Mockingbird" "Tiny Home Designs for the Homeless of Muncie," Muncie Makes Lab, 1st floor Yard signs from Neighbors for Public Justice, Rose Court Detail, Chelsea Rene, Savages Ale House Heather Davis, Savage's Ale House Angie Ridge Hedman, "Chaos and Ease," Studio Exhale

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

“Ken Preston: 40+ Years of Student Prints”
The Atrium Gallery will have extended hours of operation for First Thursday until 8pm for this special show from Ken Preston, Professor of Art at Ball State University. The exhibition presents a myriad of work from his students over the years, including Serigraphy, Lithography, Intaglio, Woodcut, and work from his Introduction to Printmaking courses from 1973 to 2016.  Students work was executed at Indiana University, Bloomington, Northeast Missouri State University (now Truman University), Kirksville, Missouri, and Ball State University.

Please note this is not an opening reception, but rather, extended viewing hours for First Thursday.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

“Stop All The Clocks,” featuring the artwork of the late David Palm, will continue to be on display in the Cornerstone Art Gallery throughout February. Palm was a Muncie native who spent much of his life traveling the world with his primary residence in New York City. The paintings featured in the show capture the often fleeting memories of important, yet seemingly insignificant, moments in one's life. Palm's sister, Janet Stratton, has offered up her collection of his artwork for the public to view. For more information about the show call 765-281-9503. 

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

An opening reception will be held for Ritual, an exhibition of new drawings by artist Erin Colleen Williams. Ritual is comprised of a selection of drawings which contemplate the interdependency of human, animal, and object. Inspired by narrative illustrations, mythology, memento mori, and historical occult imagery, the work visually describes intangible emotions such as loneliness, revulsion, sacrifice compassion, and the universality of death. Ritual also refers to the act of daily drawing, a sometimes mindless repetition of pattern and line, which is a meditation in itself. Light refreshments will be served.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

Grace Episcopal Church will host a concert of music reflecting the theme of romance. Start February with some music from the Romantic period and various love songs from composers such as Haydn, Kreisler, Elgar, Dvorak, and Respighi. Our performers this evening are Peter Douglas, piano and David Blakely, violin. Douglas is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Piano Performance at Ball State University. He received his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music (Berea, OH). Blakely is currently a violin performer in the Muncie Symphony Orchestra and teaches violin locally. Our concert begins at 7:30 pm and our doors open at 5pm for viewing of our art gallery. Grace Episcopal Church is located on the corner of Madison St. and Adams St. 

Heidi J. Hale
301 S. Walnut

Heidi J. Hale will be open throughout the First Thursday events offering jewelry for sale.

Madjax Muncie
628 S. Walnut

Ken Preston, Professor of Art at Ball State University, will have a show at Madjax featuring 40+ years of Student Prints.

Book Arts Collaborative (at Madjax)
600 E. Main

Book Arts Collaborative will have an opportunity for the community to pull a print using one of our printing presses.

Tribune Showprint (at Madjax)
501 E. Main

Tribune Showprint will be giving tours of the shop and have some old posters out for people to see.

Muncie Civic Theatre
216 E. Main

Muncie Civic Theatre is inviting the community to participate in an informal conversation in our lobby about diversity and race relations 'now and then' as we prepare to present To Kill a Mockingbird. The conversation will be led by WaTasha Barnes-Griffin from the YMCA and Maude Jennings from the Whitely Community Council. The Shaffer Chapel will have artifacts from the era on display. Hot chocolate will be served. All are welcome.

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut

First Floor

“Tiny Home Designs for the Homeless of Muncie”

Ball State University’s Department of Architecture is exhibiting 16 tiny home designs for the homeless and homeless veterans. These projects, produced by 4th year architecture students, were finalists in the 2016 Cripe Competition.

Second Floor

“CritChat: The Upside Down”

As CritChat’s fifth First Thursday event, this one night only exhibit will feature experimental video, sound, sculpture, installation, and drawing by several group members. Exhibiting artists will be present and guests are encouraged to ask questions throughout the evening. CritChat is a free, community meet-up developed and facilitated by Muncie-based artists working to promote collaboration and support for emerging area artists.

Rose Court
125 E. Charles

“Neighbors for Public Justice,” a new local community group, will hold an informational Open House during February’s First Thursday in the Rose Court Building. Several members will be on hand to provide information and other materials about the organization. Additionally, a limited number of yard signs in Spanish, English, and Arabic that read “No matter where you are from, we’re glad you’re our neighbor” will be available for purchase.

Neighbors for Public Justice was formed shortly after the November 2016 election. They aim to “inform and support one another in our individual and collective efforts to promote social justice on a local and global level, equip one another with practical, positive ways to communicate and engage with local, state, and national government, and empower one another to be advocates for all people."

Neighbors for Public Justice meets every Thursday evening at the Friends Memorial Church, 418 W Adams Street, in Muncie from 6pm to 7pm.

Savage's Ale House (21+)
127 N. High

Savage's Alehouse will be showing the work of Heather Davis and Chelsea Rene.

Studio Exhale
103 N. High St.

Studio Exhale will host an opening reception by artist Angie Ridge Hedman entitled “Chaos and Ease.” Hedman is currently a high school art teacher at Monroe Central. She began working on this diverse body of work when she changed jobs after teaching at one school for 17 years. The change of schools was stressful for her, and painting allowed her to quickly get her emotions onto the canvas. 

She prefers working with acrylics because of the accessibility, affordability, and quick drying process. The medium allows her to apply several thin layers of paint in a limited time. Hedman always has an in-progress painting going on in her classroom because she feels students learn and appreciate more if they can be an active witness and participant in the art process. It is important for them to see her as both an artist and an educator. If they see her taking creative risks in art, they might be inspired to do the same.

Art from the 82nd Student Show, The Atrium Gallery, Ball State University Abby Wagner, My Cup Runneth Over, Forever Young Children's Boutique Scott Anderson, New Normal, Gordy Fine Art and Framing Kim Anderson, Gordy Fine Art and Framing Eugene Boyd pottery, Made in Muncie Tom Walker at Madjax Eugene Mumaw posters and playbills at Muncie Civic Theatre Maring-Hunt Community Gardens project at Muncie Makes Lab Daniel Ragsdale Combs, On the Rocks, at Savage's Alehouse Kim Shawger and Robert Dirden, Studio Exhale

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

The Atrium Gallery will hold extended hours from 5-8pm for visitors to view the 82nd Annual Student Show. MITS Buses run from downtown Muncie to the university campus until 9 PM.  

Each year since 1935, the School of Art in the College of Fine Arts at Ball State University has hosted an exhibition of its students’ artwork. In more recent years, in order for our students to have an experience more resembling that of a practicing professional artist, an external juror actively practicing in a field of art has been employed to adjudicate and make all decisions regarding acceptance of artwork(s) into the exhibition, and for making all decisions regarding which art pieces will be further recognized in the form of monetary awards.

For the exhibition, there will be an award of $500 for 1st place, $250 for 2nd place, and $150 for 3rd place. In addition, each area listed below will see a student artwork be recognized with an area cash award of $100 as specified by the external juror. Three additional artworks will be selected by the juror to receive awards, but the awards are sponsored by the Muncie Art Student League, an organization founded in 1886 by community members, who have contributed to the awards program since the student show’s beginnings in 1935. Another award is the Dean’s Purchase Award from Robert Kvam, Dean, College of Fine Arts.

The School of Art boasts a population of 500 students, with the predominant majority of those being students pursuing the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree. The BFA is the professional undergraduate degree in studio art whose areas of study in the school specifically are: animation, ceramics, drawing, glass, metals, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture intermedia/video and time-based art, and Visual Communications (Graphic design). In addition, a representative selection from Foundations/Core courses (Introductory Drawing, Design, and Computer Art) is recognized; an award is given to one of these students who are just beginning their studies in any particular school degree area (BFA, or otherwise). For more program information, please visit our website at http://bsu.edu/art/undergradprograms.

The Ball State University 82nd Annual Student Art Show opening reception takes place on the evening of Saturday, February 25, 2017 from 6 PM to 8 PM with the awards presentations being at 7:00 PM.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

Cornerstone Center for the Arts, in partnership with PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union, will host a brand new art show from 5:30 to 8 PM. The show, entitled the “Cornerstone Center for the Arts and PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union Young Artist Exhibition,” will feature the 2D and 3D artwork of students in kindergarten through twelfth grades living in Delaware County.

Artwork will be on display in four grade categories: kindergarten-second, third-fifth, sixth-eighth, and ninth-twelfth. A group of community judges will award prizes for the top three artists in each category. Winners will be announced at 6:30 PM during the reception on March 2 in conjunction with March’s First Thursday. Students and families, along with the rest of the community, are invited to attend the opening to view the artwork, enjoy refreshments, and check out the winning artwork.

More information about the “Young Artist Exhibition,” including submission forms, guidelines, and rules is available online at youngartistexhibition.com or by calling Cornerstone at 765-281-9503. 

Forever Young Children’s Boutique
125 E. Charles

Forever Young Children’s Boutique will feature the work of guest artist Abby Wagner, who will also be doing a live painting at the shop from 5-7 PM. Wagner is a local artist from Selma Indiana who has a passion for painting in watercolor. Her current show is “My Cup Runneth Over,” which consists of beautifully painted pictures of tea and coffee cups.  The store will also

be having a 10% off sale on all new spring apparel, with extended hours until 7 PM.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. will celebrate First Thursday March 2nd from 5 – 8 pm with an opening reception for Disintegration – Propagation, an exhibition of new ceramic work by Kim Anderson and new paintings and drawings by Scott Anderson. The artists will speak briefly about their work at 6:15 PM. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend. The exhibit remains on view through April 1, 2017. 

Both Kim and Scott Anderson are Gordy Fine Art and Framing Co. represented artists with long histories of addressing the impacts of egoism on the natural and political orders that govern the human experience. Though their preferred mediums and methods of expression differ, the artists’ most recent bodies of work are similarly informed by the imbalance of growth and decay in today’s world. Disintegration – Propagation explores that imbalance though the mixed media paintings and drawings by Scott Anderson and the three-dimensional ceramic sculptures by Kim Anderson.

Kim Anderson is currently the Director of Visual Arts at Arts Place. She holds a BA with an emphasis in Ceramics from the University of California in Pennsylvania, a BFA in Ceramics from West Virginia University, and an MFA in Ceramics from Wichita State University. Previously, she’s held teaching positions at the Indianapolis Art Center for 13 years and the Art Department at Ball State University for 11 years. She is a previous recipient of the Individual Artist Grant from the Indiana Arts Commission.

Scott Anderson was born in Lubbock Texas in 1959. He received his BFA from Texas Tech University in 1982 and his MFA from West Virginia University in 1993, both degrees with an emphasis in painting. He is currently a Professor at Ball State University teaching undergraduate and graduate levels of Painting and Drawing where he has received numerous Arts Education awards. Throughout the past thirty years, Mr. Anderson has exhibited paintings professionally in galleries and museums as well as national and regional juried exhibitions.

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. Disintegration – Propagation may also be viewed through Saturday, April 1, 2017 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.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

Grace Episcopal Church will host a choral concert performance entitled “Let Our Voices Be Heard.” The Grace Choral Scholars, a group of students from Ball State University’s School of Music, will be performing work by Alessandro Scarlatti, W.A. Mozart, G.F. Handel, and many more composers. There will be solos, duets, trios, and quartets. The Grace Choral Scholars are Lauren Anthony (soprano), Kendall Anvoots (soprano), James Best (baritone), and Peter Douglas (baritone and organist). The concert begins at 7:30 PM and the Art Gallery opens at 5 PM.

Made in Muncie
313 S. Walnut

Made in Muncie Pottery will be having an opening reception for "Eugene Boyd Pottery" from 5-8 PM. Works of wheel-thrown vessels will be on display throughout the month of March. Boyd is a Muncie native and teaches pottery at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. His passion for clay is apparent in his work along with anyone he talks to about the medium. Join us for First Thursday in DWNTWN Muncie for our opening reception at the studio, 313 S Walnut St.

Madjax Muncie
628 S. Walnut

Madjax will feature letterpress work by Tom Walker, who has spent over 20 years designing professionally, teaching for universities, and exploring art and design in a body of personal creative work. Book Arts Collaborative will have a press inked up, allowing visitors to pull their own print and Tribune Showprint will be giving tours and press demonstrations. Guardian Brewery will also be selling pints of beer throughout the evening.

Muncie Civic Theatre
216 E. Main

Muncie Civic Theatre will be presenting a historic showing of Eugene Mumaw's works curated by Jim Waechter and Mike Mavis of the Delaware County Historical Society, with the help of Gordy Fine Art & Framing. Mumaw was the artist behind every Muncie Civic show poster and playbill cover from the 1970s all the way into the 2000s. His work has adorned the theater's walls for decades and now will be put into the spotlight through this special showing.

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut

First Floor
Ball State Architecture students are partnering with Maring-Hunt Public Library to expand the impact of the existing Maring-Hunt Community Gardens. They are working on a project that will include built pavilions that can work as shade and shelter for gardeners, community gathering spaces, a market, community kitchen, educational outreach to the library and Southview Elementary, as well as various other outdoor play and experiential elements. Come view the work and process of the team developing a master plan for the entire site, and construction will be completed in phases over the next several semesters. Students have met with many community members, and have had very productive collaborations with gardeners, library members, and neighbors.

Savage's Ale House (21+)
127 N. High

Savage’s will feature Daniel Ragsdale Combs’s show entitled “How Do We Define Ourselves?” The show focuses mainly on his recent creative portraits ranging in media from graphite, colored pencil, watercolor, acrylics, and oils. Combs states: “I work in traditional materials because I enjoy the feel and smell of the more natural materials. During the creative process, the material speaks to me, there is an intense and personal communication that happens. Most of my work questions who we are as a society and how we relate to our personal beliefs.”

Studio Exhale
103 N. High St.

Join Studio Exhale from 5-8 PM for an opening reception of “Beauty Through the Lens,” featuring the photographs of Kip Shawger and makeup artist Robert E. Dirden. This unique photographic exhibit of two artists highlights different styles of makeup and body art. Dirden and Shawger have been working together for a decade perfecting their craft.  Dirden is a Professor of Theater at Ball State University and produces several major stage productions at the university and the Muncie community throughout the year. Shawger has been teaching at Ball State for over 40 years as a theatrical designer.

Dylan Martinex, H2O/SiO2, The Atrium Gallery, Ball State University Elizabeth Coleman (1st place, 9th-12th grade category), Cornerstone Center for the Arts Lohren Deeg, Muncie's Village, The Fickle Peach Josh Winkler, "The America Chestnut: Ghosts on The Appalachian Trail," at “David + Sarojini Johnson’s Legacy Exhibition,” Gordy Fine Art and Framing Evan Burnette, "Gathering Universe," from "Disengagement Party: Comic Surrealism," at Madjax Andrew Schultz, "The Discord of our Division," from "Furtive Dialogue," at Madjax Interactive Drawing Installation by IDIA Lab at Madjax Maring Hunt Community Drawing Project at Madjax "Stars, Cars & Bars" at Muncie Civic Theatre "Design for Choreography and Social Dance" at the Muncie Makes Lab Clara Leslie, "Psychxotc," from the Visual Communication Senior Design Show at the Muncie Makes Lab Julie Vance, "Art in Bloom" at Raymond James & Associates, Inc. “Our Point of View: The Photography of Bill and Cindy Britton" at Studio Exhale "Conservation Tales" book signing at Twin Archer Brewpub (all ages)

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

An opening reception for Dylan Martinez’s MFA thesis exhibition, “A Journey to the Edge of Perception,” will be held from 4-6pm. Martinez’s work explores the peripheries of art and science, pulling at the fabric of our reality with innovative glass sculptures and installations that challenge the way we see and experience our world.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

April’s First Thursday festivities will include the opening of a new gallery show featuring the winners of the 2017 Young Artist Exhibition presented by PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union. School children living in and around Delaware County submitted over 100 2D and 3D pieces of artwork to the Young Artist Exhibition in March. A panel of esteemed judges chose the top three and one honorable mention in four grade categories. The winners were announced at a public reception on Thursday, March 2.

The top 16 pieces will be on display in the Cornerstone Art Gallery throughout the month of April with the opening of the show on Thursday, April 6 in conjunction with First Thursday. In preparation for the show, all of the winning 2D pieces were matted and framed by Gordy Fine Art & Framing Company.

Young artists included in the show are Elizabeth Coleman, Natalie Talbot, Michael Marling, Clarissa Terry, Megan Trappe, Maddie McBride, Jadon Waterhouse, Emma White, Alexandra Stone, Christina Ray, Meghan Buehler, Lilly Cole, Lillian Barber, Moira McCrory, Johanna McKee, and Aaron Buehler.

The Cornerstone Art Gallery will be open to the public from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 6. The 2017 Young Artist Exhibition winners will remain on display in the Cornerstone Art Gallery throughout April. For more information about the show visit cornerstonearts.org.

The Fickle Peach (21+)
117 E. Charles

"Urban Plein Air: Travel Sketches and Watercolors." Lohren Deeg will show a series of framed digital prints from his travel and design sketchbooks collected over the last decade. These sketches and watercolors depict urban and landscape scenes with a variety of ink and watercolor media, and in each case were drawn or painted in-situ. Deeg explores the ability for field sketches to create a dialogue between the experience of place and design thinking, as well as engage local residents and fellow travelers. 

Deeg is an Associate Professor of Urban Planning at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where he has taught beginning design and visual communication courses since 2001. Mr. Deeg collaborates with a small design and planning firm in downtown Muncie, Indiana, and maintains a small independent illustration practice as a member of the American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI). He recently won two awards from ASAI in their annual competition.

https://www.asai.org/members/lohrendeeg/

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. will celebrate First Thursday April 6th from 5 – 8 pm with an opening reception for :David + Sarojini Johnson Legacy Exhibition,” a collection of print work from past students celebrating the Johnsons' legacy as educators and mentors. David and Sarojini will address the crowd at 6:15. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend. The exhibit remains on view through April 29, 2017.

The month of April at Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. will be dedicated to recognizing and illuminating the influence of two of the downtown gallery’s represented artists. The David + Sarojini Johnson Legacy Exhibition features woodcuts, linocuts, intaglios, and screen prints from several Ball State University’s printmaking students between the years 1988 and 2017, most of whom have made careers out of printmaking, either as educators or professional artists. On his time with so many students over the years, David Johnson reflected, “They had energy and ambition. I got to see their work as it was being made. It was and is very exciting. It was like we were taking turns driving the same big car on a long adventurous trip to an unknown but fantastic destination.”

David Johnson has exhibited his woodcuts and intaglio prints regionally and nationally since 1984. He has received numerous awards for his work at such national exhibitions as “The Bradley National Print and Drawing Exhibition” at Bradley University and “Harper College National Print and Drawing Exhibition”. He has many prints and artist’s books in private and public collections such as the Harvard University Art Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri and the Grunewald Center for Graphic Arts in Los Angeles. David Johnson has taught printmaking and drawing at Ball State University since 1988.

Printmaker Sarojini Jha Johnson, professor of printmaking at Ball State University, is widely known for her intricate color intaglios which often depict animal and landscape imagery. She has exhibited extensively throughout the United States, has exhibited internationally, and won numerous awards for her color etchings. She has received many awards and grants at Ball State and served as Associate Chairperson from 1996 to 2002. Sarojini Johnson holds an MFA from Miami University and a BFA and BA from the University of Cincinnati, in Drawing and French, respectively.

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. The David + Sarojini Johnson Legacy Exhibition may also be viewed through Saturday, April 29, 2017 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.

Madjax
628 S. Walnut

Opening Reception for “Disengagement Party: Comic Surrealism,” an MFA Thesis Exhibition by Evan Burnette
Muncie Arts and Culture Council and Ball State University School of Art have partnered to produce this thesis exhibition at Madjax in Downtown Muncie. Disengagement Party: Comic Surrealism by glass artist Evan Burnette will celebrate with an opening reception for First Thursday, April 6th from 5 - 8 pm. The artist will be on hand during the event and introduced at 7:30 pm for a brief discussion of his work followed by an informal Q&A.

Evan Burnette is currently pursuing his MFA in Glass at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. His sculptural artwork is a combination of early twentieth century Surrealist art and the cynicism of modern sketch comedy. The exhibition Disengagement Party: Comic Surrealism features new work by the artist, including a large-scale installation piece comprised of more than 100 terracotta squirrels, satirical stained glass, and a video of the artist transporting a five foot wooden phallus in a wheelbarrow. The fun, colorful, and often humorous exhibition of his work is intentional and aims to disengage the viewer from the seriousness of modern art. This exhibit does contain mature content and may be not appropriate for young audiences.

Evan Burnette is a Masters of Fine Arts candidate in Glass at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Burnette, a native of Springfield, Illinois, received his BFA from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. Burnette’s work has gained recognition throughout the country including finalist status in The Illinois Governor’s Collegiate Art Competition, The Rickert Ziebolt Trust Awards, The National Sculpture Society Awards, and the Niche Awards, among others. His work is also currently featured in The Corning Museum of Glass’ most recent publication of New Glass Review. He hopes to pursue a university teaching career upon graduation.

Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend. Disengagement Party: Comic Surrealism will remain on view through Thursday, April 20th. Gallery hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 2 - 6 pm, Friday, 2 - 8 pm, Saturday 12 - 8 pm, and Sunday 12 - 4 pm. Madjax is located at 514 E Jackson St. Muncie, Indiana 47305. Please use the Main St. entrance. Visit www.munciearts.org for more information.

Muncie Arts and Culture council seeks to create, educate, advocate, nurture, and inspire integration of the arts via civic initiatives and through engagement with individual artists and arts organizations.

Opening Reception for “Furtive Dialogue,” an MFA Thesis Exhibition by Andrew Schultz
Muncie Arts and Culture Council and Ball State University School of Art have partnered to produce this thesis exhibition at Madjax in Downtown Muncie. Furtive Dialogue, by glass artist Andrew Schultz, will celebrate with an opening reception for First Thursday, April 6th from 5 - 8 pm. The artist will be on hand during the opening and introduced at 6:45 pm for a brief discussion of his work followed by an informal Q&A.

Andrew Schultz is a Masters of Fine Art candidate in Glass at Ball State University. Schultz’s sculptural work is designed to engage the viewer with its physical presence. A substantial portion of his work explores the dichotomy between the individual and social systems in which we exist. For Furtive Dialogue, he draws inspiration from the multifaceted ways in which we communicate, through both verbal and body languages. The exhibition celebrates the culmination of three years of research for the artist and incorporates a variety of neon, mixed media, and art glass fabrication processes and techniques. Some of the sculptures featured are interactive, and viewers are encouraged to engage with those artworks.

Andrew Schultz was born in Janesville, Wisconsin and currently lives in Muncie, where he is pursuing a Masters of Fine Art in Glass at Ball State University. Schultz received his BFA in Glass from the University of Wisconsin - River Falls in 2012. Schultz has exhibited work throughout the Midwest and Southwest including Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Wisconsin, and Arizona.  

Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend. Furtive Dialogue will remain on view through Thursday, April 20th. Gallery hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday 2 - 6 pm, Friday 2 - 8 pm, Saturday 12 - 8 pm, and Sunday 12 - 4 pm. Madjax is located at 514 E Jackson St. Muncie, Indiana 47305. Please use the Main St. entrance. Visit www.munciearts.org for more information.

“IDIA Lab: Interactive Drawing Installation"
Ball State University's IDIA Lab will exhibit a new interactive drawing installation at Madjax during April's First Thursday. The work allows users to paint with their hands through gesture onto virtual canvas.

“Maring-Hunt Community Garden Project” by Prof .Pam Harwood and 4th year Architecture students
Maring-Hunt Public Library and Ball State University are partnering to expand the impact of the existing Maring-Hunt Community Gardens. The final master plan includes built pavilions that serve as shade and shelter for gardeners, community gathering spaces, a market, community kitchen, educational outreach to the library and Southview Elementary, as well as various other outdoor play and experiential elements. Our team is focusing the remainder of this semester on a gardener’s pavilion and raised garden beds. All current images, mock ups, prototypes, as well as a dry set of the structure and garden beds will be exhibited at the MadJax Maker’s Hub. Enter through the Main St. and Monroe St. doors.

Funding for this project comes through an Academic Excellence Grant, Ball State Provost Grant, and CAP Makes | Muncie Makes.

Muncie Civic Theatre
216 E. Main

“Stars, Cars & Bars”- Muncie Civic Theatre will be hosting a car show and family event on April's First Thursday. We will have ice cream and food vendors, classic cars, a bar by Scotty's Brewhouse, and music from Grease & Taffetas, both hailing from the 50's.

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut

“Design for Choreography and Social Dance” by Prof. Joe Bilello and first-year CAP (College of Architecture and Planning) students. This exhibition will feature 15 musical pieces, interpreted by choreography students and social dancers given designed environments fit to their dance music.

“Visual Communication Senior Design Show” by Assistant Professor Shantanu Suman. The Vis Com Senior Design Show is an exhibit by a select group of senior-year Graphic Design students at Ball State University’s School of Art. Students will display concept boards of their capstone design campaign, a multifaceted project that will represent the culmination of their design education by demonstrating a connection between academic theory and practice of design. Topics include: National Parks, psychedelic music and drug abuse, the Muncie Arts Community, butterfly conservation, endangered sea turtles, gender and identity development, virtual reality, among others.  

Raymond James & Associates, Inc.
400 S. Walnut St. (Ste. 100)

Please join us from 5-7 pm for a live demonstration by Julie Vance of “Buckcreek in Bloom” as she creates a floral interpretation of a displayed work of art. This will serve as a preview for “Art in Bloom,” which will take place May 19-21, 2017 at the David Owsley Museum of Art, Ball State University. Light refreshments will be served.

Savage's Ale House (21+)
127 N. High

“Labold Brothers: On the Road” is a collection of prints and drawings by James and Greg Labold documenting their recent road trip from the southwestern U.S. to the East Coast. James earned an MFA in Glass from Ball State University and also holds a BFA from Tyler School of Art. Greg, who specializes in printmaking, also holds a BFA from Tyler School of Art. The two brothers currently live and work in Philadelphia, PA. Their work will be on display at Savages Alehouse for April’s First Thursday.

Studio Exhale
103 N. High St.

Please join us for an opening reception from 5-8 pm for “Our Point of View: The Photography of Bill and Cindy Britton.” This show features the unique perspective of the world through the eyes of Bill and Cindy Britton. Bill started taking photos after some friends and neighbors passed on and there were no photo of them. He believes that art is an important part of life and it allows us to communicate in ways that help express our feelings, ideas and concepts. Cindy's past artistry was musical, but now she finds herself experimenting with the visual. Steampunk attire is encouraged but not required!

Twin Archer Brewpub (all ages)
117 W. Charles St.

Meet the creators of Conservation Tales, books about wildlife conservation for young readers (grades 3-5): Author Tom J. McConnell, Ph.D., from the Department of Biology, Art Director Barbara Giorgio from the School of Art at Ball State University, Illustrators Sami Pfaff and Sierra Hensley, and Graphic Designer Brooke Gabrek.

From 5-9 pm, Conservation Tales: The Cerulean Warbler, the first book in the series, will be available for purchase and you will get a sneak peek at the next book in the series, Conservation Tales: Bats.

Illustrations from The Cerulean Warbler and Bats will be on exhibit. To make your child's experience meaningful and memorable, there will be coloring pages with informative science tips. Twin Archer is a family friendly restaurant.

Caring for the living things that share our planet starts early. Our children and grandchildren will make the choices that may make the difference between extinction and survival for many species. Help them understand the science behind wildlife conservation while discovering potential careers and experiencing inquiry-based science at home.

Learn more about the series at www.conservationtales.com

Leon Crosby, "Synaesthesia," Cornerstone Center for the Arts Jan McCune, "Hammer, Chisel, and Pitch," at Gordy Fine Art and Framing "We're Trying Collective" mural design reveal at the Mark III Taproom Eugene Mumaw at the Moore-Youse Home, Delaware County Historical Society Karl Erickson, "Signal Slushie," Muncie Makes Lab Molly Smith, "INTERFACE: Exploring the Rules of Engagement,” Muncie Makes Lab Richard Tursky, “Nothing to See, Hear: Just S,M,L,XL Data and some Servant,Served,Servo,Server Space," Muncie Makes Lab Danielle Phelps, "A Moment to Step Away," Studio Exhale The YART Sale at Canan Commons Shoppers at The YART Sale, Canan Commons

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

BFA Exhibition for Spring 2017: There will be a closing reception from 4-6pm on First Thursday for the “Spring 2017 BFA Exhibition” at The Atrium Gallery. The students and their areas of specialization are Canaan Gootee (Sculpture), Cristin Amber Drake (Metals), Noelle Wiegand (Glass), Lexi Musselman (Painting), Finley Norris (Drawing), Clayton Burns (Glass), Sarah Lassiter (Photography & Intermedia Arts), Alyssa Bruss (Photography & Intermedia Arts). Free admission.

Canan Commons
500 S. Walnut St.

Ball State University’s “FCS 403” class will present "Spring Into Art" activities for kids and live music at Canan Commons. Bouncehouse, face painting, chalk art, and fun house mirror photo ops will be part of the festivities.  

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

Join Cornerstone Center for Arts for First Thursday on May 4, 2017 for an opening reception and art show featuring the art of Leon Crosby. The show titled “Synesthesia,” which means to see sound in color, is an exploration of art as a representation of musical expression.

Each vibrant painting in the collection was inspired by a piece of music and captures the feelings emoted by that particular song. Using techniques incorporating watercolor, gradients, and multiple stylings Crosby created colorful emotions that spur the imagination. To allow the viewer to appreciate the symbiosis of the artwork paired with song, QR codes and headphones will be available the evening of the opening allowing participants to experience the musical inspiration of each painting using just their cell phone and QR scanner. The opening reception will take place from 5:00 to 8:00 pm 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 May.

Crosby, a visual arts instructor at Cornerstone, was born in Toledo, Ohio and started his journey in art at a young age. His biggest inspirations come from Japanese art, American graffiti, and comic book graphics. He has received both formal and informal instruction from the Toledo Museum of Art and the University of Toledo and regularly displays and sells his art throughout the Muncie community. In addition to teaching at Cornerstone, Crosby has volunteered his time at Sutton Elementary and has several private lesson students. His passion for art and teaching encourages him to inspire his students to make the world a more beautiful place.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. will celebrate First Thursday May 4th from 5 – 8 pm with an opening reception for Hammer, Chisel, and Pitch, a collection of new chase repoussé jewelry by Jan McCune. The artist will speak briefly at 6:15 and demonstrate the chase repoussé technique throughout the evening. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend. The exhibit remains on view through May 27, 2017.

This exhibition is the culmination of a year-long project, funded by the Indiana Arts Commission, in which McCune learned the ancient metalworking technique of chase repoussé. Chasing and repoussé are two interrelated methods of adding dimension to flat metal. In chasing, the artist adds lines, textures, and patterns to the front side of the metal using a hammer and punches. Repoussé is a French word meaning "to push out." When using this technique, the artist works from the back side of the flat metal and pushes out areas to create volume. In spite of being very labor intensive, McCune has fallen in love with both the process and the look of the finished work.

GFAF represented artist Jan McCune has been making jewelry since 2008. She studied at the Arrowmont School of Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. She is the recipient of three Indiana Arts Commission Individual Artist Grants. Her award-winning metal work has been included in several regional juried exhibitions. She has been recognized as an Indiana Artisan since 2012.

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. Hammer, Chisel, and Pitch may also be viewed through Saturday, May 27, 2017 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.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

We are pleased to offer a free concert of organ music for the May’s First Thursday downtown event. The concert will be at Grace Episcopal Church beginning at 7:30pm, our doors open at 5pm. The concert will be presented by members of the Muncie Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Among the organists who will be performing will be Ball State University faculty member Rebecca Burkart and several student organists, Peter Douglas, Sunwoo Lee, and Ben Weaver. The concert will feature music from Bach to Pachelbel and John Stanley to Van Denman Thompson. The concert begins at 7:30pm with a reception to follow with time to meet the performers. Grace Episcopal Church is located at the corner of Madison St. and Adams St., just a short walk from the center of downtown.

Mark III Taproom
306 S. Walnut

We're Trying Collective will reveal the design for their mural project "On the Mark, For the City" from 7-9pm. Music by DJ JANNELL.

Moore-Youse Historical Museum
122 E. Washington

The Delaware County Historical Society will debut three new exhibits in the Moore-Youse Home:

Gallery 1 will be an extensive collection of the artwork of Muncie Artist Eugene Mumaw.

Gallery 2 will highlight the 100th Anniversary of the US Entry into World War1 with an exhibit of uniforms, photographs and more.

Gallery 3 will feature needle arts including tatting, embroidery, and crochet, with a wide variety of outstanding needle art from the Historical Society collection.

This is an opportunity to enjoy exhibits of the community's history and meet and talk to museum staff.

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut

Muncie Makes Lab will have an opening reception for three new shows:

“Signal Slushie”: A one-night exhibition of time-based media art from students in Ball State University's Intermedia Art 2 course (with instructors Karl Erickson & Maura Jasper from the School of Art). Exhibiting artists include: Lexi Musselman, Nicole Nikas, Hope Kemp, Celina Timmerman, Alex Mikev, Sam Hodolitz, Thomas Williamson, Callie Zimmerman, and Katherine Thomas.

“Nothing to See, Hear:  Just S,M,L,XL Data and some Servant,Served,Servo,Server Space” by Richard Tursky, Design Innovation Fellow, College of Architecture and Planning. Tursky asks “Should/can Architecture need to evolve from knowledge about buildings to being about building knowledge (data)?” These projects begin to explore the potentials of architecture and design's roles in the realms of big data and machine learning.

“INTERFACE: Exploring the Rules of Engagement” by Molly Smith, M.Arch student, College of Architecture and Planning. This spatial interface is used to observe and explore how conversations emerge between participants and physical space, with the installation acting as a means for communication. How can architectural methods be employed to act as a mediator between people in public space?

Muncie Public Library
2005 S. High St.

Muncie Public Library will be taking photos of visitors and giving a mini-lesson on Photoshop. This pop-up campaign corresponds to a networking and learning opportunity for adults held on May 9 at the Muncie Public Library Connection Corner. 

Studio Exhale
103 N. High St.

Studio Exhale will have an opening reception for the show “A Moment to Step Away” by Danielle Phelps. As a wife, mother, art educator, and artist, Phelps finds she can escape to her own space and converse with only the canvas. Phelps is influenced by everyday life the most. She notices the little things, finding beauty in nature, praying, and spreading a love of art through teaching her students. Her work tends to be very playful, colorful, whimsical, and sweet. Her hope is that this small body of work enables the viewer to smile, laugh, and feel a sense of joy. 

YART
Canan Commons, 500 S. Walnut St.

YART is Coming! YART is a Yard Sale for Art! YART began in Muncie, Indiana with students at Ball State University and continues in several U.S. cities! The Muncie YART is now held at Canan Commons in Downtown, twice a year, Spring and Fall, on the First Thursday of every May and October. 

The Spring 2017 Muncie YART will be held on the same date as the First Thursday Gallery Walk, at Muncie's lovely Downtown park, Canan Commons, on the South Walnut Street roundabout in Downtown Muncie, Indiana, on Thursday, May 4th, from 5-9pm. 

This community art sale, with a goal of making art affordable and accessible to everyone, brings together artists and art patrons in a casual and unique setting. 

All forms of art are welcome! Art of all kinds, by all kinds of artists! YART encourages interaction between artists and the community, hoping to make art more accessible, especially to those who think they cannot afford to buy art for themselves. To this goal, all YART art will be priced below $40!

Each YART Artist will be present throughout YART to meet the public, discuss their art, handle sales personally, and some artists will be making art LIVE at YART!

The Spring 2017 Muncie YART will feature a wide variety of jewelry, clothing, photography, oil/acrylic/watercolor paintings, fused glass, ceramics, knits, pottery, candles, toys, drawings, sculpture, lampwork glass, stuffed animals, digital art, mosaics, the Midwest Writer's Workshop's Poems While You Wait,  Mystical Harp, LIVE ART and LIVE MUSIC, and so much more!

Fun for all ages - YART is for the whole family!

Miss Moth (Director of the Muncie YART) and the YART Artists very much thank Cheryl Crowder of the Muncie Downtown Development Partnership for their generous support! YART is an all-volunteer, no-budget, community event. THANK YOU!

LIKE Muncie YART on FaceBook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Muncie-Yart/156725934394407

Spring 2017 Muncie YART RSVP and Event Information here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1667134150249106/?ti=icl

Wesley Nally, “Colors in the Life of an Artist,” Cornerstone Center for the Arts "Young Frankenstein," After Hours Art Reels at the Fickle Peach "Blues Jam" at Valhalla

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

Join Cornerstone Center for Arts for an opening reception and art show featuring the art of Wesley Nally. The show, titled “Colors in the Life of an Artist,” captures everyday life through the eyes of the artist depicted in a range of expressive colors.

The collection explores a coming of age for Nally who has grown as an artist through his life experiences. Each piece in the show was created to provoke thought using colors chosen to symbolize various emotions. The connection between subject and color helps to express the feelings behind each piece.

Nally is an Indiana native from Blackford County who studied art as a student and previously served as the resident cartoonist for the Bruins School Newspaper while at Blackford High School. He says that this collection has been “a lifetime coming and serves as his reintroduction to the world of art.”

The opening reception of “Colors in the Life of an Artist” will take place from 5 to 8 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 July.

For more information about the show call Cornerstone’s Department of Education & Communication at 765-281-9503, ext. 23 or visit cornerstonearts.org.

The Fickle Peach (21+)
117 E. Charles

After Hours Art Reels: Young Frankenstein- Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, in collaboration with The Fickle Peach, presents After Hours Art Reels. July’s film is the 1974 Mel Brooks’ comedy “Young Frankenstein,” starring Gene Wilder and Madeleine Kahn. Come enjoy the gallery exhibits from 5-8pm, and join us afterwards at dusk for these 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.

Save the First Thursday dates for the films this summer. Go to http://www.downtownmuncie.org/after-hours-art-reels/ to see the trailers for all the films.

Savage's Ale House (21+)
127 N. High

Work by artist Chris Carroll with 3C Visual Studios Photo Gallery will be on view.

Valhalla  (21+)
215 S. Walnut

Valhalla and The Heorot present “Blues Jam” every Thursday. “Blues Jam” is an open event with sign-up starting at 7pm and music from 8-11pm. Come show us your talent!

Bill Lett at Elm Street Brewing Co. "The Fifth Element," After Hours Art Reels at the Fickle Peach Forever Young Children's Boutique, "Mom's Helping Mom's Benefit" Allison Smith, "Anaglygh 3D," Gordy Fine Art and Framing Co. Allison Smith, "510 W 27th Street & 555 W 22nd Street (Diptych)" National IPA Day, The Heorot GindhART @Madjax First Thursday with Debra Gindhart Dragoo #TellTodd Community Action Party: First Thursdays with the Planned Parenthood Summer of Defiance Tom Stader at Studio Exhale "Blues Jam" at Valhalla

Elm Street Brewing (21+)
519 N. Elm

Elm Street Brewing Company will launch its participation in the First Thursday Gallery Walk series this month. The brewery will feature artwork created by its co-owner, Bill Lett.

Bill is a native o​f​ Michigan but has lived large parts of his life in Colorado, California, and Muncie. He has completed over 1,000,000 square feet of historic preservation, hundreds of high end retail stores and restaurants, along with dozens of custom homes. With the help of his wife Robin Lett, Bill’s most recent and active project is the restoration of the Muncie Ice and Coal building.

His artistic work spans many mediums and has most recently centered upon the creation of “Steel Tattoos” which have become the hallmark of Elm Street Brewing Company’s interior design. Join us on Thursday to hear the story of Bill’s creative inspiration and to see other works of art not presently on display.

The Fickle Peach (21+)
117 E. Charles

After Hours Art Reels: The Fifth Element- Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, in collaboration with The Fickle Peach, presents After Hours Art Reels. August’s film is the 1997 hit “The Fifth Element” starring Bruce Willis and Milla Jovovich. Come enjoy the gallery exhibits from 5-8pm, and join us afterwards at dusk for these 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.

Save the First Thursday dates for the films this summer. Go to http://www.downtownmuncie.org/after-hours-art-reels/ to see the trailers for all the films.

Forever Young Children’s Boutique
125 E. Charles

“Mom’s Helping Mom’s” Special Promotion: Forever Young Children’s Boutique is having a benefit for First Choice for Women. Bring a donation of baby wipes and/or diapers and receive special discounts! 5% off total purchase for one donated item, 10% for two items, and 15% for 3 items. They will also hold special extended hours from 5-7pm. 

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company will celebrate First Thursday, August 3rd from 5 – 8 pm with an opening reception for the gallery’s first Fiber Arts Invitational. The exhibit will feature artwork by local and regional fiber artists. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

The Fiber Arts Invitational will introduce a variety of approaches to traditional and contemporary techniques being used in fiber arts today including hand weaving, industrial weaving, and felting. Exhibiting artists are Martina Celerin, Ann Land, and Allison Smith. Celerin is a fiber artist who creates dimensional weavings using reclaimed and recycled materials. Born in Prague, she now lives and works in Bloomington, Indiana. Land is an Insurance Agent by day and an artist by nature. Her most recent exploration with fiber arts are 2D and 3D felted works made in her Muncie studio. Smith received her BFA in Crafts, Textiles and Fine Arts minor from Kent State University in 2014. She is currently continuing her studies at Kent State University as she pursues her MFA in Crafts, Textiles. She combines various textile materials and techniques with a focus on dualities: hard and soft, rigid and fluid, geometric and organic.

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. The Fiber Arts Invitational will be on view through Saturday, September 2nd and close with an afternoon artist reception and demonstration. The downtown gallery will also partner with their neighbor Yarn Stories, a local yarn store that has been serving the fiber arts community since 2015, to present small educational opportunities throughout the exhibition.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

We have a great idea on how to stay cool on a hot day! Come listen to hot music indoors. At Grace Episcopal Church (corner of Madison and Adams), we will be hosting classical guitarist Paul Reilly. Reilly will be featuring two 20th century composers, Joaquin Turina and Federica Moreno-Tamoba. The concert starts at 7:30pm and a reception will follow.

Heorot Pub & Draught House (21+)
219 S. Walnut

First Thursday is national IPA Day and we're celebrating with 6 hoppy brews from Grand Rapids' Founders Brewing!

Centennial IPA (65 IBU, 7.2%)
Get ready to bask in the glory of the frothy head’s floral bouquet. Relish the citrus accents from the abundance of dry hopping. This one’s sweet, yet balanced. Malty undertones shake hands with the hop character for a finish that never turns too bitter.

All Day IPA (42 IBU, 4.7%)
The beer you’ve been waiting for. Keeps your taste satisfied while keeping your senses sharp. An all-day IPA naturally brewed with a complex array of malts, grains and hops. Balanced for optimal aromatics and a clean finish. The perfect reward for an honest day’s work and the ultimate companion to celebrate life’s simple pleasures.

Red's Rye IPA (70 IBU, 6.6%)
Serious hop bitterness, along with an unyielding grapefruit bouquet from the Amarillo dry hop, balances the malty richness of four varieties of imported Belgian caramel malts. Pours a spectacular crimson with a creamy tan head. A generous addition of rye malt accentuates a spicy, crisp finish.

reDANKulous (90 IBU, 9.5%)
This bold, 9.5% imperial red IPA pours a pleasing burnt amber color. Caramalt and roasted barley introduce a subtle sweetness, but the hops are the true headliner in this big IPA. The spicy, piney and tropical complexities of Chinook, Mosaic and Simcoe hops hit you right away with their dank aroma – and they stick around. It’s not just ridiculous. It’s reDANKulous.

Doom (86 IBU, 12.4%)
Doom may be impending but that doesn’t mean you have to fear it. A collision of worlds, the intense hop character of our imperial IPA mingles with the warm vanilla and oak notes imparted from time spent in our favorite bourbon barrels. Like all good things, Doom comes to those who wait.

10K IPA (75 IBU, 9.1%)
Like many good things, 10K IPA was the result of a bet. Our Co-Founder offered our Brewmaster $10,000 to brew an IPA that got higher ratings than one of the notoriously best IPAs in the world. Our Brewmaster claims he never got that $10,000, but the beer world got an incredibly big and bold IPA, exploding with Simcoe hop flavor and just the right amount of malt sweetness. Win-win.

Madjax Muncie
514 E. Jackson St.

GindhART @Madjax First Thursday with Debra Gindhart Dragoo

Longtime local artist and designer Debra Gindhart Dragoo is in her Madjax Studio with new paintings, small painted furniture, new text pieces, green glam on vintage displays, and new recycle-chic jewelry available for purchase. Her art processes include but are not limited to Aerosols, Acrylics and Assemblage with commissions welcomed. Meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments from 5-9pm during First Thursday’s Gallery Walk.

Studio Exhale
103 N. High St.

For the month of August, Studio Exhale will feature the artwork of Tom Stader. His colorful work showcases the beauty of nature through his eyes. Opening reception is on First Thursday from 5-8pm.

Valhalla  (21+)
215 S. Walnut

Valhalla and The Heorot present “Blues Jam” every Thursday. “Blues Jam” is an open event with sign-up starting at 7pm and music from 8-11pm. Come show us your talent!

Muncie YWCA
310 E. Charles (Community Room)

#TellTodd Community Action Party: First Thursdays with the Planned Parenthood Summer of Defiance

Join the Planned Parenthood Summer of Defiance team Thursday, August 3rd from 5:30-7pm at the YWCA to help hold Senator Todd Young accountable! #TellTodd why YOU stand with Planned Parenthood and the 22 million Americans at risk of losing their healthcare if this new senate ‘healthcare’ bill is passed once and for all. Win a t-shirt, make a poster, decorate some cookies, and make your voice heard!

Samantha Brummer, Cornerstone Center for the Arts "Moulin Rouge," After Hours Art Reels at the Fickle Peach David Dale, "Odyssey," Gordy Fine Arts and Framing Harmony Cafe and Studio Newton's Cenotaph, IDIA Lab "Conservation Tales: Bats," at Made in Muncie "GindhART @Madjax 65 Partay," Madjax Maring-Hunt Library Community Garden Gateway to Growing Pavilion and Nature Play Pockets, Faculty: Pam Harwood, Muncie Makes Lab Lions Club Park in Yorktown, IN, Faculty: Sean Burns, Muncie Makes Lab “49262” at Exhibit Columbus, Faculty: Josh Coggeshall, Muncie Makes Lab Digital design and fabrication, Faculty: Richard Tursky, Muncie Makes Lab "Blues Jam," Valhalla

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

Stacey Lee Webber is a 2005 alumnus of the School of Art and went on to receive an MFA from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Since that time, she has created her own metalsmithing and jewelry business, focusing on unconventional materials and low-impact, environmentally conscious practices. She has been exhibiting her work internationally and traveling North America, giving lectures and demonstrations. Her work was featured in the 40 under 40: Craft Futures, an exhibition at the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery, highlighting artists to watch in the field of contemporary crafts.

On September 7th, the Atrium Gallery will be open 9:00am - 8:00pm .
Objectified: A Solo Show by Stacey Lee Webber is on display August 21-September 20, 2017.
The Atrium Gallery is on the first floor of the Art & Journalism Building on Ball State campus. Hours are Monday-Friday 9am-4pm and Saturday 1pm-4pm.
The closing reception with Artist Talk will be held in the Atrium Gallery September 20, 2017 4-6pm.

Book Arts Collaborative (at Madjax)
600 E. Main

Tribune Showprint Posters and Book Arts Collaborative will be open this Thursday.  They will have a press inked up, and visitors can pull a print.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

Join Cornerstone Center for Arts for a First Thursday Celebration on September 7th. September’s First Thursday happenings at Cornerstone will feature both an opening reception at Cornerstone Art Gallery as well as interactive demonstrations by Cornerstone instructors at Cornerstone Park.

Samantha Brammer, owner of Samantha Rose Photography, has been a photographer for seven years. Her work focuses on creativity, documentary style, and capturing true emotion. As she continues to learn and grow as a photographer, she finds herself focusing on natural light, candid moments, and finding the beauty in any situation. Samantha, a Muncie-native, is in her fourth year at Ball State University and will be graduating in December with her degree in photojournalism and minors in sociology and graphic arts technology. The work featured in the collection is a variety of Samantha’s landscape, lifestyle, journalism, and studio work.

The opening reception for the photography of Samantha Brammer, will take place on Thursday, September 7 from 5 to 8 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 September.

Once you have enjoyed the photography in the Cornerstone Art Gallery, be sure to stop by Cornerstone Park at the corner of Madison and Main for visual and performing arts demonstrations. Belly Dance and Hip Hop/Contemporary dancers will utilize the stage, while visual artists demonstrate ceramic wheel throwing, painting, and graffiti/anime drawing. Cornerstone staff will be on hand to answer questions regarding upcoming fall classes, events, and workshops.

For more information about the show call Cornerstone’s Department of Education & Communication at 765-281- 9503, ext. 23 or visit cornerstonearts.org.

The Fickle Peach (21+)
117 E. Charles

After Hours Art Reels: Moulin Rouge: Muncie Downtown Development Partnership, in collaboration with The Fickle Peach, presents After Hours Art Reels following the First Thursday Gallery Walks. September’s film will be Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge, starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Come enjoy the gallery exhibits from 5-8pm, and join us afterwards at dusk for these great cult and art film classics! Plus, Fire and Brimstone Pizza Company will be serving food outside of the Fickle Peach from 5pm until dark.

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.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Muncie Artist David Dale and Nashville Poet Andrew Hubbard collaborate to make more than 20 works of art inspired by East Central Indiana’s Red-tail Land Conservancy.  Fall exhibition and sale of their works to benefit Red-tail’s mission.

Artist David Dale, well-known for his deep concern for the environment and natural resources, has partnered with Andrew Hubbard, who has published two books of poetry reflecting on the connectivity of humanity and nature. Their project is titled All About the Land:  Pastels of David Dale and Poetry of Andrew Hubbard.  An exhibition will open to the public at Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company on September 7, 2017. Proceeds from sale of the work will benefit Red-tail Land Conservancy.

“We at Gordy are so pleased to be a part if this project to highlight and support the important work of Red-tail,” said Gordy owners Barbara and Carl Schafer. “We are equally pleased to be the venue to welcome David Dale back to Muncie.”

Hubbard and Dale met in Nashville Indiana where he moved after his retirement from David Dale Designs several years ago. They were neighbors and active members of the creative community there. Dale has since moved back to Muncie and asked Hubbard to partner with him in the creative community here. 

Their art is inspired by visits to Red-tail lands, now totaling more than 2,600 acres at 36 sites in East-Central Indiana counties. “I work in the studio, but painting outdoors is my passion,” said Dale. “For each image, there is a poem by Andy sharing the same subject. Sometimes my painting responds to his poem, and other times his poem responds to my painting. They will be exhibited side by side.”

“The experience of working in these remarkable settings is intensely rewarding,” Hubbard adds. “We hope that the works will enable you to participate in the vibrancy of a special place and time."

Red-tail Land Conservancy’s mission is to preserve, protect, and restore natural areas and farm land in east central Indiana while increasing awareness of our natural heritage. “We hope Dale and Hubbard’s portrayals of these preserved sites will inspire Hoosiers to appreciate the splendor of nature and join Red-tail in its mission,” said Red-tail’s Education and Outreach Coordinator Julie Borgman.     

“I look forward to any opportunity to walk in our woods, and love to accompany David and Andy on their visits,” said Executive Director Barry Banks. “I can’t wait to see the Red-tail renderings that will emerge.”

Dale and Hubbard have also welcomed watercolorist, Jim Faulkner to collaborate on the exhibit. Dale and Faulkner have teamed-up over the years on many successful art projects, including the exhibit, “River Odyssey, Two Artists Follow the Wabash”, which toured several galleries and museums for over a year, starting with the Indiana State Museum and ending at Minnetrista Cultural Center before going to auction with a percent of proceeds going to support the Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission’s educational and conservation programs.

David Dale is well-known in East Central Indiana and beyond for his years as an interior designer, but now paints full time. He studied art the Fort Wayne School and Museum and has taught in the Ball State University School of Art.His major exhibits include, River Odyssey, Two Artists Follow the Wabash, and Oakhurst Gardnens through the Seasons. He has received numerous awards in competitions, including those hosted by The Hoosier Salon, Indiana Heritage Arts, Richmond Art Museum, and Minnetrista.

Andrew Hubbard holds degrees in Creative Writing from Dartmouth College and Columbia University. For most of his career, he worked as Director of Training for a number of major financial institutions. He is a well-known speaker on the topic of corporate training, and has authored three books and dozens of articles on the subject. He has published two books of poetry, Things That Get You, and The Divining Rod, both through Interactive Press. 

Odyssey

By Andrew Hubbard

Imagine effortless perfection.

Imagine this river

Not making a wrong turn

In a thousand years,

Reflecting every leaf and cloud

With passion and precision

Nourishing the deep roots

Of the silver maples

Who offer tribute in return:

Showers of golden leaves

Gifted to the river current

Wherever it may venture.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

Come down to the corner of Madison and Adams streets to Grace Episcopal Church for a concert of folk rock music. Steve Robert and the Jazz Manian Devils will be performing at 7:30pm. This is a local band that performs at community events, including Foodie Fridays during the summer and other local music revues in Muncie. The lead singer and guitar player, Steve Robert, is also known for leading drum circles here in Muncie.

Harmony Café and Studio
112 W. Jackson

Harmony Dance Studio will have an open house for all levels of dancers and novices, with short mini lessons in swing and salsa dancing on the hour, every hour, from 5-8pm. Each lesson will be about 20 minutes long. They are great for people with or without a partner, and they are all free.

Idia Lab
223 S. Walnut St.

Ball State University’s IDIA Lab will showcase recent virtual reality projects at 223 S. Walnut Street (the former Silo) during Muncie’s First Thursday. Stop by to explore selections from our immersive multiuser environments that use the HTC Vive VR headsets, including a simulation of the 1915 World’s Fair in San Francisco; a monumental, never-built design of a tomb for Sir Isaac Newton; and play basketball in a virtual gym. IDIA Lab staff and faculty will be on hand for questions about how these emerging technologies are being used in the arts, sciences and humanities. IDIA Lab is an interdisciplinary virtual reality and simulation lab at Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning.

Made in Muncie
313 S Walnut Street

“Conservation Tales: Bats”: Art exhibition and book sale. Learn more about the series about wildlife conservation for young readers (grades 3-5). Meet the Author, Tom J. McConnell, Ph.D., from the Department of Biology and Art Director, Barbara Giorgio from the School of Art at Ball State University. School of Art students will be available for book signing and to answer questions about the creative process, illustrators Sami Pfaff, Sierra Hensley, Janice Carter and Sarah DeMars; and graphic designer, Natalie Rokosz. 

The first two books in the series The Cerulean Warbler and Bats will be available for purchase and you will get a sneak peek at the next two books in the series, Conservation Tales: Bees and Salamanders available January 2018.

Learn more about the series at www.conservationtales.com

Madjax Muncie
514 E. Jackson St.

GindhART @Madjax 65 Partay: Debra Gindhart Dragoo turns 65 during the month of September. She has a long standing ART-BIRTHDAY ritual with Downtown Muncie's First Thursday event. There will be celebratory treats (CAKE) and light refreshments from 5-9pm. First Thursday at Madjax Muncie is an opportunity to meet the artist. See a new text collection and art featuring aerosols, acrylics, and assemblage wall art. There is also a new Green Glam Studio jewelry collection as well, Boho Funky, which includes earrings and tassel necklaces. Recycle chic is the Real Babes Recycle art anthem of long time artist/designer and educator Debra Gindhart Dragoo.

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut

Maring-Hunt Library Community Garden Gateway to Growing Pavilion and Nature Play Pockets, Faculty: Pam Harwood

The Maring-Hunt Library Community Garden Master Plan, its improvement and expansion, and a series of three Garden Pavilions and Nature Play Pockets were developed as useful spaces to address food insecurity in a USDA-designated food desert, cultivate community interaction and social activity, and provide learning opportunities for the Southview Elementary School students, Maring-Hunt Library patrons, and neighborhood families.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBpFa4U7N6A

Lions Club Park in Yorktown, IN, Faculty: Sean Burns

The permanent installation structure within Lions Club Park is a response to a vision by the Yorktown’s Council for the Arts and the Parks Department to help encourage more interaction and engagement for children at the site as well as serve as a gateway piece for a newly proposed pedestrian trail system that will be developed throughout the park.

“49262” at Exhibit Columbus, Faculty: Josh Coggeshall

Located at Central Middle School in Columbus Indiana, 49262 is one of 6 university installations showcasing the cutting-edge work of Midwestern universities with masters programs in architecture.

Digital design and fabrication, Faculty: Richard Tursky

This seminar looked at automata and other mechanical devices as inspiration for the development of robotic architecture (transformable spaces) to develop critical and prototypical projects.

Digital and Design Toolmaking, Faculty: Dan Eisinger

The Digital and Design Toolmaking elective at CAP challenged architecture students to engage concepts including design theory, design representation and computation through the development of tools and machines that act as proxies of the designer in the production of physical design artifacts.

Experimental Structures in Cross-Laminated-Timber, Faculty: Philipp Heidemann

The workshop aimed at speculating on the structural and aesthetic potential of Cross-Laminated-Timber (CLT) as a versatile and relatively new construction material, using 3d-modeling and -fabrication and resulting in a proposal for a pavilion as a temporary focal point of student life on the Ball State University Campus on an open space between the Noyer Complex and Studebaker West.

United Way of Delaware County
Walnut St.

Happening in the midst of downtown Muncie's First Thursday event, United Way of Delaware County’s 2017 Campaign Kick-Off is a celebration open to all members of our community!

Join us on Walnut Street for live music from the Bahama Llama Band, Carl Storie, Cook and Belle, and Jennifer Stanley, and taste limited-edition flavors from local brewers such as The Heorot, Elm Street, New Corner, and Guardian. Party alongside Pacesetter companies and community leaders between Adams and Charles Street. Eat at local restaurants, such as Vera Mae's and Casa Del Sol, where 10% of the profits will be donated to the UWDC campaign. Ball State’s Charlie Cardinal, cheerleaders, and Code Red Dancers will be there engaging with fans of all ages. Stick around for comments from Campaign Chair Casey Stanley, United Way Worldwide CEO Brian Gallagher, and new Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns at 7 p.m.

You won’t want to miss this opportunity to celebrate community and impact with your neighbors right here in Delaware County!

Valhalla  (21+)
215 S. Walnut

Valhalla and The Heorot present “Blues Jam” every Thursday. “Blues Jam” is an open event with sign-up starting at 7pm and music from 8-11pm. Come show us your talent!

October Artswalk! See attached images for full info!

Or visit http://www.downtownmuncie.org/artswalk/ to download PDFs directly

Jacinda Russell, "Thunderbird Motel, Marfa Texas," The Atrium Gallery Ryan Sparrow, "Che Mural," Book Arts Collaborative Marvin Groves, "Lion Jumping," Cornerstone Center for the Arts Linda Riedel Ellis, "Blooming Pink," The Fickle Peach Holiday Showcase, Gordy Fine Art and Framing Sale and Truffle Release at Queer Chocolatier Jeff Bracket, ""Life's Patterns," Savage's Alehouse David Zeiler, "The Magic of Madness," Studio Exhale Michelle Duran, "Sugar Skull Demo and Decorating," Twin Archer Brewpub "Blues Jam" at Valhalla

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

Jacinda Russell: Autobiography in Water
The Ball State University School of Art Atrium Gallery will have extended hours for November’s First Thursday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm for Jacinda Russell’s exhibition “Autobiography in Water.”

From November 1-11, 2017, the Atrium Gallery proudly presents a solo exhibition of Russell’s series of artworks, which were completed during her sabbatical leave of spring 2016, as well as related work that ranges from 2013-2017. Russell will conduct a Gallery Talk at 5:00 p.m. during the 4:00-6:00 p.m. opening reception on November 2.

In her artist’s statement Russell states, “Autobiography in Water depicts water as a source of renewal, leisure, tradition, longing, helplessness and fear, as well as a delineator of space and the passage and suspension of time. It is site-specific, and since July 2013 it has required extensive travel throughout Texas, Idaho, the Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona, Florida, the Canadian Rockies, Iceland and New Zealand. The artworks depict the places I took for granted before moving to the Midwest and those where one visit altered the course of the future. They also include the unknown, those sites for which I yearn, where my story is yet unwritten. The pools, rivers, lakes and oceans offer continuity and familiarity in an effort to connect me to the locales that I long to call home.”

To fulfill her sabbatical requirements Russell performed two artist-in-residencies. She spent March 2016 at Playa in Summer Lake, Oregon and May 2016 at Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts in Brush Creek, Wyoming. The locations visited in spring 2016 to complete the series were: 17 days driving from the northernmost point of the North Island to the southernmost point of the South Island on her fifth trip to New Zealand, and visits to the locales of Lake Tahoe and the Arizona Inn in Tucson were also included.

Russell is an Associate Professor of Art and teaches in the School of Art Photography / Intermedia area.

The School of Art Atrium Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturdays 1-4 p.m.

Book Arts Collaborative (at Madjax)
600 E. Main

“Return to Cuba: Photographs by Ryan Sparrow”
“Return to Cuba: Photographs by Ryan Sparrow” will be on view throughout the month of November at Book Arts Collaborative. Come by during First Thursday to check out the work on view and buy some photographs and other gifts at reasonable prices. Sparrow has led several photographers on tour of Cuba since its borders opened to US citizens in 2016. An accomplished photojournalist, Sparrow will show and sell his work on the walls of Book Arts Collaborative in the Madjax building throughout the month of November. Proceeds go entirely to the artist.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

Cornerstone Center for the Arts will be open from 5-8pm on First Thursday for a viewing of wildlife photography by Marvin Groves.

While Groves continues to stay very much engaged in all photographic styles, he has developed a love of nature and wildlife photography. He has produced many award-winning images throughout his travels. His photography includes but is not limited to: wolves in Minnesota, wild horses in Wyoming, and many varieties of smaller animals. He has traveled to Alaska to capture images of Black, Grizzly, Brown and Kodiak bears.  In 2016 he journeyed to the Arctic on a Russian Icebreaker to photograph Polar Bears, walrus and seals. As exciting as all these opportunities have been, none compare to his 2017 trip to Tanzania, Africa where he photographed all the big cats plus elephants, gazelles, giraffes, several species of birds and so much more.

On Wednesday, November 1s at 5:30pm in the Cornerstone Art Gallery on the second floor, Groves will give a special photography presentation. Groves will project his photography onto the big screen in the E.B. Ball Auditorium at Cornerstone Center for the Arts. He will share the tales of his travels to Africa and firsthand experience in capturing these majestic creatures on film.

The Fickle Peach (21+)
117 E. Charles

The Fickle Peach will host an exhibition of photography by Linda Riedel Ellis. Riedel Ellis is a third generation photographer living in Daleville and has been doing photography for 41 years, starting at Highland High School on a yearbook and newspaper staff. After graduation, she continued photographing weddings, seniors, sports teams, Saint John’s Hospital, Community Hospital, Anderson Christian School, North Anderson Church, Travis Construction, commercial work, and has won many awards.  Her father, Harvey Riedel, is a well-known photographer from Anderson Indiana that taught her how to become successful with photography. His work can be seen on YouTube.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Company will open its Holiday Art Showcase on First Thursday, November 2nd from 5-8 PM. A feast for the eyes, the Holiday Art Showcase offers works of art by more than 25 East Central Indiana artists as dozens of drawings, jewelry, paintings, prints, and pottery pieces fill the gallery. Carl and Barbara Schafer will introduce the show during a brief talk at 6:15. The event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served giving customers the opportunity to buy unique objects created by local artists for holiday decorating and gift giving.

Prices range from $1 to $2,000, with most falling between $30 to $200. From whimsical “Funcie” signs and shirts to handcrafted mugs and plates. Paintings capturing Indiana’s rural landscapes in various media to handbound journals and letterpress cards.

“The Holiday Art Showcase is a great opportunity to find unique holiday gifts with a connection to the city we live in,” says Gordy owners Barbara and Carl Schafer. “Often our customers are shopping for friends who have moved away from Muncie, or for their grown children who need something special to remember their hometown.  Useful things such as mugs, bowls, and t-shirts are popular since they are used every day.”

The show will run through December 31st. New works will be added throughout the holiday season to replace things that are purchased and removed.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

It’s getting cooler but the music is still hot. Singer, songwriter, and guitar player Bryce Taylor will be performing at 7:30pm at Grace Episcopal Church (corner of Madison and Adams). Taylor is a local musician who enjoys playing in intimate settings like house concerts. Come and enjoy an awesome evening with great music and a really nice reception that follows the concert.

Harmony Café and Studio
112 W. Jackson

Please join Harmony Studio and Cafe and High Street United Methodist Church for a special dance performance on the corner of Walnut and Jackson from 6-7:30pm. Several performers will be doing salsa dancing and others will hand out flyers to promote a fundraising dance for Puerto Rico on November 12th at High Street United Methodist Church.

The Queer Chocolatier
405 S. Walnut St. Suite 204

Queer Chocolatier is a new, local queer women-owned chocolate shop selling chocolate truffles and a line of art pieces for the home called Homo Décor. Owned by Morgan Roddy and Cheri Ellefson, Queer Chocolatier crafts chocolate truffles in both classic (with dairy) and vegan (non-dairy) options. Truffles as well as Homo Décor items can be purchased at our website: www.queerchocolatier.com or at our retail location. For November’s First Thursday event, we will have new Homo Décor pieces available as well as feature the release of our truffle flavor of the month: Hazelnut Crunch.

Savage's Ale House (21+)
127 N. High

Savage’s Alehouse will host an exhibition by Jeff Bracket titled “Life’s Patterns.” Brackett is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Ball State. His freeform, pattern-heavy, artwork aims to transform life’s often-elusive patterns into “tangible ones,” filled with tensions between simplicity and complexity, as seen in this series of ink drawings.

Studio Exhale
103 N. High St.

Studio Exhale will host an exhibition titled “The Magic of Madness” by David Zeiler. Zeiler is a local mixed-media artist that includes acrylic, pencil, pen & ink, and 3-D. Subject matter of his works range from dinosaurs and Harry Potter to mental health issues and horror. Fine art has become his passion and therapy, helping him deal with PTSD from his time in the Marine Corps.

Twin Archer Brewpub (all ages)
17 W. Charles St.

Day of the Dead Sugar Skulls Demo and Decorating
Dr. Michelle Duran, a specialist in Mexican Art, will be setting up an altar for Day of the Dead (which is on First Thursday!). She will also have blank sugar skulls for kids and adult to decorate (all materials provided) and take home. (Sugar skulls are traditionally made for Day of the Dead.) Come learn about Mexican art and traditions and make your own Day of the Dead skull!

Valhalla  (21+)
215 S. Walnut

Valhalla and The Heorot present “Blues Jam” every Thursday. “Blues Jam” is an open event with sign-up starting at 7pm and music from 8-11pm. Come show us your talent!

Light up DWNTWN Katherine Thomas, "Place in Between," The Atrium Gallery BFA Thesis Exhibition, The Atrium Gallery Annual Holiday Showcase, Gordy Fine Art and Framing Eugene Boyd, Cornerstone Center for the Arts Jasen Combs, Cornerstone Center for the Arts Virtual Downhill Ski Jump, IDIA Lab Holiday Open House, Kirk's Bike Shop Glass Ornament Sale, Glass Alliance at Ball State University, Made in Muncie "100 Stories, 100 Dreams," Muncie Land Bank, Madjax Muncie GindhART at Madjax Muncie Community Garden Master Plan, Maring-Hunt Library “Beef Baby, Beef Baby, Beef Baby,” Muncie Makes Lab White Chocolate Peppermint Truffles, Queer Chocolatier Blues Jam, Valhalla

“Light Up DWNTWN”
Various locations in Downtown Muncie

Light Up DWNTWN, powered by AEP will be held on First Thursday, December 7th, from 5-8pm throughout Downtown Muncie. Galleries, restaurants, and retailers invite you to spend the evening with them as we kick off the holiday shopping season. 

The Community Tree Lighting ceremony will take place at Canan Commons (located in the 500 block of S. Walnut St.) @ 6:00pm. Join us as Santa, Charlie Cardinal,and Muncie Fire Department light up the community holiday tree! MCS Elementary School Choirs will perform with Muncie Civic Theater singers at 5:45pm along. Everyone is invited to join inthe festivities. Afterward, the choir will be performing in front of the theatre where there will be a hot chocolate bar. 

Canan Commons will also be the location for the “Holiday Makers Market”, featuring nearly 50 artists, in a heated tent. Kiddie Express train, fire pits, and concessions will also be available. Brian Blair’s holiday sculptures will be on display at the park throughout the holiday season.

For more information, please visit our website @ downtownmuncie.org.

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

The School of Art Atrium Art Gallery will have extended hours from 4-8pm for an opening reception for four BFA Exhibitions from School of Art students. The show will feature the work of Katherine Thomas, Griffith Williams, Sasan Kayyad, and Thomas Williamson.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

“Cornerstone Center for the Arts Ceramics Showcase”

Join Cornerstone Center for Arts for a gallery exhibition of art created through Cornerstone’s ceramic classes. This showcase will feature artwork by skilled instructors Jasen Combs and Eugene Boyd as well as many of their talented students. The student work ranges from those that have been working with clay for a short time, to students that have worked with clay for nearly a decade. The exhibition features a range of ceramic pieces, from vases and bowls to elaborate wall hangings, many of which will be for sale. Cornerstone is proud to showcase instructors Jasen Combs and Eugene Boyd along with their students.

Jasen Combs has been teaching at Cornerstone Center for the Arts for 14 years. Combs received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Ball State University in 1996 and went on to receive his Masters Degree in Ceramics in 2001. He creates both wheel thrown pottery as well as hand built altered wall hangings. His teaching philosophy is to let the students experience the clay with all their senses.  He wants them to touch, feel and make the clay move. Combs loves it when they have no previous experience with clay and he can watch how they develop and grow in the class.

Eugene Boyd became familiar with Cornerstone Center for Arts when his granddaughter began taking ballet and piano classes. Boyd took a ceramics class in 2011 at Cornerstone, and fell in love with clay. He continued taking classes at Cornerstone as well as working with a well-known potter in the community. Now, Boyd has his own studio, and teaches ceramics to adults and children at Cornerstone. He enjoys the opportunity to share his passion with his students and hopes they enjoy working with clay as much as he does.

The opening reception for the Cornerstone Ceramics Showcase, will take place on Thursday, December 7, from 5 to 8 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 December.

For more information about the gallery exhibition, call Cornerstone’s Department of Education & Communication at 765-281- 9503, ext. 23 or visit cornerstonearts.org.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts is a non-profit organization with a mission to nurture community connections by providing opportunities for creative expression, educational programs, and events in a historic setting.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

“Annual Holiday Art Showcase and the Introduction of Online ART sales”

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Company will celebrate its ongoing Holiday Art Showcase on First Thursday, December 7th from 5-8 PM. A feast for the eyes, the Holiday Art Showcase offers works of art by more than 25 East Central Indiana artists as dozens of drawings, jewelry, paintings, prints, and pottery pieces fill the gallery. Carl and Barbara Schafer will discuss the show during a brief talk at 6:15. They will also introduce the new Online ART sales now featured on gordyframing.com   The event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served giving customers the opportunity to buy unique objects created by local artists for holiday decorating and gift giving.

Holiday Art Showcase prices range from $1 to $2,000, with most falling between $30 to $200. From whimsical “Funcie” signs and shirts to handcrafted mugs and plates. Paintings capturing Indiana’s rural landscapes in various media to handbound journals and letterpress cards.

“The Holiday Art Showcase and the new Online ART sales offer great opportunities to find unique holiday gifts with a connection to the city we live in,” says Gordy owners Barbara and Carl Schafer.  “Often our customers are shopping for friends who have moved away from Muncie, or for their grown children who need something special to remember their hometown.  Useful things such as mugs, bowls, and t-shirts are popular since they are used every day.”

The show will run throughout the holiday season and new works will be continually added to replace things that are purchased and removed. 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. 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.

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison

Begin the holiday season with a concert of viola music. At Grace Episcopal Church (corner of Madison and Adams) the Ball State Viola Choir will be performing works by composers Brahms, Waelput, Scriabin, Bennet, and Sullivan. The concert will begin at 5:30pm with a reception to follow. Come and support these excellent young musicians.

Idia Lab
223 S. Charles St.

Ball State University’s IDIA Lab will showcase recent virtual reality projects at 223 S. Walnut Street (the former Silo) during Muncie’s First Thursday / Light Up Downtown. Stop by to explore select winter themed works from our immersive multiuser environments that use the HTC Vive VR headsets, including an interactive winter sports simulator and haptic artwork. IDIA Lab staff and faculty will be on hand for questions about how these emerging technologies are being used in the arts, sciences and humanities. IDIA Lab is an interdisciplinary virtual reality and simulation center at Ball State University’s College of Architecture and Planning.

Kirk’s Bike Shop
124 S. Walnut St.

Join us on the evening of First ThursdayDowntown Muncie for our holiday open house. Check out new products for 2018, enter our raffle to win awesome prizes, and enjoy special pricing on bicycles, helmets, racks, and all the riding essentials. Special discounts on gift cards and remaining 2017 inventory. Light refreshments will be served! Don't miss it!

Made in Muncie
313 S. Walnut

Glass Ornaments from the Glass Alliance at Ball State will be available for purchase at Made in Muncie on December 7th at First Thursday. Prices may vary between $20-$30. Makes a perfect stocking stuffer or a gift for family! Earlier in the week on Saturday, December 2nd from 6-9pm, the Glass Alliance at Ball State will be hosting a Glass Ornament demonstration at the Glick Center (located on University Avenue on BSU’s campus).

Made in Muncie will also be hosting the Annual Muncie Artist guild show. Artwork will be on display through both December and January with an opening reception on December 7th from 5-8pm. A variety of media ranging from drawing, painting, printmaking, and various other media will be on display from local artists from Delaware and Madison counties. Join us to celebrate the final First Thursday Event of the year. Many artworks will be for sale just in time for the holidays.

Madjax Muncie
Book Arts Collaborative and Tribune Showprint at Madjax

Tribune Showprint and Book Arts Collaborative will be open with stocking stuffers and holiday gifts. Both locations are in the Madjax Building. Tribune Showprint is located at 501 E. Main and Book Arts Collaborative is adjacent at 600 E. Main.

Muncie Land Bank (at Madjax)
Muncie Land Bank, in collaboration with Ball State University invites the residents of Muncie to participate in a project to help celebrate our creation: 100 stories and 100 dreams for abandoned properties. Tonight, we will collect your stories and ideas for blighted properties and share some proposals created by Ball State University students. Light refreshments will be provided. Join us in achieving our goal of establishing a strong land bank for Muncie!

GindhART at Madjax Muncie, 2nd floor
Muncie artist Debra Gindhart Dragoo will exhibit for First Thursday gallery walk 5-9pm. Admission is free and light refreshments will be served.

Gindhart Dragoo, is presenting her outspoken commentary designs through her visual art. “I am a spoken word artist as well, so it has been my voice and poetry flowing through the paint—be it aerosol, acrylics, assemblage, or otherwise—it’s tactile and telling,” says Gindhart Dragoo. Her work will tells the story of a young girl-artist-woman, giving voice all and told through vibrant colors sprinkled with spray art.

Debra Gindhart Dragoo always outspoken and creative, she’s poured her energy, over the years, into various projects, both personal and community-wide. She’s practiced her love of spoken-word poetry at various First Thursday events, and has showcased her Green Glam Studio line of environmentally friendly jewelry, which is also available at Madjax Muncie. 

“I believe that life passes from our art. We evolved with age and, hence, our style and media evolve. My art is storytelling using strokes and spray,” says Debra Gindhart Dragoo. “My art has been fiber and paint and public. Through years of community outreach arts programming, I hold multi-generational projects close to my artist heart. This show reflects the information gathered in my different age progressions. Art is in my spirit, resounding from my soul."

Maring-Hunt Library
301 E. Jackson St.

The Maring-Hunt Library Community Garden Master Plan, its improvement and expansion, and a series of Garden Pavilions and Nature Play Pockets were designed and developed as useful spaces to address food insecurity in a USDA-designated food desert, cultivate community interaction and social activity, and provide learning opportunities for the Southview Elementary School students, Maring-Hunt Library patrons, and neighborhood families. On exhibit for December's Art Walk will be the design drawings, process of building photos, full scale mock-ups, and the resultant Community Build of a Market and Educational Pavilion, and an Outdoor Kitchen surrounding the Community Garden at Maring-Hunt Library. We hope that you can come to see the work of the Immersive Learning Community Design Build Studio for Ball State University’s ARCH 401 students.

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut

Muncie Makes Lab presents “Beef Baby, Beef Baby, Beef Baby,” a collection of work by ten student and alumni artists from Ball State’s School of Art. The work—including submissions by Ally Burch, Sarah Fischer, Sarah Lassiter, Teddy Lepley, Lexi Musselman, Lily Rawson, Emma J. Rohlfing, Katherine Thomas, Grif Williams, & Tom Williamson, and curated by Benjamin M. Slightom—covers a wide range of media and subject matter from drawing to video art, food to social critique. Together, the body of work begins to frame a range of difficult questions about society today and offers wildly poignant and often humorous responses to these pressing issues.

The Queer Chocolatier
405 S. Walnut St. Suite 204

Queer Chocolatier is a new, local queer women-owned chocolate shop selling chocolate truffles and a line of art pieces for the homecalled Homo Décor. Owned by Morgan Roddy and Cheri Ellefson, Queer Chocolatiercrafts chocolate truffles in both classic (with dairy) and vegan (non-dairy) options.Truffles as well as Homo Décor items can be purchased at our website:www.queerchocolatier.com or at our retail location.

For the December First Thursday event, we will have new Homo Décor pieces available as well as feature the release of two new truffle flavors, a Winter Seasonal Truffle and a December Flavor of the Month. We encourage folks to come in out of the cold, come upstairs, and enjoy a sip of hot chocolate and mingle with other chocolate-loving enthusiasts!

Winter Seasonal Flavor: Milk Chocolate Gingerbread
December Flavor of the Month: White Chocolate Peppermint

Valhalla  (21+)
215 S. Walnut

Valhalla presents “Blues Jam” every Thursday. “Blues Jam” is an open event with sign-up starting at 7pm and music from 8-11pm. Come show us your talent!

The Bearded Baker at Guardian Brewing Co (Madjax) "Riverbed: Abstract Watercolors by Maddie Stark," Guardian Brewing Co (Madjax) Blues Jam at Valhalla

The Bearded Baker (at The Guardian Brewing Company)

514 E. Jackson

To honor all of the brave souls who come to visit me tomorrow night at Madjax Muncie for First Thursday, all of my mini loaves will be just $6 instead of the usual $8. That's the Volcanic Cheese, Jalapeno Bacon and the Sugar N Spice Chocolate breads. All organic. All delicious. All $2 off.

The Guardian Brewing Company (at Madjax)

514 E. Jackson

Join us for First Thursday Artswalk with the opening reception of “Riverbed: Abstract Watercolors by Maddie Starke” at The Guardian Brewing Company, starting at 5pm. Also enjoy our newest brew, Mejusa Pale Ale!

Valhalla  (21+)   215 S. Walnut

Valhalla presents “Blues Jam,” an open event with sign-up starting at 7pm and music from 8-11 pm.

The Atrium Gallery Book Arts Collaborative Cornerstone Center for the Arts GindhART at Madjax Gordy Fine Art and Framing Muncie Civic Theatre Muncie Makes Lab Studio Exhale Valhalla

The Atrium Gallery
Arts and Journalism Building, 1st floor, Ball State University campus

The School of Art Atrium Art Gallery will have extended hours on February 1, 2018 until 8:00 p.m. coinciding with First Thursday in downtown Muncie, a monthly celebration of the fine arts.

The first exhibition of the Spring Semester, Night for Days, features the cross-discipline paintings & digital work of Caleb Weintraub, Associate Professor & Area Coordinator, Painting, Indiana University-Bloomington. The exhibition dates are Tuesday, January 9 to February 10, 2018 with an Opening Reception on Thursday, February 1, 2018 and a Gallery Talk at 5:00 PM.

Normal gallery hours are 9:00am to 4:00pm Monday through Friday, and from 1:00pm to 4:00pm on Saturday. The gallery is closed on Sundays, and during all holidays and breaks observed by Ball State.

Book Arts Collaborative (at Madjax)
600 E. Main

Book Arts Collaborative will be open for First Thursday and our students will be on hand to help visitors print a souvenir using our 150-year-old presses.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main

“Cornerstone Center for the Arts Ceramics Studio Open House”

Join Cornerstone Center for Arts for the grand opening of the newly renovated J. Combs Ceramics Studio on Thursday, February 1. This open house will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Muncie and Delaware County Chamber of Commerce and will be free and open to the public. There will also be ceramics demonstrations and an opportunity for guests to try their hand at this art form.

Cornerstone would like to thank the George and Francis Ball Foundation for generously funding this project. The renovation of the ceramics studio would not have been possible without their continued support of Cornerstone’s arts program. As a non-profit arts center, Cornerstone’s success is made possible by the generous support of all of the local Foundations that contribute to its arts programming.

The studio will be named for Jasen Combs, who has taught ceramics at Cornerstone for the past 14 years, since the inception of the ceramics program. Combs recalls that in the first session just three classes were offered for youth and adults with about five students per class. In 2017, the program has grown to offer six weekly classes and served over 100 students in classes, camps, and workshops.

Combs received his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Ceramics from Ball State University in 1996 and went on to receive his Masters Degree in Ceramics in 2001. His teaching philosophy is to let the students experience the clay with all their senses.  He wants them to touch, feel, and make the clay move. Combs loves it when students have no previous experience with clay and he can watch how they develop and grow in the class. 

The ribbon cutting and open house for the J. Combs Ceramics Studio at Cornerstone Center for the Arts will be on Thursday, February 1, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in conjunction with February’s First Thursday. This will be the public’s first chance to see the completed studio before spring classes begin the week of February 5.

For more information regarding the open house or spring classes, call Cornerstone’s Department of Education & Communication at 765-281- 9503, ext. 23 or visit cornerstonearts.org.

Gindhart (at Madjax)
514 E. Jackson St. (2nd floor)

“Storytelling with Paint: Art of Stories”

Artist Debra Gindhart Dragoo of GindART Madjax will have an opening reception from 5-8pm. Come meet the artist and enjoy some light refreshments.

Debra notes that “Art can mean a great many things to different people, or even to the artist who created it! To see highly charged works, my labor is to design great things for people who [have] a story that needs to be told. This is my artist journey and way of life. These powerful pieces giving visual voice to many different issues, some social & some which also have global implications.”

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Company will open the exhibition “Favorite Neighbors” to celebrate the completion of renovations on the Boyce Block, our home, on Thursday February 1, 5 – 8 pm.   

During the First Thursday party and throughout the month of February, we express our congratulations to our great neighbors by contributing a portion of all sales of paintings, prints, jewelry, and pottery to Muncie Civic Theatre. 

“It is so nice to hear actors rehearsing and singing in the building again,” says Gordy owner Barbara Schafer.  “We admire their hard work keeping a full performance schedule over the past year in other venues.  Now we are glad to have them back.”

Favorite Neighbors is a show that offers works of art by more than 25 East Central Indiana artists including many of our favorites from shows over the past year.  Carl and Barbara Schafer will discuss the show during a brief talk at 6:15. The event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served giving customers the opportunity to buy unique objects created by local artists for Valentine’s Day.

Prices range from $1 to $2,000, with most falling between $30 to $200. From whimsical “Funcie” signs and shirts to handcrafted mugs and plates. Paintings capturing Indiana’s rural landscapes in various media to handbound journals and letterpress cards. 

The show will run throughout February and new works will be continually added to replace things that are purchased and removed.

Muncie Civic Theatre
216 E. Main

Stop by Muncie Civic Theatre to check out the renovations to the lobby and theatre, rock out to some 80's music, enjoy some wine, and enter to win a pair of tickets to see “Rock of Ages” on Valentine's Day.

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut

Muncie Makes Lab presents “Year in Review,” a collection of work by architecture and landscape architecture students from Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning. The work – including submissions by Mia Baker, Anna Goodman, Shelby Harris, Allison Hoagland, Max Jolly, Dan Kaiser, Emma Mappes, Richard Meagher, Antonio Medina, Daniele Scheeringa, Alex Storz, Brendon Towle, Daniel Velasco, and Maggie Weighner, and curated by Benjamin Slightom and Megan York – covers a wide range of design projects. Together, the body of work begins to frame a range of questions posed in the field of design and offers an array of speculative responses.

Studio Exhale
103 N. High St.

“Observations in Black and White” by Angie Ridge Hedman

This body of work is a collection of photographs that were inspired from the views of Angie's downtown studio, architecture, street finds, and shadows. Capturing beauty within flaws is what inspires Angie as an artist. She purposely chose to photograph in black and white because it allowed her to document a specific moment and mood that color couldn't provide.

Angie Hedman is an artist, writer, and art educator (Monroe Central Jr/Sr High School), and the newest gallery coordinator at The Cup in the BSU village. She holds bachelors and masters degrees from Ball State University in the areas of Art Education and Metals. Although her primary areas of focus are jewelry and sculpture, her most recent bodies of work have consisted of abstract acrylic paintings, and black and white photography. When she isn't teaching, or spending time with her family, she can be found in her downtown Muncie studio either working on art or writing.

Thre3e Wisemen Brewing Co.
625 S. High St.

Thr3eWismen Brewing Co. will have a tapping party at 7pm of their latest beer, “Love Potion #3.”

Valhalla  (21+)
215 S. Walnut

Valhalla presents “Blues Jam” every Thursday. “Blues Jam” is an open event with sign-up starting at 7pm and music from 8-11pm. Come show us your talent!