June's First Thursday (full listing)

Will Britton, Jr. at Cornerstone Center for the Arts Dame Leo, "No Mas," Madjax, 2nd floor "Muncie Mystery" from the Delaware County Historical Society Sarah Shaffer, "What a Waist," at Elm Street Brewing Co. "Baby Driver" at Afterhours Art Reels, The Fickle Peach Forever Young's Sidewalk Sale and Lemonade Stand GindhART, "Tools 4 Schools," Madjax, 2nd floor GindhART, painted handbags, Madjax, 2nd floor Lisa Walsh, "Red and Black Pin," at Gordy Fine Art and Framing, Co. Carrie Wright, "Lunar Crane," at Gordy Fine Art and Framing, Co. Muncie Makers Market, corner of Walnut and Adams Fixer Upper at at Muncie Makes Lab Solar Decathlon Design Challenge at Muncie Makes Lab Reimagining Memorial and Hoyt at Muncie Makes Lab Silly Walk at various locations downtown Blues Jam at Valhalla

Cornerstone Center for the Arts

520 E. Main
Join Cornerstone Center for Arts on Thursday, June 6 for the opening reception of Sparking Nostalgia Through Pop Culture, an art exhibition by Will Britton Jr. The reception will take place in the Judith Barnes Memorial Gallery on the second floor of Cornerstone from 5 to 7 p.m. in conjunction with June’s First Thursday events.

Sparking Nostalgia Through Pop Culture is a collection of pop culture icons. From the obscure to the more commonly known, Britton’s work brings forth nostalgia from childhood favorites. The work invokes those things that would get you up early on Saturday with a big bowl of cereal eager to turn on cartoons. Those things that when you see them, you remember time, place, taste, and smell. Britton’s work seeks to transport viewers back to the joy of childhood.

Will Britton Jr. was born and raised in Muncie, Indiana. He graduated from Muncie Central High School in 1997 and then went on to Vincennes University where he studied Fine Arts until he transferred to The Art Academy of Cincinnati. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts with his specialty being printmaking. He has worked steadily making the art he loves while also working in social services. He lives in Muncie with his wife, children, an old dog and a bossy cat.  His everyday life consists of wrangling chaos and disorder, making items for local markets and a little D & D as time permits.

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

Dame Leo (at Madjax)
514 E. Jackson St. (2nd floor)
“No Más!” featuring mixed media paintings, sculpture, and wearable art by Dame Leo. 2nd floor, Madjax.

Delaware County Historical Society
Various locations downtown
The Delaware County Historical Society presents “Muncie Mystery” from 5-7:30pm.

A serious (and pretend) crime has been committed in Downtown Muncie! We are calling on all citizen sleuths to participate in a real-life Clue game as part of the First Thursday festivities on June 6.

Between 5 and 6:30 pm, visit ten participating downtown businesses for clues about suspects and weapons. At each location, you will have the chance to answer a Muncie trivia question to learn more about our city, complements of the Delaware County Historical Society.

The guilty party and facts about the case will be revealed at Muncie Civic Theatre at 7:00 pm. Sleuths who correctly identify the perpetrator and weapon will be entered into a drawing for great prizes, including an overnight stay at the Courtyard by Marriott Muncie at Horizon Convention Center, Muncie Civic Theatre tickets, a silver crystal pendant from Pazols Jewelers, and more! (Must be present to win.)

Event partners: Downtown Muncie, Muncie Civic Theatre, Indiana Public Radio, WIPB-TV, Ball State Office of Community Engagement, Muncie Neighborhoods, and Delaware County Historical Society

Participating businesses: Debbie's Handmade Soap, The Hayloft Boutique, Twin Archer Brewpub, Mulberry Street Uniques, Aw Yeah Comics- Muncie, Vintage Shoppe Thrift & Gift, Intersection, Olive & Slate, Muncie Map Co.

Elm Street Brewing (21+)
519 N. Elm
The opening reception for Life in Plastic, featuring artwork by Sarah Shaffer will take place at Elm Street Brewing Co on Thursday, June 6 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. The opening of Life in Plastic will take place in conjunction with First Thursday’s events.

The smallest things can have the biggest impact. Our childhoods shape us, create us, and define who we will become. In the collection titled, "Life in Plastic," Sarah Shaffer has explored society's monumental impact through the form of its tiniest role models. Each piece is a depiction of a doll, focusing only on a portion of the body and recreated in a large scale. This collection of acrylic paintings portrays the objectification of and unrealistic expectations placed upon women.

Sarah Shaffer is a native of Indiana, growing up in Fort Wayne with a love of art from an early age. Sarah is a graduate of Ball State University's Art Department, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Metalsmithing earned in 2007. Sarah lives with her husband and daughter in Muncie, Indiana, and works at Cornerstone Center for the Arts as the Education and Marketing Coordinator as well as a visual arts instructor.

The opening reception of Life in Plastic will include live music by local artist Caleb Ferguson. After attending the reception, Elm Street Brewing Co invites you to stick around, order dinner and a beer, and enjoy the relaxed family friendly atmosphere. The Peterson and Dunn Project will perform following the conclusion of the opening reception. Life in Plastic will be on display, with work for sale throughout the month of June.

The Fickle Peach (21+)
117 E. Charles
Muncie Downtown Development will host outdoor “Afterhours Art Reels” following the First Thursday Gallery Walks, June-September.  Films will be projected onto the Mutual Bank wall on Charles St. at dusk.  Seating will be available on the Fickle Peach patio located at 117 E. Charles St. for guests 21 and up. June’s movie is Baby Driver from director Edgar Wright.

Forever Young Children’s Boutique
125 E. Charles
Forever Young will be open from 5-7pm for Sidewalk Day Sale. There will be a lemonade stand and all proceeds will be donated to First Choice for Women.

Gindhart (at Madjax)
514 E. Jackson St. (2nd floor)
Local social commentary artist Debra Gindhart will feature two assemblage pieces titled TOOLS 4 SCHOOLS. Debra believes that guns have no place in our schools. We must reduce the possibility of any gunfire in schools, rather than concentrating on ways to keep all guns off school property. Ensuring the safety of children and school employees, school administrators should focus on measures that will create safe and supportive learning environments for students, faculty, and staff. 

Debra Gindhart will also feature wearable art, painted clothing, and painted handbags. There will be an opening reception where you can meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments from 5-8pm. Madjax, 2nd floor.

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co.
224 E. Main
Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company will open Natural Influences: Two Hoosiers, Nature, and Their Art. From topographically inspired jewelry by Lisa Walsh to floral designed silks by Carrie Wright, the influence of nature will be celebrated during June’s First Thursday on June 6, from 5:00 to 8:00. Carrie Wright, a Muncie silk painter, will give a short talk at 6:15. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend. The exhibition will remain on view with works for sale throughout the summer.

Carrie Wright, a Muncie silk painter and newly minted Indiana Artisan, will be sharing her beautiful pieces of wearable art. Wright gives specific attention to several details, such as: where the design elements are likely to fall on the body when the scarf is worn; an appropriate color pallet within the design with careful consideration for the occasion or outfit for which the scarf might be worn; a balanced combination of floral and graphic elements maintaining visual tension and interest. Wright’s creativity is nurtured by combining the clean design disciplines of the Japanese kimono textile creators and the forward-thinking creativity of European designers.

“I was born and raised amid the fields in northern Delaware County,” says Wright. “I’ve always been inspired by the beauty of Indiana landscapes, fields that stretch to the horizons of both the rising and setting sun. Much of my work is influenced by the flora of the area combined in some way with a bold graphic design element to help balance the piece and prohibit it from becoming flowery or fussy.”

Lisa Walsh, a jewelry designer from Lafayette, will be showcasing pieces from her Topography Series. Walsh uses enamels and mixed metals to portray accurate contour lines from topographical maps. Conceptualized in 2015, this series has received four consecutive Arts in the Parks grants from the Indiana Arts Commission. The Topography Series includes work featuring Clifty Falls and Spring Mill State Park in southern Indiana, and recently expanded to include areas of Shenandoah National Park where Walsh was artist-in-residence in 2018.

Walsh’s influence is a “fascination with topographical maps which I have had since studying fire science many years ago, but hadn't incorporated them into my work until relatively recently.  Topography and jewelry are such an unusual pairing that it often opens discussions that lead into important land and conservation issues,” she says.  “Jewelry is the ultimate traveling art, and as such, a great medium for encouraging dialogue between people.”

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison
Come on down to Grace Episcopal Church (corner of Madison & Adams) for an awesome concert with singer song writer and recording artist Joan Hamilton. Tonight's concert begins at 7pm. Joan is a local favorite guitar and keyboard performer with deep roots in the Muncie and Indy music scene. There will be CD' for sale. This is a great way to start the summer music season.

Muncie Makers Market
Corner of Walnut and Adams
“First Thursday is SOON, on Thursday, June 6th! The Muncie Makers Market is happy to be a part of Muncie’s First Thursday community events, thanks to an invitation to take over the sidewalks in front of the Muncie Map Co., at 111 East Adams Street, in Downtown Muncie. We set up on the SE corner of Adams and Walnut Streets from 5-8p on the first Thursday of every month. Plenty of nearby free parking! I’m really excited for us to have this opportunity and I am really hoping we get a nice evening of weather for the 6th. I also invite everyone to see what we’ve got going on inside of the Muncie Map Co. as well. Lots of local themed shirts/magnets/stickers/books/music, excellent mappiness, and a Muncie Makers Market kiosk open there every day! 

First Thursday is a popular local tradition, going years back, with all sorts of vendors, artists, and entertainers set up throughout all of Downtown Muncie inside and outside of various shops, restaurants, bars, and other businesses. It’s fun!”

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut
Join Muncie Makes Lab from 5-8pm for the following shows:

Fixer Upper
Erica Collins’ 6th grade Northside Middle School math class worked with Tom Collins from the BSU Department of Architecture on an documentation and redesign project for a single room in which the students took physical measurements, drew scale drawings, learned about architectural drawing conventions, proposed renovations to the room, and calculated the renovation costs for materials and labor. The results of the 6-week project were shown at the MCS Celebrate Excellence Show in May.

Solar Decathlon Design Challenge
A Spring 2019 architecture design studio taught by Tom Collins with the assistance of Walter Grondzik and Tarek Mahfouz that participated in the US Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. Two collaborative student-led teams developed net-zero energy ready housing proposals for sites in historic districts adjacent to downtown Muncie with community partners ecoREHAB and Greater Muncie Habitat for Humanity.

Reimagining Memorial & Hoyt
A Summer 2019 architecture design studio/workshop co-taught by Pam Harwood and Tom Collins focused on reimagining, redeveloping, and reusing underutilized property in Muncie’s Southwestern neighborhoods to support neighborhood revitalization efforts to improve access to food, healthcare, housing, and transportation. The class is working with Building Better Neighborhoods and the 8 Twelve Coalition on this community design immersive learning project.

Silly Walk
Various locations downtown
Meeting Spot: In the back parking lot where The Muncie Escape Room is located. (Jefferson St and Adams St) Look for the Silly Walk Map in the comments!
Time: 5:15pm. Walk will begin around 5:30pm.
Attire: 1920s attire (this is optional but recommended to keep with the First Thursday of Muncie Theme)

First Thursday at Downtown is having a 1920s Mystery game at participating businesses (where our walk will happen). We may be having fun with our Silly Walk, but we are going to participate too! It's a real-life Clue game in Downtown Muncie! We'll take our Silly Walk to the Downtown Streets of Muncie and into these participating businesses (listed in the order our walk will happen: Olive & Slate, Twin Archer Brewpub, Intersection, Debbie's Handmade Soap, Aw Yeah Comics- Muncie, Vintage Shoppe Thrift & Gift, Mulberry Street Uniques, The Hayloft Boutique, Muncie Map Co.).

At 7pm, once was walk is over, head over to the Muncie Civic Theatre to see if you guessed the crime correctly to win great prizes!

Thr3e Wisemen Brewing Co.
625 S. High St.
Thr3e Wise Men will be doing $5 10" Cheese Pizzas and 1/2 off bottles of wine!

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!

Wishbone Gifts, Inc.
201 S. Walnut St.
Wishbone Gifts, Inc. will feature works by Jeremy Babb and Erin Cox.