April's First Thursday (full listing)

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