December's First Thursday (full listing)

Light up DWNTWN! Holiday Boutique at the Bargain Box Carrie Wright Silk Gifts and Gallery The Clubhouse Heart of Muncie. Kevin Klinger, Artificial Intelligence. 2023 Still from Conflux III. John Fillwalk with Neil Zehr @IDIA Lab. Interactive installation. 2023 Cornerstone Center for the Arts Holiday Party and Salon Show, Gordy Fine Art and Framing Co. “Organ Music for the Nativity Season” with Fr. Paul Jacobson, Grace Episcopal Church Kat's Crystals and Curiosities Madjax, Design Lab Pop-up Workshop Madjax, Crosby Family Art MAggie Abby Molino, Muncie Artists Guild's Artist of the Month Holiday Gift Market, Muncie Makers Market "Something Every Week," Muncie Makes Lab Aimee Maychack and Mary Arnett-Delaney at Plyspace Aimee Maychack and Mary Arnett-Delaney at Plyspace Cajun Night at Vera Mae's

Downtown Development
Canan Commons
Kick-Off Event: Spread the Christmas cheer with galleries, restaurants, retailers, and neighbors throughout DWNTWN during December’s First Thursday:

-Community Tree Lighting (6pm) with Animated Light Show Synchronized to Music 
-Santa & The Kiddie Express Train at Canan Commons
-Holiday Gift Market by the Muncie Makers Market 
-Holiday Gallery Walk
-Live Music & Performances
-Starting at 5pm at Canan Commons: The Harmony Players, Muncie Community Elementary School Choir, Code Red Dancers, George Wolfe and Friends, and Greg Rhodes
-Santa, Charlie Cardinal, Rudy the RoadRunner, Rudolph and Frosty will all be on hand for holiday cheer and selfies!
-Enjoy music and light shows at 6, 7, 8, and 9pm every Thursday-Sunday in December at Canan Commons

NEW THIS YEAR!
HOLIDAY WINDOW DISPLAY CONTEST
Businesses all across DWNTWN are getting in the holiday spirit and decorating their storefront windows—or their entire building. Explore DWNTWN and experience the holiday cheer during Light Up DWNTWN all December long. Vote for your favorite display and they might win a $500 micro-grant for their business! Check back soon to see the list of participating businesses and submit your ballot. Voting will be open December 7–31, 2023.

DWNTWN businesses: Want in? Email cheryl@downtownmuncie.org by Friday, December 1 to register for the contest!

111 Arts Gallery 
111 E. Main
We are having our Christmas specials (Krampus tattoos) featuring a variety of images of Christmas devils for your tattoo fantasy. Our window is also decorated to add to it. Whether you collect tattoos or not, stop in and check out the museum!

The Bargain Box 
607 E. Charles St (behind McDonald’s)
Holiday Boutique at the Bargain Box is a boutique shopping experience at resale prices. The Holiday Boutique is open Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 am to 2 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm. With special hours for First Thursday, 5 pm to 8 pm. Operated by the ladies of Psi Iota Xi - Alpha Chapter, all proceeds from the Holiday Boutique and Bargain Box are gifted back into our community. Last year Psi Iota Xi – Alpha Chapter was able to support the following organizations A Better Way, Cornerstone Center for the Arts, Guardian Advocates, Masterworks Chorale, United Day Care, and Youth Symphony Orchestra. Since 1963 $1,130,578 have been gifted back to Muncie’s non-profit organizations. Come Shop the Box! 

Carrie Wright Silk Gifts and Gallery
405 S. Walnut (above the Caffeinery)
We offer fine artisan-made gifts at every price point, including some unique stocking stuffers under $15! Stop by for a delicious cup of Ghirardelli hot cocoa and receive a free gift with every purchase, our way to show you how much we appreciate you!

The Clubhouse
115 S. Walnut
Visit us on Thursday December 7th for buy one get one free dinners from 5pm – 9pm! We’ll also have a free kids crafting corner where they can make their own Holiday ornaments. Frosty and Rudolph will be on site from 7pm until 8pm for the perfect winter photo op.

College of Architecture and Planning, Ball State University
#HeartofMuncie (an Exhibition)
220 S Walnut St (Black Glass Building) 
The iMADE immersive learning studio through Ball State’s College of Architecture and Planning (CAP) is showcasing their work for the semester. Come to see the students’ master planning strategy for the city of Muncie as well as their work on the column installation in Accutech’s parking lot. 

Conflux III (Interactive Installation)
220 S Walnut St (Black Glass Building)
BSU’s IDIA Lab, also from CAP, will present an interactive installation using AI – triggered by a QR code and cellphone on the exterior of Muncie’s own Skidmore Owings and Merrill designed building at 220 S Walnut Street. The event will take place from 5-8pm. All are welcome to attend and free food and drinks will be provided.

Cornerstone Center for the Arts
520 E. Main
We are celebrating 22 years of FIRST THURSDAY in Muncie. At Cornerstone Center for the Arts, we have a Muncie artwork donation exhibit, which is now 20% off. Many pieces of this generous donation were originally purchased from Gordy’s Fine Arts and Framing, and there are over 40 pieces. They include ceramics, sculpture, fiber art, prints, paintings, and drawings. If you’re a patron of Muncie arts don’t miss this incredible installation, or your opportunity to purchase some amazing art. All proceeds go to Cornerstone Center for the Arts and can be viewed in Cornerstone’s Judith Barnes Memorial Gallery. The event is being coordinated by Artist in Residence Debra Gindhart. 

Community artists participating this December include Val Kelley, Mikell Vawter, Angel Gillette, Liliana Osborne, Tom Stader, Jill Palumbo, Jennifer Morris, Ashley Lambert, Stefan McKell, Early Kenny, and Kristin Ramsey.

Cornerstone staff artists include Mike Lassiter and Debra Gindhart Dragoo.
Music guest: Dj Kendrick Shadoan 

Cornerstone Center for the Arts offers opportunities for creative expression for all through community and rental spaces in a historic setting. Cornerstone is home to The Masterworks Chorale and Orchestra Indiana for additional information go to Cornerstone's website. 

Gordy Fine Art & Framing Co. 
224 E. Main
Holiday Party and Salon Show with music by Barry Banks.  This will start a 10% sale on all artworks in the gallery which will run through December 16th. The gallery is filled with paintings, prints, pottery, journals, scarves, and jewelry made by artists with connections to Muncie and our region. Refreshments will be served. 

Grace Episcopal Church
300 S. Madison
All are welcome to a concert of “Organ Music for the Nativity Season” at Grace Episcopal Church, 300 S. Madison (corner Adams & Madison–next to iconic McDonald’s sign). Fr. Paul Jacobson, pastor of the church and accomplished musician, will perform beginning at 7:00. The program and reception following are free and open to the public.

Kat’s Crystals & Curiosities 
111 E Adams St 
Join us at Kat’s Crystals to shop 11% off our entire store from 5-8pm. We feature items from 14 local artists and makers in our store! We have original paintings, prints, jewelry, crochet, wreaths, candles, and so many more hand crafted items. This is the perfect opportunity to give the gift of handmade this holiday season. We will also be offering free refreshments!  

Madjax Muncie
515 E. Main St.
DESIGN LAB POP-UP WORKSHOP: ORNAMENTS
Join us in the Design Lab on First Thursday from 5–8 pm! Personalize and engrave your own wooden ornament using the Glowforge laser cutter and engraver. No pre-registration is required. 5–8pm (Drop in anytime)

Parking available in the lot at the corner of Main St and Monroe St
Free for Design Lab members, $5 per ornament for nonmembers

CFA: Crosby Family Art
Join us for First Thursday at Madjax! Crosby Family Art is thrilled to be at Madjax for an unforgettable First Thursday event. Explore our vibrant collection of art pieces crafted by the talented Crosby family. From stunning paintings to unique jewelry, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Don’t miss this opportunity to witness creativity in action! Mark your calendar and come celebrate art with us at Madjax on December 7th from 5-8pm. See you there!

Muncie Artist’s Guild
Various locations
MAggie Abby Molino is our Muncie Artists Guild's Artist of the Month for December 2023.  

Artist Statement/Bio: 
I came to Earth loving buffalo, boots, hats and horses and howled when Mother tried to get me into dresses. Then Mother sewed me a dress with horses on the material and I had been outsmarted. There’s still a remnant of that dress in the little pink box Grandpa brought me my first sewing machine in. I love to sew. 

That was about the same time my father showed me how to use the Kodak Instamatic. Yet another true love was born. I’ve not been without a camera since. 

In grade school, I met the piano and the pencil. I wrote poems and drew horse farm plans, Indiana sunsets and insects. I was the 1968 Indiana State 4-H Champion of Entomology Insect Identification and won a trip to New York City and Washington DC.I was still studying piano and performing on stage when I went to Indiana University Bloomington a few years later. There I majored in Journalism and Communications and took photography classes. I loved the dark room and the film camera. 

While pursuing journalism I got a job at Bloomington Hospital as a clinical secretary and somehow, despite dreams of a radio broadcast career, I graduated, after five and a half years of studying, with a BSN in Nursing from IU Indianapolis. Nursing allows room for variety. I’ve co-owned a custom marine canvas shop where I designed boat tops and boat covers and worked as a professional seamstress while I water-skied my heart out and raised two boys; had a 50-year career in health care working in Clinics, Emergency Rooms, Psychiatric facilities, Hospitals and Nursing Homes; went through a stack of cameras of all types; and raised a riding and driving horse along with a menagerie of goats, sheep, geese, ducks, dogs, cats and pigs. While I haven’t owned a buffalo, I do decorate my house with bison, have a collection of boots and hats and wear them regularly. I now play a keyboard and am a Google Guide with over a thousand photos on line with nearly 23,500,000 views of my pictures. 

As I say in my Google Bio: Nurse, Writer, Poet, Musician, Artist. Forever just isn’t long enough to explore life to its fullest, but photography helps. 

Her work will be shown at the following locations: 
Northwest Bank (E Charles), Old National Bank (S Madison), Rosebud Coffee House, Vera Mae's Bistro, and Parlour Salon. 

Muncie Makers Market
227 S. Walnut
The Holiday Gift Market at Light Up DWNTWN, presented by the Muncie Makers Market, is your chance to shop early! We are excited to be at the heart of it all! From 5-8pm, at the Royalty Event Center at 227 South Walnut Street, between Heorot Pub and Trust Your Butcher Steakhouse, we will show up BRIGHT and MERRY showcasing local businesses, all with handmade creations and homemade goodies! We really hope that you will #ShopSmallFirst this season! 

Join your community at Light Up DWNTWN for a delightful and fun evening of shopping - America's Hometown Band will have a Jazz Combo outside and All Out Productions will bring the holiday tunes inside!

Muncie Makes Lab
628 S. Walnut
“Something Every Week”
Curator: Ben Fusco
Artists:  Alyvia Hebner, Matt Holman, Olivia Smith, Sam Meyers, Ricardo Ayala, Finn Hannan, Katie Holland, Mary Kate Hopf, Justine Horlander, Nathan Horlander, Nicole Pokorny, Nathan Freyberger

Over 30 weeks between January and August of 2023, 13 artists/designers committed to making something every week, intending to display it on a 9x 12 paper poster. There were no limitations to what could be made as long as it was something every week. Some participants used their posters as an opportunity to experiment with mediums, styles, and techniques, while others drew inspiration from activities and environments. The collection of posters becomes a record of experiences over the 30 weeks. The project's foundational belief is that the more that can be created and seen, the stronger the initial ideas become and the more they can grow and change.

Plsypace
304 S. Walnut
Local artists, Aimee Maychack and Mary Arnett-Delaney (M.A-D.), are hosting a pop-up shop featuring a variety of unique items. Inspired largely by the natural world, Aimee creates cards, mini-graphic novels (zines), paintings and linocut prints. M.A-D’s artwork finds humor and sincerity through zines, prints, paintings and stickers. There's something for everyone at affordable prices just in time for your holiday shopping. Stop by Plyspace at 304 S. Walnut St. (next door to Forever Toys) for this exclusive pop-up and support local art!

Vera Mae’s Bistro
207-209 S. Walnut
First Thursday Cajun Night at Vera’s! Featuring Fresh Oysters other Cajun fixin’s. Or join us for a cocktail amidst our beautiful Holiday décor!