First Thursday

111 Arts Gallery
111 E Main

Exhibition details to be announced soon.

The Artist Within
The Teachers' Turn Two - 313 S Walnut

Second annual Muncie and Delaware County Art Teachers Exhibit. It's the teachers' turn to showcase their own work and let their students and the rest of the community see what talented individuals we have sharing their love of art with our young people. The exhibit will have an opening reception First Thursday August 2nd from 5-8pm and will remain on display through August 31st.

Gallery 308
Clay Camp: Traveling the World Through Art - 308 E Main

Many of the cities young artists have been busy this summer. Art Mart and The Artist Within sponsored ArtCamp again this summer, and once again we had a great bunch of artist campers! These campers took a trip around the world through art, studying the art and cultures of many other countries. They have drawn, painted, and potted during their voyage and the culmination of their travels will be on exhibit at Gallery 308 from 1st Thursday,  August 2, 2012 through August  11, 2012 at Gallery 308 (308 E. Main St. in downtown Muncie).

Karen Fisher, owner of Art Mart and longtime ArtCamp instructor calls these artists dedicated! "These artists want to be here, they want to get up early and come to camp because they are going to have some fun, work hard, and produce art they are proud of. I like to get materials into their hands that they might not try any other time. This year my campers used paper pulp to create cool totems. It is not as easy as it looks to use!"

Bob Hartley of the Artist Within says that he is always amazed and proud of the quality and amount of work his Clay Campers produce in one week. Resident potter Toren Scott admits being "blown away" by the way the young campers catch onto working on the potter's wheel and is equally proud of their progress.  This year's Clay Camp had three different themes based on "Traveling the World Through Art": "Back to Antiquity: Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire", "Exploring the Orient/China, Japan and Korea", and "Closer to Home/Native American Arts and Crafts".  Each theme had two separate age groups 6-8 years old and 9-12 years old.  Gallery 308 will showcase the work of the nearly 40 Clay Camp artists.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
Studio Glass:  Celebrating 50 Years - 224 E Main

This month-long exhibit focuses on works by three Indiana glass artists:  Cheryl Anne Lorance, Lisa Pelo, and Ben Johnson.  Lorance, a regular Gordy exhibitor with her bronze sculptures, will bring a new series of glass pieces for the month-long display. This will be the first showing in the space for Pelo and Johnson.

In the expert hands of these three Indiana artists, glass has become biomorphic fantasies, gracefully bending female forms, patchwork vessels and printmaking tools.

Lorance will introduce a series of biomorphic forms that seem to be transforming, not yet identifiable as either male or female; embryo of unknown lineage and intent. "Nefarious Lair" includes a holding structure of rubber, steel, and bronze cable, nestling a translucent green, ambiguous yet seductive, pupae with gaping orifice. The viewer determines the life form's true nature. It's beautiful, but is it friendly?

Johnson will exhibit both the highly-textured glass vessels/printmaking tools and the subsequent prints he created. Currently finishing his MFA at Ball State, Johnson has studied glass at Kent State, the Corning Museum of Glass, the famous Pilchuck Glass School, and Scuola del Betro Abate Zanetti in Murano, Italy. He also teaches glass at the Indianapolis Art Center.

Pelo lives in Clayton, Indiana, and as the head of the Glass Department of the Indianapolis Art Center, where she teaches glassblowing.  She will exhibit  "Out of the Darkness," a stunning bouquet of orange and lime green glass floral pieces that seem lit from within, along with "Her Golden Figure," a vase-like piece with the bending, stretching female form incased, but still on public display.

A reception for the artists will be held on the monthly "First Thursday" gallery-walk, August 2, 2012, from 5 to 8PM. The artists will speak about their work beginning at 6:30 PM. The public is encouraged to attend, and light refreshments will be served. Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. is located at 224 E. Main Street. For more information, call 765-284-8422 or visit www.gordyframing.com.

Muncie Civic Theatre
216 E Main

On display will be the work of featured artist Lynette Waters-Whitesell and resident artist Sean Orlosky. Also, Robert Dirden will have his photo collection on display in the Studio Theatre, Janessa Erickson will be displaying her jewelry, and The Star Boutique will be selling vintage clothes.

Rose Court
125 E Charles

Rose Court is pleased to present the art work of Holly Ekwenjunor-Etchie for our August First Thursday event.  Holly graduated with a BFA in Painting from the University of Illinois.  Her work currently explores individual ideas of complacency in society and challenges ideas of conformity through the distortion of figurative imagery and landscapes.

Wishbone Gifts, Inc.

Thrifty Opulence - 201 S Walnut (table in front of store)
Drawings, mixed-media paintings, decorative boxes, and textiles by Angie Vanderluit for sale at affordable prices.