Events on September 25, 2025

Image: Lamar Richcreek (American, 1947–2018), Untitled from the Series Ideal Farm, 2004, chromogenic color print, gift of Jean Richcreek, 2024.006.011.

September 18 – December 19, 2025

Ball State alumnus Lamar Richcreek (1947–2018) earned a degree in business administration in 1969. After a 24-year career in banking, he launched a second career in photography. In his 50s, he returned to school, earned an MFA at Vermont College of Fine Arts, and taught for 20 years as an adjunct professor of photography at the Herron School of Art + Design in Indianapolis. His success as a fine art photographer resulted in a solo exhibition at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2002.

Like the pastoral genre in literature, art, and music, Lamar Richcreek’s photographs often present nostalgic visual stories of Indiana’s agricultural landscape inflected by his business perspective. He once wrote in an artist’s statement, “My views of the landscape, agriculture and the family farm are romanticized ones, originating from childhood experiences and visits to my grandfather’s farm in Central Indiana. In the aftermath of World War II and during the Cold War years, the Midwest saw the creation of global markets for farm products and the development of technological advances that were invented to increase production for improved and insured profitability, all of which transformed American farming. These transformations favored agri-businesses and multi-national corporations, thereby altering the viability of the traditional family farm. This change occurred over time without my realizing its impact.”

Lamar Richcreek’s photography testifies to the effects of the post-war economic-agricultural boom in the Midwest through his images with surreal settings, witty juxtapositions, and sublime scenery. A recent donation of art from his wife, Jean Richcreek (1948–2025), to the David Owsley Museum of Art allows subsequent generations to view the corporatization of farming in Indiana through Lamar Richcreek’s creative lens. We are also grateful to Ball State alumnus Thomas Murphy (‘69) for his recent philanthropic investment in DOMA in memory of Lamar and Jean Richcreek.  

Image: Pierre Daura (American, born Spain, 1896–1976), designs for Cercle et Carré logo, 1929. Pen and ink on paper, 9 3/4 × 6 inches. Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia; Gift of Martha Randolph Daura. 2011.125.

September 18 – December 19, 2025

Hours: 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. (Tuesday–Friday)
           1:30–4:30 p.m. (Saturday)

In Paris in 1929, Belgian painter and critic Michel Seuphor (1901–1999), Uruguayan painter and theorist Joaquín Torres-García (1874–1949), and Catalan-American artist Pierre Daura (1896–1976) founded an influential but short-lived artistic group named Circle and Square, after the geometric shapes fundamental to abstract art.  The group attracted more than eighty international artists including Jean Arp (1886–1966), Le Corbusier (1887–1965), Alexandra Exter (1882–1949), Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944), Nadia Khodasevich Léger (1904–1987), Fernand Léger (1881–1955), and Sophie Täuber-Arp (1889–1943), among other famous and lesser-known personalities in the Parisian art world. Cercle et Carré and the International Spirit of Abstract Art showcases more than sixty works by thirty of Cercle et Carré’s participants, as well as outlines the formation of the group and its artistic legacy.

The exhibition was organized by the Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, with the addition of works from the collection of the David Owsley Museum of Art. Generous support for the exhibition was provided by the Daura Foundation.

Visitors will feel like they are stepping into a beloved children’s storybook as they encounter whimsical scenes and engaging sensory activities in this nature-inspired experience. Designed to help build confidence and cultivate scientific curiosity, children will discover and learn about animals that emerge in their neighborhoods and local forests after the sun goes down.

June 7 through November 2, 2025

Location: Center Building, Gallery 1 & 2

Cost: Included with your admission ticket

Good Night Forest is organized and produced by the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, with support from Ball Brothers Foundation and George and Frances Ball Foundation.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event

Runs from Jun 7, 2025 to Nov 2, 2025 and happens every:

Wednesdays: 9:00am - 12:00pm Timezone: EDT

Thursdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Fridays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Saturdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Sundays: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

The narwhal, with its unique spiral tusk, has inspired legend and fascinated people across cultures for centuries. Take a deep dive into the narwhal's Arctic world to explore what makes this mysterious animal and its changing ecosystem so important. Through first-hand accounts from scientists and Inuit community members, the exhibition will reveal how traditional knowledge and experience, coupled with the latest scientific research, heighten our understanding of these fascinating animals—and our changing global climate.

July 12, 2025 – September 28, 2025

Location: Center Building, Gallery 3

Cost: Included with your admission ticket

Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

This is a Weekly Recurring Event

Runs from Jul 12, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025 and happens every:

Wednesdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Thursdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Fridays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Saturdays: 9:00am - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Sundays: 12:00pm - 5:00pm Timezone: EDT

Keynote Speaker: Michael Greer, President and CEO of ArtsFund Seattle

Thursday, September 25, 5 to 7:30pm, Student Center Ballroom

5:00–6:00 PM | Opening Reception
6:00–7:30 PM | Keynote & Q&A

Michael Greer is a seasoned cross-sector leader with decades of experience in for-profit and nonprofit organizations across the United States, India, and China. A firm believer in the interconnectedness of public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Michael advocates for cross-sector collaboration to strengthen community health and drive positive outcomes.

As President and CEO of ArtsFund—Washington State’s largest independent, unrestricted arts and culture funder—Michael leverages his diverse experience to create practical and inspiring community solutions through the arts. Beyond Washington State, he contributes to national and international conversations on the role of creativity in shaping more vibrant, inclusive societies.

His professional background spans financial services, manufacturing, performing arts, arts administration, and philanthropy. He serves on several boards, including United Way of King County, the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), the National Arts Statistics in Evidence-Based Reporting Center (NASERC), and the World Affairs Council, among others.

With an academic foundation in economics, mathematics, and education—and an MBA from the Wharton School—Michael applies a lifetime of interdisciplinary knowledge to foster healthier, more connected communities. A recognized community leader and national speaker on the role of the arts in civic life, he champions the transformative power of creativity to enrich lives and strengthen society.

This lecture is presented in partnership with the 2025 Conference on Civic Studies and Democracy at Ball State University.

Learn Bob’s signature “wet-on-wet” technique from experienced Certified Ross Instructors and paint in the building where The Joy of Painting was filmed! Just bring yourself, and we will provide everything you need to have a wonderful time. Just like Bob said, “Let’s get crazy!”

September 25; 5–9 p.m.

Location: Bob Ross Experience Studio in the L.L. Ball Home

Cost: $95 | Member Discounts Apply

This workshop is held in the Bob Ross Experience studio, which is only accessible by stairs. Painting workshops are open to participants ages 14 and up. Preregistration is strongly preferred; limited walk-in tickets may be available—please call ahead.

Please note: Admission to the Bob Ross Experience exhibition is not included with workshop registration, and all attendees must be registered to participate. Contact our front desk at 765.282.4848 for more information.

Using a 4"" x 6"" glass panel as your spooky canvas, you’ll design a haunting abode perfect for the Halloween season! Learn basic glass cutting techniques and explore the art of glass fusing as you craft your eerie masterpiece. Add cobwebs, ghosts, glowing windows, or whatever spooky details your imagination conjures. No prior experience needed—just bring your creativity (and maybe a little courage)!

September 25; 6–9 p.m.

Location: Center Building, Cantina

Cost: $60 | Member Discounts Apply

All tools, supplies, and safety gear will be provided. Glass workshops are open to participants ages 13 and up. Preregistration is strongly preferred; limited walk-in tickets may be available—please call ahead.