The 20th Anniversary of First Thursday

Light Up DWNTWN! The Holiday Shop at Gordy Fine Art and Framing Co. Madjax 1st and 2nd floor galleries Debra Gindhart at Madjax, 2nd floor Debra Gindhart at Madjax, 2nd floor Larry Gindhart at Madjax, 2nd floor Neal Soley at Madjax, 2nd floor Neal Soley at Madjax, 2nd floor The Holiday Gift Market, 22o S. Walnut St. Jordan Delzell at Plyspace

The 20th Anniversary of First Thursday!
Please join us in celebrating the following events for our 20th anniversary:

Downtown Development presents the following events for the 20th Anniversary of First Thursday:
Light Up DWNTWN
Spread the Christmas cheer with galleries, restaurants, retailers, and neighbors throughout DWNTWN during December’s First Thursday! At 6:00 pm, join us in Canan Commons as we officially kick off the holiday season with the tree lighting. 

Then, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there will be music & light shows at the top of every hour from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm! 

Amazing Elf Hunt
Some of Santa’s elves have arrived in Muncie!

Throughout the month of December, 80 elves will be working with DWNTWN businesses to prepare for Christmas. If you look closely at storefront windows, you might just spot them!

Can you find at least 25 elves? Fill in your Elf Tracker (coming soon for download at downtownmuncie.org/lightupdwntwn or to pick up from downtown business locations) with at least 25 of the possible 80 elves’ names and numbers and be entered to win one of five $100 cash prizes!

Return your completed Elf Tracker by:
- Mailing physical copies to Downtown Muncie, 120 W Charles St, Muncie, IN 47305
- Emailing the fillable PDF to info@downtownmuncie.org
Completed Elf Trackers must be received by January 3, 2022. Cash prize winners will be drawn and announced via Downtown Muncie Facebook Live at noon on January 6, 2022.
This scavenger hunt is brought to you in partnership with Muncie Children's Museum's Amazing Elf Adventure.

The Muncie Children's Museum will also be hosting its Amazing Elf Adventure Elf Training at the Holiday Gift Market (220 S. Walnut), which will involve crafts, gift-wrapping stations, and games!

Holiday Organ Music at Downtown Churches
Two downtown churches will welcome First Thursday visitors, Dec. 2, to hear Holiday music played on the pipe organ. Come in, sit down, warm up, and enjoy Advent/Christmas carols and pieces at either or both of these churches:

High Street United Methodist Church, 219 S. High St.--organist: Andrea Hughes
Grace Episcopal Church, 300 S. Madison St.--organist: Fr. Paul Jacobson

Visit any time between 5:30 and 6:15 pm. 
Coordinated by the American Guild of Organists, Muncie Chapter

Book Arts Collaborative (at Madjax)
514 E. Main
Twentieth Anniversary: $20 hand-sewn journals
Journals make great gifts for aspiring or accomplished writers, busy people, and folks with too much time on their hands. Give a journal this holiday season, and see what it sparks!

Book Arts Collaborative will be open for First Thursday with letter-presses holiday cards, local interest posters (great gifts for teachers!), and blank books from pocket-sized to photo album worthy. As always, our work is hand-made but priced to sell because we love making more of it. 

Forever Young Children’s Boutique
125 E. Charles
Forever Young will be open until 7:00 and will have fun specials and deals to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of First Thursday!

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. 
224 E. Main
Gordy Fine Art & Framing Company fills its gallery with locally handmade items and readymade photo frames perfect for gift giving.  Our Holiday Shop will be open 5-8pm, First Thursday, December 2

Gordy Fine Art and Framing is the area’s leading source for holiday gifts that are handmade locally. These include prints, jewelry, pottery, and tree ornaments. We also have readymade photo frames with easel backs that complement our photo printing and enlargement services.  Prices mostly fall between $30 to $200. From whimsical “Funcie” shirts to handcrafted mugs and plates. Paintings and prints capture Indiana’s landscapes in both traditional and contemporary styles.  Most things in the gallery are also available on our Online Store at gordyframing.com/store

“The Holiday Shop offers great opportunities to find unique holiday gifts with a connection to the city we live in,” says Gordy owners Barbara and Carl Schafer.  “Often our customers are shopping for friends who have moved away from Muncie, or for their grown children who need something special to remember their hometown. Useful things such as mugs, bowls, and t-shirts are popular since they are used every day.”

The show will run throughout the holiday season and new works will be continually added to replace things that are purchased and removed.

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. We also offer photo printing and enlargement services.  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.

Madjax Muncie
515 E. Main St.
1st Floor
Come and support the creative genius of our makers and artists during December’s First Thursdays at MADJAX. Shop small and support local. 5-8pm.

2nd Floor
Madjax is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of First Thursday with special art installations in our second floor galleries. This extraordinary exhibit includes long standing Muncie artists, previous Madjax artists, BSU art student, and live MUSIC. Featuring: Bob Hartley, Michael DuQuette, Neal Soley, Jill Palumbo, Alyssa Carey, Debbie Shidler, Nicholle Sanchez, Debbie Shidler, and Larry Gindhart. Celebrate ART! 5-8pm

Erica Blair and Debra Gindhart
Wearable ART collaboration installation features Erica Blair of Boom Vintage and Debra Gindhart Dragoo. Fabulous and beautiful objects to accessorize. Erica Blair will have a mix of fun clay bright leopard pieces and brass with semi precious gemstones. Debra will continue with her art anthem “Real Babes Recycle” her Twentieth Anniversary of First Thursday Green Glam Studio jewelry will feature Ho Ho Ho BAUBLES & Hemp pendants. Meet the artists. 5-8pm

Gindhart at Madjax
'Tis the season for social commentary artwork from Debra Gindhart Dragoo, longtime local artist and visual arts educator, turned curator and arts advocate m. She  has created WWJB THREE(What Would Jesus Buy 3)a visual look at the consumerism that plagues our planet and feeds our landfills. Techniques of found art, altered art, assemblage, and collage produce these telling topical images of wall art. This year’s collection is both telling and humorous.

Debra's last First Thursday exhibit of 2021 will also include hand knitted infinity and cowl neck scarves. A collection of Gindhart fiber art combines thick and soft fibers to create colorful and functional wearable art. Some yarns are hand spun and unique.

Debra’s Green Glam Studio jewelry will feature HO HO HO earrings and HO HO HO HEMP pendants to make your ugly Christmas sweater POP! These pieces reinforce the artist’s personal and creative anthem of “real babes recycle.”

Larry Gindhart
Join musician Larry Gindhart and experience the calm, gentle and luxurious, melodies of Native American Flutes, the harmonic and mystical sounds of RAV Vast melodic steel drums, and a variety of nature sounds. Relaxation, comfort and an easy peaceful feeling are hallmarks of this musical performance. Soothing, healing sounds and pleasing melodies speak to the heart as they renew, soothe and energize. 5:30-8:00pm

Neal Soley
Indianapolis artist Neal Soley will feature new work from his ongoing Tulip Factory project. Select pieces include works on canvas as well as a multitude of other mediums. Join the artist from 5-8 pm to celebrate 20 years of Muncie First Thursday and learn about Soley’s upcoming events and projects.

Muncie Makers Market
220 S. Walnut St.
The Muncie Makers Market presents Muncie’s Annual HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET! 

Join your community at Light Up DWNTWN and #ShopLocal on First Thursday, December 2, 2021 from 5-8p INDOORS with wonderful local Makers! We will be celebrating the season with a great night of shopping and entertainment in a new venue for us, the former Chase Bank building at 220 South Walnut Steet - now owned by Open Door Health Services - this is the big glass building on the corner of Walnut and Adams in Downtown Muncie! All INDOORS, with FREE PARKING! 

Remember, no shipping worries when you shop here, everything is in stock and ready to go!

THANK YOU to our Muncie Downtown Development Partnership and Open Door Health Services for supporting Muncie’s Annual HOLIDAY GIFT MARKET! 

You’ll find the Muncie Makers Market at special events throughout our community all year!
Please JOIN us on Facebook and Instagram:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1627047027524961/     

Muncie Map Co.
111 E. Adams
Muncie Map Co will have their expanded holiday selection on hand, with ten different shirt designs in stock plus dozens of new special gift items. The shop will be open with extended hours plus MMC will have a booth at the Holiday Gift Market with some exclusive goodies there. 

PlySpace
608 E. Main
Muncie Arts/ Plyspace welcome Plyspace Resident Jordan Delzell:

PlySpace, the artist in residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MuncieArts) welcomes Fall 2021 Resident Jordan Delzell. Jordan Delzell is a visual artist, researcher and recycler. Through foraging, collecting and scavenging material she reroutes items from the waste stream to sites of deep study and care. She creates objects, installations, images and interactions. While in residence Jordan will offer multiple opportunities to learn more about the art of paper recycling.

For First Thursday, Jordan Delzell will transform the PlySpace gallery (608 E Main Street, Muncie) into a recycling center where the Muncie community can drop off paper materials to be recycled and learn about paper-making with recycled materials. Stop by from 5-8pm. 

About the Artist:
Born in Morning Sun, Iowa, Jordan Delzell moved to New York City to study Integrated Design, a practice merging visual art, design and psychology. In 2017 she lived and worked at Elsewhere Museum, a museum and collective living experiment in a former thrift store in North Carolina. In 2019 she relocated to Kansas City, where she has continued work focused on paper-making with recycled paper. She has facilitated the collective recycling of paper through poetic workshops in unconventional spaces: garages turned schools and storefronts turned art galleries. She currently lives and works on an urban homestead where she grows food and fiber and is actively learning the art of seed-saving.

The Shoppe by Pink Leaf
108 S. Walnut St.
Get a head start on your holiday baking this year! The Shoppe by Pink Leaf offers a variety of organic spices, teas, kitchen supplies, handmade jewelry and more, which make perfect gifts for the holiday season. Plus, our holiday favorites are 25% off! Come see what all the buzz is about!