June's First Thursday (Full Listing)

Brink of Summer Artswalk, sponsored by Downtown Development After Hours Art Reels, sponsored by Downtown Development Flower Hour, sponsored by Downtown Development The Commercial Kitchen by Pink Leaf Opening Reception of Student Showcase, Cornerstone Center for the Arts Ron Richcreek at Dandelions Boutique The Downtown Farm Stand Cheryl Anne Lorance, "Leaving Biltmore," Gordy Fine Art and Framing Co. Brink of Summer Artswalk at Madjax Beyond I CAN, Madjax,1st floor Tribune Showprint, Madjax, 1st floor "Hot" Music Night Trivia and Raffle, Madjax, 2nd floor Debra Gindhart, Madjax 2nd floor Debra Shidler, Madjax 2nd floor Karen Fisher, Muncie Artists' Guild Artist of the Month Muncie Map Co. The North Church Venue "Cicada Chorus," at Plyspace Sea Salt and Cinnamon YART!

Downtown Development
A special edition of First Thursday, Brink of Summer ArtsWalk celebrates the arts culture in Muncie. Watch and learn from local artists as they perform their craft, support vendors at YART, and explore the DWNTWN community. This event is sponsored by The Community Foundation of Muncie & Delaware County.

After Hours Art Reels
Muncie Downtown Development Partnership will host outdoor After Hours Art Reels following the First Thursday Gallery Walks in June–September. June’s film is Casablanca! 

Films will be projected onto the MutualBank wall on Charles St 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. 9-11pm

Go to http://www.downtownmuncie.org/after-hours-art-reels/ to see the trailers for all the films.

Upcoming:
July 1- The Untouchables
August 5- Rocketman
September 2- 2001 The Space Odyssey 

Flower Hour
Explore DWTNWN during Brink of Summer ArtsWalk and collect flowers from 10 different locations to create a beautiful, custom bouquet. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here or from a participating sponsor or Downtown Development board of staff member.

Money raised through this event will support DWNTWN event programming and development opportunities. This event is presented by Normandy Flower Shop, Foister's Flowers & Gifts, Dandelions Flowers & Gifts, and Miller's Flowers and Gifts

The Commercial Kitchen by Pink Leaf
108 S. Walnut
Bring the whole family and grow with us! We're opening up the Commercial Kitchen by Pink Leaf from 5:30-8:00pm for tours. Check out the newly commissioned art piece that will bloom in the lobby and take home a packet of seeds for your garden. Youth-designed coloring pages and cookies will keep the young ones happy while you browse.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main
Opening Reception for Cornerstone Spring Celebration: Student Showcase Hosted by Cornerstone Center for the Arts in conjunction with DWNTWN Muncie’s First Thursday

As a celebration of our students' creativity and perseverance through the current

pandemic, our Teaching Artists have curated a gallery to showcase their outstanding pieces. The visual arts exhibit will be displayed in the Judith Barnes Memorial Gallery on the second floor of Cornerstone Center of the Arts.

The opening reception will be held on Thursday, June 3, from 5 - 8 p.m. and will remain on

display until Friday, June 25. In addition, recordings of student performances will be shown during the exhibit. A virtual gallery will be available on the Cornerstone Center for the Arts website during this time.

This event is free and open to the public, but visitors are asked to follow social distancing

guidelines and to wear masks. For more information about this event, please contact Claire Yazel at (765) 281-9503 ext. 123 or cyazel@cornerstonearts.org.

Dandelions Flowers and Gifts
120 S. Walnut
Ron Richcreek Pottery will be on display at Dandelions Flowers for June’s First Thursday. Ron has been working with slab ware and hand building along with his wheel thrown pieces.

Downtown Farm Stand
125 E. Main
The Downtown Farm Stand will have smoked pulled pork sandwiches in front of the Farm Stand for sale along with our full restaurant menu and beer and wine available inside.  

The Farm Stand Second Story banquet room will offer tours of our historically renovated dance hall and we will have a free wine tasting of newly available  organic Italian wines.
107 S Mulberry St Suite 210

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. 
224 E. Main
Opening Reception for Summer Invitational, featuring Cheryl Anne Lorance, Aaron Nicholson, Chet Geiselman, and Josh Winkler.

Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company will celebrate the Brink of Summer ArtsWalk, June 3rd from 5 – 8 pm with an opening reception for the gallery’s annual Summer Invitational. The exhibit will feature work by Cheryl Anne Lorance, Aaron Nicholson, Chet Geiselman, and Josh Winkler. These four artists all have strong ties to Muncie and Ball State.  Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to attend.

The exhibit will be on view for three months through the end of August. 

A brief program at 6:15 will highlight the work of Cheryl Lorance and Aaron Nicholson. Lorance will talk about paintings from her Wanderlust series depicting the imaginary travels of a small camper at the car that pulls it.  Nicholson’s work focuses on outer space and human interactions in the galaxies.  He will be serving cherry pie made in his baking pan shaped like an alien. 

The work of Geiselman and Winkler will be highlighted at the First Thursday event in August.  

Gordy is proud to participate in DWNTWN Muncie’s Flower Hour as one of ten locations to collect flowers to create a beautiful, custom bouquet.  Tickets can be purchased for $20.  Money raised through this event will support DWNTWN event programming and development opportunities. 

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 August during regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm, Saturday, 10 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.

High Street United Methodist Church
219 S. High 
High Street UMC will be enjoying some of the thrills of summer in our parking lot on the corner of High Street and Jackson. We’ll have popsicles, some yard games, sidewalk chalk and more. Stop by and play awhile!

Madjax Muncie
515 E. Main St.
Brink of Summer ArtsWalk at MADJAX
Madjax, 1st and 2nd floors

Makers, creatives, and artists will fill Monroe Hall, Public Hall and Second Floor Galleries. We are thrilled to have these talents! 
June Brink of Summer ArtsWalk please support local artists and makers.

Meet the makers and artists and see their many talents, 5-8pm

Second floor galleries and Monroe Street Hall pop-up artists and makers

Beyond I CAN
Madjax, 1st floor
Beyond I CAN/CARS is a creative day service program for adults with special-needs. We create opportunities and experiences for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities to explore through creative media in a fun, social environment. We create pottery, mosaics, paintings, greeting cards, small wooden furniture, screen-printed t-shirts, jewelry, crocheted/knitted items, greeting signs and more!  Visit us in our new location on the first floor of MadJax.

Tribune Showprint
Madjax, 1st floor
Tribune Showprint will be open for shop tours and a press will be inked for you to pull a print to take home with you. Come see new presses and products that we have been working on this past year.

“Hot” Music Night: Trivia and Raffle!
Madjax, 2nd floor
Join Madjax for the Brink of Summer Artswalk to listen to some “Hot” music celebrating the summertime! Each song played will include “hot” words/synonyms (fire, inferno, burning, etc.) in either the title of the song or the name of the band. While you shop for art at Madjax, listen to the music, then fill out a trivia sheet naming at least three of the songs you heard. Everyone who fills out a sheet will be entered in a raffle to win an artsy Muncie price pack filled with goodies from places like The Orchard Shop at Minnetrista, the Mailroom, and Muncie Map Co.! Pick up and return your trivia sheets to Natalie at the DJ table on the 2nd floor. 

Debra Gindhart
Madjax, 2nd floor
Debra Gindhart artist in residence and First Thursdays curator at Madjax will feature TEXT ON altered thrift store art, redirected vintage paintings and prints. Humorous words on found art. Meet the artist and see this new art series TEXT ON. 5-8pm    

Debra Shidler
Madjax, 2nd floor
Bloom: A Beautiful Process of Becoming

About the Artist: Debra Shidler

I hail from the mid-west; a small town in central Indiana called Portland. Art is ingrained in my upbringing as there are wood workers, glass blowers, fashion designers and painters within my family tree.  I have always loved art since I was a child and could be found drawing in the afternoon sun by a door way. I have continually been inspired by nature, but had been struggling with a perfectionistic outlook throughout my art journey.

While taking classes for my art degree at Ball State; a painting teacher advised me to just live with a painting I loathed. She pushed me to see the imperfections and see the beauty in the work. That was the first time I had really stopped and took in my art. It was hard to see the beauty because I could only see what I had failed to accomplish in the painting. I began looking at the work as a whole with time I saw my painting process and fell in love.

I soon realized my creative style was marrying organic abstract with nature images ranging from birds, flowers, seed pods, wood grain, etc. While in ceramic and metal working classes I enjoyed exploring imprint of natural found objects. I loved painting in oils as this medium allows an artist to come back and push the colors or add textures. I really enjoy artist from all mediums as well.  I am inspired by the colors and movement of Paul Klee’s work. The clean, organic architecture and designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, and gorgeous glass work of Dale Chihuly. The impressive scale and ingenuity of the Burning Man Exhibits is truly an experience.

My work to this day still explores these very key elements and inspirations; however, it was my son who reminded me of loving the imperfections of creating again. I had recently rented a pottery wheel to help my son discover the love of art; of course, at 3 he loves to see what materials will do with force. As I pulled up a pot form from the wheel he would then “help.” This created a rose like sculpture. It was simplistic, but stunning.

My art has been in the Juried Art Show at Minnetrista, Cornerstone Center for Arts Show, Ball State’s Juried Art Show, Echo Gallery, Made in Muncie, F.B. Fogg Salon and Cornerstone Center for the Arts all in central Indiana. I have also worked within the Muncie community at the Boys & Girls Club doing summer art programs and the Unity Center; as it my goal to inspire youth to express themselves and see the beauty around them.

I began my formal art training at Ball State University in the Fall of 2001 and finished in the Spring of 2006. I was able to explore many mediums such as: enameling to copper forms and flat surfaces; metal working with various metals like copper, silver and nickel; electroforming to grow copper products, discovering numerous ceramic glazing processes and firing techniques; printing and etching; as well as painting.

The subject of this show is Bloom; a beautiful process of becoming. During this time of the epidemic, I have really been able to dive back into art again. The creative outlet has been uplifting, challenging and a welcome distraction. Most of the work is focused on flowers as this reminds me of new growth and spring when the world wakes up from hibernation. I like to paint with acid like colors, but have been trying to develop other tints and shades in my pallet. The bright colors remind me of happiness and have a playful demeanor; which I feel allow my abstract figures and objects to dance on the canvas.

I hope my work brings you joy, a feeling of optimism and a sense of freedom. Please enjoy my show.

Muncie Artist’s Guild
Various locations
Muncie Artists Guild’s June 2021 
Artist of the Month, Karen Fisher

Karen Fisher moved to Muncie in 1972 as a Ball State freshman majoring in art education.  Just as her graduation goal came into sight, and her plan to exit Muncie was forming, she met Paul Fisher, a native of Muncie; the rest (as they say) is history. Paul and Karen were married in 1982 and have one daughter, Elizabeth.

Karen finished her undergraduate degree in 1976 in art education and completed her master’s degree in education in 1990. She taught reading in the Anderson schools before going to work at Gordy’s Art Mart. In 2003 Karen and Paul purchased the business from the Gordys’ and renamed it, simply, Art Mart. Art Mart is a successful art materials business in the BSU “Village.” Karen is a Certified Art Materials Retailer by NAMTA, an International Art Materials Association. This year Art Mart received two awards from the Best of Ball State which is sponsored by the Daily News. They were thrilled and proud to accept both the Best Small Business Award and the Best Customer Service Award.   

Karen has taught art classes to many young students and adults over her years in art materials. She still interacts with many of those same folks, now some have kids and grandkids. Karen still does Art Camps in the summertime and often goes to area family art festivals to demonstrate one process or another. She also taught at Cornerstone Center for the Arts for several years.

As an artist Karen likes to paint and draw.  “I love stuff! Often I paint or draw what is on my studio table. Recently I have enjoyed drawing and painting architectural components. In particular I have been very interested in corbels, molding and fancy bric-a-brac on old Victorian homes. Living in a 125-year-old home allows me to appreciate the work that went into all the beautiful decoration on many of the old homes.”

Karen is a member of Muncie Artist Guild, a new member of the Mayor’s Public Arts Committee as well as a longtime member of NAMTA, National Art Materials Trade Association, and, iAMart, an international organization of Independent Art Materials stores.  

To see Karen Fisher's artwork in person, please visit the following businesses, proud hosts of the Muncie Artists Guild's Artist of the Month:

Vera Mae's - Walnut St.
Massage Therapy Associates - Walnut St.
Northwest Bank - Adams St.
Old National Bank - Madison St.
Rosebud Cafe -Memorial Dr.

Come see Muncie Artists Guild’s website for the latest news on our events and activities:  https://www.muncieartistsguild.com/ 

Muncie Map Co.
111 E. Adams
Jannell Summers will be set up outside with a table of some of her old prints and originals (inside if it rains). She will also be doing blind-continuous contour drawings for the public. 

Muncie Map will also have a clearance sale going on, free give-aways throughout the night. We will have coloring pages of a map of Muncie for kids to keep or enter into a coloring contest called "Hey, We're Neighbors!" Coloring pages need to be turned in by the following Thursday, June 10th. The winners will be announced on the first Thursday of July. Prizes include tshirts, stickers, magnets, and more. Notable entries will be displayed in our shop for the month of June.

Amy Shears, who owns Fur in Focus pet photography studio, inside and adjacent to Muncie Map, will have an open studio with refreshments, examples of past work, and will be available to chat with the public about her services.

The North Church Venue
400 E. North St.
The North Church Venue will have the following for June’s First Thursday celebration!:

- Elm Street Brewery will be bartending for drinks
- Jansen Blevins is playing live music 5-7pm and Jake Hendershot is playing 7-9pm
- A few local artists will be in attendance as well showcasing their recent works.

PlySpace
608 E. Main
First Thursday Open Studio Cicada Chorus Recording Session

The Muncie Arts and Culture Council invites you to stop by the PlySpace Gallery (608 E Main Street, Muncie) for First Thursday ArtsWalk on June 3 from 5:00 to 8:00 pm to sing like a cicada! Inspired by the buzzing, whirring, and chirping of cicadas during the late spring and summer, PlySpace artist in residence Erin Mallea will collaborate with community members to listen to and observe insect noises in the area and develop a performance as a choral insect cacophony. On First Thursday, you can chirp, buzz, hiss, hum, and scream into a microphone and become part of her work! Recorded sounds will be woven into the final project, The Cicada Chorus, which will be presented as a video to the public at the end of June (date and time, TBD). Participation is free, but masks are required. 

More information about the Cicada Chorus and how you can be a part of this project visit www.PlySpace.org/cicada. PlySpace Summer Term events can be found on the PlySpace website at www.PlySpace.org/events and the PlySpace Facebook page. Questions or comments about the PlySpace Residency program, events, and community collaborations can be directed to the Program Coordinator, Sarah Shaffer, at hello@plyspace.org. Learn more about Muncie Arts & Culture Council at www.munciearts.org.

PlySpace is a program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council in partnership with the City of Muncie, Ball State University School of Art, and Sustainable Muncie Corporation. PlySpace is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Sea Salt and Cinnamon
Walnut and Main
Sea Salt and Cinnamon is fundraising for our new downtown storefront by holding a bake sale table (with proceeds going toward our Kickstarter campaign) in front of the Patterson building during Artswalk.

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 here and in several U.S. cities - a Muncie original! The Muncie YART is now held Downtown, at Canan Commons, twice a year, Spring and Fall, and coincides with ArtsWalk. The Spring 2021 Muncie YART is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, June 3rd!

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. The Spring 2021 Muncie YART will be held in conjunction with the 2021 Brink of Summer ArtsWalk on Thursday, June 3rd, from 5-8p. You can find YART and LIVE music performances at Canan Commons, Muncie's great urban greenspace park and amphitheater by the roundabout on South Walnut Street in Downtown Muncie, Indiana. 

All forms of Art are welcome at YART! Art of all kinds, by all kinds of Artists! YART encourages pandemic-safe and socially distanced 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 and their homes. To this goal, all YART Art will be priced below $40! YART works to enable local creative entrepreneurs and to improve the Muncie economy. Shop local, support independents, enjoy your town! 

Last YART featured over 150 Artists! Each YART Artist will be present throughout YART, masked and socially distanced, to meet the public, discuss their Art, handle sales personally, and some Artists will be making Art LIVE at YART! This is a great opportunity to enjoy your family interacting with local culture in a dynamic, lively, and relaxed atmosphere. Face masks covering the nose and mouth are required for all who attend ArtsWalk and YART, including children. If you are unable to wear a face mask, this will not be a safe environment for you or the community. We strongly encourage everyone to immediately get fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Spring 2021 Muncie YART will feature a wide variety of handmade jewelry, photography, clothing, oil/acrylic/watercolor paintings, fused glass, ceramics, knits, pottery, candles, toys, drawings, sculpture, lampwork glass, stuffed animals, digital art, mosaics, LIVE ART and LIVE MUSIC, and so much more!

Outdoor fun for all ages - YART and ArtsWalk are for the whole family!

Miss Moth (YART Director) and the YART Artists very much thank Cheryl Crowder of the Muncie Downtown Development Partnership and the City of Muncie for their generous support! YART is an all-volunteer, zero-budget, community event. THANK YOU!

LIKE Muncie YART on FaceBook:

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