July's First Thursday (Full Listing)

Forever Young Children's Boutique, moving sale and popsicle stand Madjax, 1st floor galleries Madjax, 2nd floor galleries Live Music with Katie Jo Robinson, Madjax, 1st floor Music Trivia Drawing, Win this prize pack! Madjax, 2nd floor Michelle Duran, Madjax, 2nd floor Michelle Duran, Madjax, 2nd floor Debra Gindhart, Madjax, 2nd floor Debra Gindhart, Madjax, 2nd floor Ron Richcreek, Madjax, 2nd floor Ron Richcreek, Madjax, 2nd floor Karen Evans, "The Boat at Sunset," Muncie Artist's Guild: Artist of the Month Pati Sparks, "Winter Reflections," Muncie Artist's Guild: Artist of the Month The Commercial Kitchen at Pink Leaf

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main
Opening Reception for Darla Gaskins’s Gallery: Persphone
Hosted by Cornerstone Center for the Arts
In her first solo art exhibit entitled Persphone, Darla Gaskins brings together the worlds of sorrow and joy. With pieces portraying both positive and negative emotions, this gallery shows the beauty in both darkness and light. Gaskin’s exhibit will be displayed in the Judith Barnes Memorial Gallery on the second floor of Cornerstone Center of the Arts during the month of July.

The opening reception will be held on Thursday, July 1st, from 5 - 8 p.m. and will remain on display until Friday, July 30. A virtual gallery showcasing Gaskin’s pieces 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. 

Forever Young Children’s Boutique
125 E. Charles
Forever Young CB will be open late that evening till 7:00. We have a lot going on. First we are MOVING! So we will be having a moving SALE. Also we have lots of Red White and Blue apparel in the shop now for Fourth of July. Last thing is we will be having a Free Popsicle Stand All donations will go to First Choice for Women. 

High Street United Methodist Church
219 S. High
High Street UMC will have cornhole, sidewalk chalk and ice pops in the parking lot! Stop by and play a while with us.

Madjax Muncie
515 E. Main St.

Madjax, 1st floor galleries, 5-8pm
Come and support the local pop up makers and artists during First Thursdays at MADJAX. Find these many accomplished artists and crafters in Monroe Hall and Public Hall, first floor. 

The Aerial Annex, Beyond I CAN, Lindsay Jones, Jaelin No Rivals, Rhonda Newsome, Katie Jo Robinson/MUSIC, Cassandra Reeves, Ron and Debbie Richcreek, Climbing Ivy Handmade Journals, Angelita Hampton, Missy Scott, Toquetta Woods, Wendy Lynn, Deshawn Roberts, 

Dawn Carter, Kayla Renae Thomas, Jessi Ireland, Michele Ray and MORE!! 

Monroe Hall and Public Hall are both on the first floor accessible via the Monroe Street entrance. 

Madjax, 2nd floor galleries, 5-8pm
Come and support the creative genius of these makers and artists during First Thursdays at MADJAX. Support local community creatives: Neal Soley, Angel Gillette, Lanie Manning, 

Caitlin Torres, Nancy Carlson, Georedt Michael Huggins, Amelia Jo Roe, Johnny Woods, Alyssa Carey, Anna Grace Longfellow, Mattie Ewing, Debbie Mae, Michelle Duran, Missy Adams, Sara Collas, Victoria Callow, Debra Gindhart , Natalie Phillips (DJ)

Additional information about specific Madjax artists is below:

Music, 1st floor: Live music from Katie Jo Robinson
Come and enjoy the incredible musical talents of Katie Jo Robinson a local singer songwriter and educator. Madjax is thrilled to have her as part of our July First Thursday! Katie has been serenading Muncie and beyond for several years. Attend and enjoy first floor Madjax Muncie.

Music, 2nd floor: “American” Music Night: Trivia and Drawing!
Join Madjax for July’s First Thursday and listen to some “American” music celebrating Independence Day! Each song played will include words associated with “America” (America, freedom, liberty, 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 drawing to win an artsy Muncie price pack filled with the following goodies: two pairs of earrings from Debra Gindhart, a Bob Ross sticker and button from The Orchard Shop at Minnetrista, a Ball State School of Art sticker, a Vincent Van Gogh notebook, a Starry Night pin, and a set of artist/paintbrush pins. 

Pick up and return your trivia sheets to Natalie at the DJ table on the 2nd floor. 

Michelle Duran, 2nd fl.
Michelle Duran is a maker who explores the spiritual and physical worlds. In addition to her miniature spirit world items such as tarot decks and grimoires, this month she has new embroidery designs, crystal jewelry, and essential oil bath salts for sale. 

Debra Gindhart, 2nd fl.
Debra Gindhart, local artist-maker, visual arts educator and community arts programmer will feature her Green Glam Studio jewelry for July First Thursdays at Madjax Muncie. Featuring Tibetan filigree earrings and earrings created using vintage necklace clasps. Found objects, estate baubles, thrift store finds combined with design and creative techniques result in one of a kind accessories. There is also a new Green Glam Studio jewelry collection of braided cord pendants including a humorous “I Solemnly Swear I Am Up To No Good” charms. Meet the artist. 

Ron Richcreek, 1st fl.
Ron Richcreek will be joining the artists at First Thursdays at Madjax on July 1st from 5-8PM with his functional and aesthetic pottery.

Muncie Artist’s Guild
Various locations
Co-Artists of the Month - Muncie Artists Guild - July 2021
Please visit the following area businesses this month to enjoy the artwork of Pati Sparks and Karen S. Evans:
Vera Mae's on Walnut Street;
Northwest Bank on Adams Street;
Old National Bank on Madison Street; and
Rosebud Coffee House on Memorial Drive.

Pati Sparks: As a fulltime, professional artist, Pati (Bell) Sparks specializes in portraits and landscapes in oil and pastel. Sparks teaches art privately from her studio north of Sulphur Springs and has had a long and successful career as a mural artist in Indianapolis. Currently she continues to create artwork in her childhood home, a Victorian farm house in Henry County.

Art has been a large part of who Sparks is from a very young age.  She won her first award at seven, and received her first portrait commissions while still in her teens. Sparks is a naturally gifted artist, developing her talent by studying fine art in various museums and galleries and by experimentation.  She draws much inspiration from her passions for travel and her observations of people. 

Her paintings have won numerous awards including “Best of Show” in juried exhibits in Indiana and North Carolina. Her murals have been featured in national magazines including Better Homes and Gardens and she has been listed in the fine arts section of the “International Who’s Who in Interior Design.”   Her work is well recognized in venues including the James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children and Kona Jack’s Restaurant (Indianapolis, IN) and the Medical College of Georgia Children’s Hospital (Augusta, GA).   Her paintings and murals are part of numerous  private collections in Indiana and in the American Southeast. 

Sparks currently accepts commissions from throughout the United States. Inquiries are welcome by Messenger at www.facebook.com%2Fpati.sparks&data=04%7C01%7Cnephillips%40bsu.edu%7C5d9fb0e026d5463a49a708d936891684%7C6fff909f07dc40da9e30fd7549c0f494%7C0%7C0%7C637600784695110177%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=2Q3Yd0vb85pMO6WSM8jvf7zW%2FKaCVbkSq8RoNAWgQLM%3D&reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/pati.sparks.

Karen S. Evans: Karen Evans has loved drawing and creating all her life.  Some of her fondest childhood memories are of drawing alongside her brother who went on to earn his MFA and made his living as an artist. Karen’s small high school didn’t even offer art as a subject, but despite being unable to pursue her artistic interests in as straightforward a way as her brother, she has always enjoyed being creative.  

Immediately after high school she began working at the Winchester Gazette, setting type. Her lifelong work has been in printing and doing graphic artwork for different newspapers. She was especially good at creating ads for area sales representatives.

Over the years, her creativity has taken several forms, including cutting hair, decorating cakes, 

making candy, painting wooden and ceramic ornaments and crafts, taking photographs, managing flower gardens, making silk flower arrangements,and decorating windows for the holidays.

Always wanting a creative outlet, she began oil painting lessons in the late 1980s with various 

Artists including Steve Ross (son of the famous Bob Ross), Martha Searcy, Phyllis Whitworth, and Dorothy Humbarger. For the past several years Evans has studied painting with her fellow artist of the month, Pati Sparks, who describes Evans as “one of my most talented students!”  and “She isn’t satisfied until her paintings are ‘just right.’”  

Evans focuses mainly on creating landscapes, but also enjoys painting flowers and portraits. Evans says, “My desire is to continue improving my ability to capture the interesting and beautiful things around us using oil paint and canvas.”

Pink Leaf- The Commercial Kitchen
108 S. Walnut St.
Bring art into your everyday life. From our kitchen to yours, come watch Michael Still of The Master's Potter work on his pottery wheel and purchase one-of-a-kind handmade pottery pieces to take home. Don't forget to bring the kids to enter our coloring contest!