May's First Thursday (full listing)

Once Upon a Muncie Mystery, Canan Commons Cara Wahlers will perform at Book Arts Collaborative Students working at Book Arts Collaborative Mom's Night Out at Forever Young Children's Boutique Alfredo Marin-Carle at Gordy Fine Art and Framing Co. Conservation Tales: Central America at Made in Muncie Abbey Jessup and Brooke Ackerman at Made in Muncie First Thursday at Madjax Debra Gindhart Dragoo and Debra Mae Shidler at Madjax, 2nd floor Ron Richcreek at Madjax Collage Creating at Madjax, 2nd floor Marta Stephens, Muncie Artist's Guild's Artist of the Month (showing at various locations) "Cinematic Environments" at Muncie Makes Lab "The Final: This is (not) a Sign" at Muncie Makes Lab

Downtown Development
Once Upon a Muncie Mystery, Canan Commons
A Crime- pretend crime, of course- has been committed and we need your help finding the culprit! Princess Snow White has been put under a mysterious sleeping curse by someone living in the Enchanted Forest! The Fairy Godmother needs your help to figure out who committed this crime and what they used to put her to sleep, so she can reverse the spell. Come out to Canan Commons on Thursday May 5th for First Thursday and put your investigative skills to work for the chance to win some great prizes! 5-6:30pm

Clue locations:
Downtown Farm Stand
Sea Salt & Cinnamon
Accutech
The Hayloft Boutique
Open Door Health Services
Toys Forever Models & Hobbies
Twin Archer Brewpub
Jesse Anderson State Farm Insurance
Muncie Visitors Bureau

Correctly solved crime trackers will be entered into a drawing for the following prizes:
Muncie Children's Museum Annual Family Pass
Sea Salt & Cinnamon Gift Certificate
Courtyard Marriott at the Horizon Convention Center 1 Overnight Stay
HeidiJHale Gift Certificate
Twin Archer Brewpub Gift Certificate
Muncie Civic Theater 2 sets of 4 tickets to see Shrek
DWNTWN Gift Bag
BSU Gift Bag

Book Arts Collaborative (at Madjax)
514 E. Main
Our very last First Thursday is going to be our best ever! Singer/song-writer Cara Wahlers will be performing in our shop; our students will ALL be there with their final "opus" projects that demonstrate what they have learned during their apprenticeship at Book Arts Collaborative, and we'll have "celebrity judges" including all of the authors we have printed at Book Arts Collaborative Press there to decide which projects gain immortality in the Special Collections at Bracken Library. Oh, and there will be cookies.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main
Presented by PrimeTrust Federal Credit Union and Cornerstone Center for the Arts, the 2022 Muncie Young Artist Exhibition Juried Art Competition is a celebration of young artists throughout Delaware County. 

The theme of the 2022 Young Artist Exhibition Juried Art Competition is “My Community”. Over the past two years, our understanding of community has shifted as every aspect of our lives has changed from the familiar, to the digital unknown, to something completely different, a mix of the before-times and the future. Through it all, we have had our community - whether it was learning something new with our classmates on Zoom, having socially distanced holiday dinners, or getting back outside to play with our friends for what felt like the first time in forever, we had each other to get through this unprecedented time in our lives.

Contestants are invited to submit up to two (2) works of art in the following categories: 2D (painting, drawing), 3D (sculpture, fiber arts, ceramics), and Intermedia (photography, videography, digital animation). No more than two submissions will be accepted per student. Entry is open through Friday, April 1st 2022.

Winning artworks will be displayed in the Judith Barnes Memorial Gallery at Cornerstone Center for the Arts beginning May 5th. The YAE Awards Ceremony will take place Friday, May 20th from 5-8 PM in the Auditorium at Cornerstone Center for the Arts.

Downtown Farm Stand
125 E. Main
First Thursday at The Downtown Farm Stand will feature an event in the new Farm Stand Second Story Lounge! The theme is Jazz with Cocktails inspired from Mexico. We will host a Ball State student jazz quintet, all are members of the BSU Jazz Ensemble. They will be playing a selection of jazz tunes that will appeal to everyone no matter what their experience level is with Jazz! 

We will be rolling out our first peek at our new craft cocktails selection from all fresh and organic ingredients! Fresh squeezed Margaritas will of course be on the menu, along with a full craft liquor selection, beer and wine, and delicious non-alcoholic beverages. Our menu will include fresh preparations of light dishes inspired by the cuisine of Mexico and the Cinco de Mayo holiday! We invite everyone out to experience a first glimpse at a new bar and restaurant venue in downtown Muncie that will be embracing live music, craft cocktails, and fine food! This event is 21 and over. Event starts at 5 pm

Forever Young Children’s Boutique
125 E. Charles
Forever Young will be open with a Ladies Night Out from 5-8:00. Let's Celebrate the ladies in our life. Attached event picture. 

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. 
224 E. Main
Gordy Fine Art and Framing will celebrate an exhibition and sale of new paintings and sculpture by Alfredo Marín-Carle, Thursday May 5th, 5-8pm. Marín-Carle joined the faculty at Ball State University in 1985. He is now Associate Professor Emeritus and resides in Indianapolis. Light refreshments will be served, and the public is invited to attend. 

Visions, the title of the exhibit, states simply that these works of art convey what the artist sees, reflecting his lifetime fascination with eastern philosophies. “In the process of creation, I experience the Buddhist concept of interdependence,” says Marín-Carle, “that nothing exists on its own.” The artist builds up layers and then sands them down. He uses stencils to apply forms and shapes, then rubs them with chemicals and carves deep and aggressive marks that disturb their clarity. In this way he is exploring the creation and destruction always going on around us.

The show will be on view with works for sale through May 28. Gordy Fine Art and Framing Company promotes talented artists, provides appraisals, and offers expert design and craftsmanship for framing and displaying treasured family possessions and works of art. 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

Made in Muncie
313 S. Walnut
There will be THREE EXHIBITIONS celebrating Conservation Tales and its Artists at Made in Muncie: 

Conservation Tales: Central America Series
ART 370 Art Immersive Spring 2022
Made in Muncie, 313 S. Walnut Street, Muncie IN
First Thursday: May 5, 2022, from 5–8 pm

Exhibition of artwork from the upcoming Conservation Tales books on Macaws and Sloths. Meet the team of illustrators, graphic designers, photographers, and science storytellers will be available to answer questions about the creative process; includes activities for children and book sales. The design team includes: Brooke Ackerman, Sunnie Berning, Cydney Davidson, Kami Geron, Abbey Jessup, Karina Kasmauskis, Sara Misak, Rhiannon Morrison-Naylor, Ashley Owens, Laine Powell, Zoe Scherer, Allison Smiley.

Faculty mentors: Tom McConnell, Biology and Barbara Giorgio-Booher, School of Art

Abbey Jessup & Brooke Ackerman Photography
Made in Muncie, 313 S. Walnut Street, Muncie IN
First Thursday: May 5, 2022, from 5–8 pm
Special exhibition featuring photographs by Abbey Jessup and Brooke Ackerman in partnership with the Cincinnati Zoo, Zoo Knoxville, and Indianapolis Zoo for the Conservation Tales books series.

Sara Misak: Creative Honors Thesis
Made in Muncie, 313 S. Walnut Street, Muncie IN
First Thursday: May 5, 2022, from 5–8 pm
Meet Tré! Sara Misak completed a life-size model of a sloth for her Creative Honors Thesis. This model was created with anatomically accurate features of a brown-throated three-fingered sloth. Alongside the model, she has created educational materials about sloths for conservation of the animals. Come to First Thursday to learn more about her project or play the "What's that Smell?" Scent guessing game.

Madjax Muncie
515 E. Main St.
Join us as we celebrate our local artists, makers, and musicians. First Thursdays at MADJAX is a fun evening with family and friends. Gallery walk your way around our first and second floor galleries. Enjoy DIY activities for everyone!

Popup artists and makers: Maevyn Stone harpist & vocalist, Tom Stader, Angel Gillette, Johnny Woods, Georedt Michael Huggins, Debra Gindhart Dragoo & Debra Mae Shidler, AEROSOL ART COLLABORATION AND more!

Support The Guardian Brewery too! First and Second floor galleries, 5-8pm. Enjoy & celebrate locally made arts, unique gifts, including paintings, ceramics, clothing, photography, wood carvings, jewelry, baked goods and more! Parking is available in our lot at the corner of Jackson and Monroe, and at the corner of Main and Monroe.

Also showing at Madjax:

Debra Gindhart Dragoo & Debra Mae Shidler
Debra Gindhart Dragoo is a installation, public artist, community curator, and arts advocate. Former visual arts educator and long-standing community arts program developer. Gindhart’s aerosol work has been shown locally, in Indianapolis, and sold nationally.  She discovered spray can paintings in a gallery setting ten years ago. Her aerosol inspirations come from Joy Hernandez-Butler, Banksy, and Mr. Brainwash. Excited for this opportunity to collaborate with Debra Mae Shidler. Shidler is exploring texture and rhythm through paint design. She has previously exhibited at Madjax and throughout East Central Indiana. Meet the artists, Second floor/Gindhart at Madjax, 5-8pm.

Ron Richcreek 
Ron Richcreek will be setting up at MadJax for the First Thursday in May.  He will be bringing new items in Porcelain and in Stoneware. Come to MadJax and shop around for Mother's Day or just something for yourself.  May 5th from 5 to 8 pm.

DIY Collage!
Collage creating @madjaxmuncie with @gindhart_madjax during May First Thursdays at Madjax $10 all supplies included 5-5-22 5-7 ages 10-adults Madjax 515 East Main Street second floor galleries $10 all supplies included reserve your spot pay with Venmo OR PayPal @DebraDragoo

Muncie Artist’s Guild
Various locations
The Muncie Artists Guild's Artist of the Month is Marta Stephens!
Her work will be on view at the following locations downtown: 
Vera Mae's, Northwest Bank, Old National, Rose Bud Coffeehouse, and Parlour.

Marta Stephens was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, but has called Indiana her home since the age of four. Her formal art education includes courses at U.C.L.A, the Pasadena Art Center College of Design, and Ball State University.  However, while at Ball State, she changed her major and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism/Public Relations in 2001. 

Marta has been painting for over 40 years. She is an active member of the Muncie Artists Guild since 2018 and has won several awards for her artwork. Her painting style has continuously evolved through experimentation and studying works of contemporary and traditional impressionist artists. She remains open to learning new techniques. Thus, this self-taught artist’s style is in a constant state of development. 

She has worked with a variety of mediums including ink, washes, clay, and charcoals. Several years later she began exploring oils and acrylics. The subject matters of her paintings are primarily still lifes and landscapes. Gardening is one of her other creative passions, so inspiration often comes from nature and the study of light, shadows, and textures.

Marta is also a published author of crime mystery novels all of which have received several awards and recognitions over the years. Her recent publication in 2021 is an anthology of short mysteries. Marta retired in 2020 from Ball State University, Human Resources, after 41 years. Since then, she has pursued her life-long passion—art.

For more information about Marta’s artwork and novels, visit www.mstephensbooks.com. Follow her on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/marta.stephens2/. 

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut
Join Muncie Makes Lab from 6-9pm for two exhibitions:
Cinematic Environments
Cinematic Environments is an exhibition of short films centered around world-building that occupies the fuzzy space between realism and speculation. Students from the Department of Architecture, within the College of Architecture Planning at Ball State University, produced films by photographing small scale, detailed models using cinematic techniques utilized by Hollywood. Through filmic representation, the projects aimed to present immersive atmospheres without the use of narrative or dialogue. 

Students presenting work: Maarten Bergsma, Favian Cervantes, Charlie Davis, Alli Gerardot, Tessa Hill, Camden Hochgesang, Kevin Hundt, Allison Loth, Assumpta Nyein, Seong Joon Park, Elliot Shide, Long Tram, Barbara Wiley, and Isaac Wilson.

The Final: This is (not) a Sign
An exhibition of Neon work including both sculptural and sign based forms from the current Ball State Neon Class. Students include: Caitlyn Brown, Angelica Lavergne, Katrina Mitchell, Erica O’Connor, Kat Pendleton, Steven Polchinski, Victoria Stout, and Bethany Uremovich.

Muncie Map Co.
111 E. Adams
Muncie Map Co. will be revealing the long-awaited update to the Ultimate Muncie Map. A follow-up to the 2019 map of the same name, the 2022 edition is all new, including updated and additional details in a refined aesthetic to create the finest map of Muncie ever produced. A limited number of copies will be available for purchase on First Thursday. Visitors will also be able to peruse the Local Business Hall of Fame, a growing collection of graphics from legendary Muncie establishments of the past, available to order on a wide range of apparel and other products.

The Shoppe by Pink Leaf
108 S. Walnut St.
Mother's Day is almost here! Come check out our beautiful Mother's Day baskets and other unique gifts for the women in your life. Take advantage of in-store specials including 10% off a locally-designed and created Mother's Day card with the purchase of any basket.