935 past events with the ball state university tag

The School of Art is proud to present Checkpoint: Interactive Artworks & Experimental Play , an exhibition by John C. Gonzalez.

The Ned and Gloria Griner Art Gallery
____________________________
January 7 to 29, 2026
Exhibition Reception, Gallery Talk and Art Performance: January 7, 4 to 6 p.m.

About the Artist

John C. Gonzalez is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans installation, sculpture, painting, performance, writing, music, game design, and socially engaged projects. Deeply collaborative in nature, his work often blurs the lines between artist, viewer, and participant, challenging conventional notions of authorship and production. Gonzalez frequently partners with individuals or institutions not traditionally associated with artmaking to create pieces that reflect shared labor, conversation, and experience. These conversations result in works that are as much about the process and relationships as they are about the final product. Through his ongoing exploration of labor, cooperation, and institutional critique, Gonzalez's practice offers a reflective and often playful lens on the social systems that shape artistic and everyday life. Whether building systems that critique their own fabrication, facilitating game-based art experiences, or searching for meaning in collective action, he consistently seeks to expand the role of the artist beyond the studio and into the shared spaces of work, play, and community. Gonzalez lives in Rhode Island and teaches drawing and game design at Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, RI.

The exhibition Checkpoint: Interactive Artworks & Experimental Play will include several interactive and game-adjacent artworks in the galleries. These works will include images, performance, and site-specific works that will solicit viewer engagement and provide space for unexpected connections and exchanges.

Gallery Hours: Tuesday – Friday: 10 A.M. - 4 P.M. Closed weekends and all Ball State breaks and holidays.

About

Enjoy a concert of standard jazz favorites and original compositions with the Ball State University Jazz Ensembles in honor of alum and trumpet player Tom Shah. The ensembles are under the direction of Mark Buselli.

Learn more about the Ball State University Jazz Ensembles.

Program

To be announced.

Tickets

Tickets available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall. 

Prices

• General Public: $8 in advance / $10 at the door
• Seniors: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• Students: free* in advance / $5 at the door
  *One (1) free student ticket per ID is available in advance (before 5 p.m. on the day of the concert) at the College of Fine Arts Box Office

Purchase Options

• ONLINE
• Phone: 765-285-8749
• In person: Monday through Friday from Noon to 5 p.m., or starting 1 hour before the performance

**Please note: As part of our commitment to sustainability, all College of Fine Arts tickets are paperless and are accessible via email confirmation. Your confirmation email contains your digital tickets which can be scanned at the door from your mobile device, or you can print your digital tickets at home to be scanned. There is no need to visit Will Call prior to the performance.

Parking

Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Metered parking is available on the first floor of the garage until 7 p.m. at which time parking is free.

About

The Ball State Symphony Orchestra is a flagship ensemble of the School of Music that performs orchestral music from a wide variety of backgrounds and time periods.

Program

Program to feature the music of Beethoven, Mozart, and Stravinsky.

Tickets

Tickets available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall. 

Prices

• General Public: $8 in advance / $10 at the door
• Seniors: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• Students: free* in advance / $5 at the door
  *One (1) free student ticket per ID is available in advance (before 5 p.m. on the night of the concert) at the College of Fine Arts Box Office

Purchase Options

• ONLINE
• Phone: 765-285-8749
• In person: Monday through Friday from Noon to 5 p.m., or starting 1 hour before the performance

**Please note: As part of our commitment to sustainability, all College of Fine Arts tickets are paperless and are accessible via email confirmation. Your confirmation email contains your digital tickets which can be scanned at the door from your mobile device, or you can print your digital tickets at home to be scanned. There is no need to visit Will Call prior to the performance.

Parking

Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Metered parking is available on the first floor of the garage until 7 p.m. at which time parking is free.

Fridays: Feb. 6, 13 at 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Feb. 7, 14 at 3:30 p.m.

Follow the adventures of Sy, Annie, and their dog Armstrong as they embark on an unexpected journey into space!
Perfect for families and groups with K through 3rd grade learners; all ages are welcome.

Plan Your Visit to the Planetarium

Please Note: Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close 15 minutes after showtime and no late entry is permitted after that time.

Fridays: Feb. 6, 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays: Feb. 7, 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy a guided tour of the celestial wonderland of the night sky using free star charts provided during this live program, and explore stunning new images from the Rubin Observatory.
Perfect for adults and ages 8+, all ages are welcome.

Plan Your Visit to the Planetarium

Please Note: Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close 15 minutes after showtime and no late entry is permitted after that time.

Directed by Veronica Santoyo

Original Dramaturgy by Diana Grisanti

February 6-8, 13-14 at 7:30 p.m. | February 14 at 2:30 p.m. | Oakwood 154

It's the day of The Big Game, and the citizenry is aflutter. The football bros are hungry for blood, the ESL kids are hungry for knowledge, and the hunger strikers are just hungry. Meanwhile, Nubu, a newcomer to our world, considers the meaning of life. When the The Big Game gets cancelled, a group of intrepid weirdos decides to throw an epic DIY costume party—a ball! Balls Balls Balls is a strange and exuberant new work that asks, “Can you imagine a world where we all make bread and break bread together?”

Written by award-winning playwright Alice Tuan, Balls Balls Balls was commissioned by the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance. We’ll present the script as an on-book reading with choreography. No play is complete without an audience, so we invite you—yes, you!—to participate in the developmental process. Each performance will be followed by a talkback with the playwright and production team. Come take part in the future of American theatre!

Commissioned by the Department of Theatre and Dance of Ball State University

Tickets

Tickets are available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall in person, by phone at 765-285-8749, or online.

General Public: $15 in advance, $17 at the door

Faculty/Staff/Students/Seniors: $12 in advance, $14 at the door

Fridays: Feb. 6, 13 at 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Feb. 7, 14 at 3:30 p.m.

Follow the adventures of Sy, Annie, and their dog Armstrong as they embark on an unexpected journey into space!
Perfect for families and groups with K through 3rd grade learners; all ages are welcome.

Plan Your Visit to the Planetarium

Please Note: Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close 15 minutes after showtime and no late entry is permitted after that time.

Saturdays: Feb. 7, 14 at 5:00 p.m.

Journey to world-class observatories in Chile’s rugged Andes Mountains and arid Atacama Desert. Discover how people keep these mega-machines running and see their remarkable research results.
Suitable for adults and ages 10+; all ages are welcome.

Plan Your Visit to the Planetarium

Please Note: Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close 15 minutes after showtime and no late entry is permitted after that time.

Fridays: Feb. 6, 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays: Feb. 7, 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy a guided tour of the celestial wonderland of the night sky using free star charts provided during this live program, and explore stunning new images from the Rubin Observatory.
Perfect for adults and ages 8+, all ages are welcome.

Plan Your Visit to the Planetarium

Please Note: Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close 15 minutes after showtime and no late entry is permitted after that time.

Directed by Veronica Santoyo

Original Dramaturgy by Diana Grisanti

February 6-8, 13-14 at 7:30 p.m. | February 14 at 2:30 p.m. | Oakwood 154

It's the day of The Big Game, and the citizenry is aflutter. The football bros are hungry for blood, the ESL kids are hungry for knowledge, and the hunger strikers are just hungry. Meanwhile, Nubu, a newcomer to our world, considers the meaning of life. When the The Big Game gets cancelled, a group of intrepid weirdos decides to throw an epic DIY costume party—a ball! Balls Balls Balls is a strange and exuberant new work that asks, “Can you imagine a world where we all make bread and break bread together?”

Written by award-winning playwright Alice Tuan, Balls Balls Balls was commissioned by the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance. We’ll present the script as an on-book reading with choreography. No play is complete without an audience, so we invite you—yes, you!—to participate in the developmental process. Each performance will be followed by a talkback with the playwright and production team. Come take part in the future of American theatre!

Commissioned by the Department of Theatre and Dance of Ball State University

Tickets

Tickets are available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall in person, by phone at 765-285-8749, or online.

General Public: $15 in advance, $17 at the door

Faculty/Staff/Students/Seniors: $12 in advance, $14 at the door

About

The Ball State Opera Theatre program presents their 10th annual Opera Gala. The evening will feature School of Music faculty, alumni, and students performing together!

This year, our students and faculty will be joined by alumni Alexander Gushrowsky, Emma Nossem, Rachel Weinfeld, Rachel Spodek, Alexandra Billhartz, Kaitlyn Daily, Maggie Smith, and Rory Wallace.

Learn more about the Ball State Opera Theatre program, director of opera Jon Truitt, and vocal coach Cara Chowning.

*Please note this performance is not available as a livestream.*

Tickets

Tickets available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall starting August 1. 

PRICES

• General Public: $18 in advance / $20 at the door
• Seniors: $15 in advance / $17 at the door
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $15 in advance / $17 at the door
• Students: $5 in advance / $8 at the door

PURCHASE OPTIONS

• ONLINE
• Phone: 765-285-8749
• In person: Monday through Friday from Noon to 5 p.m., or starting 1 hour before the performance

**Please note: As part of our commitment to sustainability, all College of Fine Arts tickets are paperless and are accessible via email confirmation. Your confirmation email contains your digital tickets which can be scanned at the door from your mobile device, or you can print your digital tickets at home to be scanned. There is no need to visit Will Call prior to the performance.

 Parking

Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Parking in this garage is free on weekends.

Directed by Veronica Santoyo

Original Dramaturgy by Diana Grisanti

February 6-8, 13-14 at 7:30 p.m. | February 14 at 2:30 p.m. | Oakwood 154

It's the day of The Big Game, and the citizenry is aflutter. The football bros are hungry for blood, the ESL kids are hungry for knowledge, and the hunger strikers are just hungry. Meanwhile, Nubu, a newcomer to our world, considers the meaning of life. When the The Big Game gets cancelled, a group of intrepid weirdos decides to throw an epic DIY costume party—a ball! Balls Balls Balls is a strange and exuberant new work that asks, “Can you imagine a world where we all make bread and break bread together?”

Written by award-winning playwright Alice Tuan, Balls Balls Balls was commissioned by the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance. We’ll present the script as an on-book reading with choreography. No play is complete without an audience, so we invite you—yes, you!—to participate in the developmental process. Each performance will be followed by a talkback with the playwright and production team. Come take part in the future of American theatre!

Commissioned by the Department of Theatre and Dance of Ball State University

Tickets

Tickets are available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall in person, by phone at 765-285-8749, or online.

General Public: $15 in advance, $17 at the door

Faculty/Staff/Students/Seniors: $12 in advance, $14 at the door

The School of Art invites you to an artist talk with Cheeny Celebrado-Royer as a part of our Visiting Artists and Designers series! This talk is free and open to the public.

About the Artist

Cheeny Celebrado-Royer (b. Naga City, Philippines) is a multidisciplinary artist working with found and discarded materials to create installations, sculptures, and drawings that explore precarity, memory, and displacement. Drawing from decaying architectures and chroma-key aesthetics, she maps fragments of space—wreckage, green or blue tape—into constellations of unstable time and place. Her work reimagines drawing as a form of mapping, assembling familiar-yet-elusive icons into landscapes shaped by liminality. Through building from residue, she explores what might resemble home—transient, cartographic, unresolved.

She is currently a studio fellow in the Whitney Museum of American Art Independent Study Program and serves as an Associate Professor in Experimental and Foundation Studies at the Rhode Island School of Design. She holds an MFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art (Mount Royal School of Art). Her work has been exhibited at institutions including the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Walters Art Museum, Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, Columbia College, Louisiana Tech University School of Design, and the RISD Museum.

Indiana Poet Laureate Curtis L. Crisler to Showcase "Indiana Chitlin Circuit" and New Poetic Forms at Ball State University Libraries.

Ball State University Libraries and the Creative Writing program will host a unique evening of literary performance and innovation featuring Indiana Poet Laureate Curtis L. Crisler. The event, which is free and open to faculty, staff, students, and the local Muncie community, will take place in Bracken Library, Room 104 at 6:00 p.m.

The evening will highlight Crisler’s significant contribution to the literary world: the Indiana Chitlin Circuit and the sonastic poetry form- a form of poetry pioneered by Crisler. Joining Crisler for the performance will be distinguished faculty from Ball State’s Creative Writing program.

The Indiana Chitlin Circuit is inspired by the historical network of venues that supported Black entertainers during the Jim Crow era. Crisler’s "Indiana Chitlin Circuit" transforms history into a high-energy, collaborative performance.

During the event, Crisler will share a single microphone with Katy Didden, Associate Professor of English and Director of Creative Writing at Ball State University, and Brian Morrison, Associate Teaching Professor of English at Ball State University, in a "magical round-robin." Unlike a traditional reading, the poets do not choose their pieces in advance; instead, they respond in real-time to the work read by the person before them. This 20-minute improvisational session captures the "pride and verve" of the historical circuit, creating an atmosphere of spontaneous artistic excitement.

Curtis L. Crisler, born and raised in Gary, Indiana, is currently serving his second term as the Indiana Poet Laureate. He is a Professor of English at Purdue University Fort Wayne (PFW) and a celebrated activist for literacy.

"We are thrilled to welcome Professor Crisler to campus," says Nancy Abashian, Dean of Ball State University Libraries. "His work bridges the gap between Indiana’s rich history and the future of poetic form. This is a rare opportunity for our community to witness the 'soulful things' Crisler creates in a live, collaborative setting."

For more information about the event, please contact Amy Petts, Associate Dean for Strategic Engagement and Learning at Ball State University Libraries. For more information about Curtis L. Crisler, visit www.poetcrisler.com.

Parking on campus is available for free after 5:00 p.m. in yellow lots on weekdays. Visit here for more parking information.

Just a spontaneous jam session at Nashville’s Station Inn between a few friends. All women, all seasoned players out to make a little noise on a weeknight. What happened next was alchemy: the room lit up, the crowd roared and by the time the night was over, something had shifted. The landscape of bluegrass, and the women who played it, would never be the same.

A GRAMMY-nominated, IBMA-sweeping, Grand Ole Opry-starring force. But for all the stages they played and accolades they earned, they were still often reduced to a single line: all-female bluegrass band. It was true, yet reductive. Because Sister Sadie was never about labels. They were about the music. They are about the music. The stories. The fire. And the unrelenting drive to speak their truth through a tradition that hadn’t always made room for it. 

From gut-punch ballads to high-octane instrumental parts, All Will Be Well is the album Sister Sadie was always meant to make. Not for the industry. Not for the silencers. But for the women they’ve become and the world ready to listen.  Because yes, Sister Sadie is still a bluegrass band. But they’re also more.  They are country with claws. Americana with muscle. Harmony-driven and hellbent on telling the truth. And they’re not asking for permission anymore.  They're making room. They're taking names.  And they're just getting started.

World-class artists and musicians brought together in the Coffee and Cabernet Series. Experience these internationally renowned artists in the intimate setting of Pruis Hall and enjoy a selection of wine, craft beer or coffee while attending the performance. 

Fridays: Feb. 6, 13 at 5:00 p.m.
Saturdays: Feb. 7, 14 at 3:30 p.m.

Follow the adventures of Sy, Annie, and their dog Armstrong as they embark on an unexpected journey into space!
Perfect for families and groups with K through 3rd grade learners; all ages are welcome.

Plan Your Visit to the Planetarium

Please Note: Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close 15 minutes after showtime and no late entry is permitted after that time.

Fridays: Feb. 6, 13 at 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays: Feb. 7, 14 at 6:30 p.m.

Enjoy a guided tour of the celestial wonderland of the night sky using free star charts provided during this live program, and explore stunning new images from the Rubin Observatory.
Perfect for adults and ages 8+, all ages are welcome.

Plan Your Visit to the Planetarium

Please Note: Programs start promptly at the advertised time. Doors close 15 minutes after showtime and no late entry is permitted after that time.

Directed by Veronica Santoyo

Original Dramaturgy by Diana Grisanti

February 6-8, 13-14 at 7:30 p.m. | February 14 at 2:30 p.m. | Oakwood 154

It's the day of The Big Game, and the citizenry is aflutter. The football bros are hungry for blood, the ESL kids are hungry for knowledge, and the hunger strikers are just hungry. Meanwhile, Nubu, a newcomer to our world, considers the meaning of life. When the The Big Game gets cancelled, a group of intrepid weirdos decides to throw an epic DIY costume party—a ball! Balls Balls Balls is a strange and exuberant new work that asks, “Can you imagine a world where we all make bread and break bread together?”

Written by award-winning playwright Alice Tuan, Balls Balls Balls was commissioned by the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance. We’ll present the script as an on-book reading with choreography. No play is complete without an audience, so we invite you—yes, you!—to participate in the developmental process. Each performance will be followed by a talkback with the playwright and production team. Come take part in the future of American theatre!

Commissioned by the Department of Theatre and Dance of Ball State University

Tickets

Tickets are available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall in person, by phone at 765-285-8749, or online.

General Public: $15 in advance, $17 at the door

Faculty/Staff/Students/Seniors: $12 in advance, $14 at the door

Directed by Veronica Santoyo

Original Dramaturgy by Diana Grisanti

February 6-8, 13-14 at 7:30 p.m. | February 14 at 2:30 p.m. | Oakwood 154

It's the day of The Big Game, and the citizenry is aflutter. The football bros are hungry for blood, the ESL kids are hungry for knowledge, and the hunger strikers are just hungry. Meanwhile, Nubu, a newcomer to our world, considers the meaning of life. When the The Big Game gets cancelled, a group of intrepid weirdos decides to throw an epic DIY costume party—a ball! Balls Balls Balls is a strange and exuberant new work that asks, “Can you imagine a world where we all make bread and break bread together?”

Written by award-winning playwright Alice Tuan, Balls Balls Balls was commissioned by the Ball State Department of Theatre and Dance. We’ll present the script as an on-book reading with choreography. No play is complete without an audience, so we invite you—yes, you!—to participate in the developmental process. Each performance will be followed by a talkback with the playwright and production team. Come take part in the future of American theatre!

Commissioned by the Department of Theatre and Dance of Ball State University

Tickets

Tickets are available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall in person, by phone at 765-285-8749, or online.

General Public: $15 in advance, $17 at the door

Faculty/Staff/Students/Seniors: $12 in advance, $14 at the door

About

Celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the USA with the Wind Symphony & Wind Ensemble! Enjoy beautiful, inspiring, and familiar music by Copland, Sousa, Ticheli, William Grant Still, and more. You'll hear favorites like The Stars and Stripes Forever and The Star Spangled Banner. We are also pleased to welcome guest conductor Dr. Russel Mikkelson from The Ohio State University and former Ball State University Professor of Saxophone, Dr. George Wolfe as soloist on Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child.

We hope to see you for this inspiring night of music, reflection, and celebration!

The Wind Ensemble is under the direction of LaToya Webb. Wind Symphony are under the direction of Jeremy Harmon, director of athletic bands.

Learn more about the Ball State University Bands.

Program

Wind Symphony
NITRO
Frank Ticheli
Russel Mikkelson, guest conductor

PAGENT
Vincent Persichetti

SUMMERLAND
William Grant Still

SYMPHONIC DANCE NO. 3
Clifton Williams


Wind Ensemble
THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER
Arr. Jack Stamp

EMBLEMS
Aaron Copland

SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE
A MOTHERLESS CHILD
Arr. Kaleb Rhea
Featuring George Wolfe, Alto Saxophone

BY DAWN’S EARLY LIGHT
Jay Dawson
Russel Mikkelson, guest conductor

SOUTHERN HYM
Samuel Hazo

SALUTE TO THE ARMED FORCES
Jari Villanueva

THE STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER
John Philip Sousa
Russel Mikkelson, guest conductor

Tickets

Tickets available through the College of Fine Arts Box Office located at Sursa Hall. 

Prices

• General Public: $8 in advance / $10 at the door
• Seniors: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• BSU Faculty/Staff: $5 in advance / $7 at the door
• Students: free* in advance / $5 at the door
  *One (1) free student ticket per ID is available in advance (before 5 p.m. on the night of the concert) at the College of Fine Arts Box Office

Purchase Options

• ONLINE
• Phone: 765-285-8749
• In person: Monday through Friday from Noon to 5 p.m., or starting 1 hour before the performance

**Please note: As part of our commitment to sustainability, all College of Fine Arts tickets are paperless and are accessible via email confirmation. Your confirmation email contains your digital tickets which can be scanned at the door from your mobile device, or you can print your digital tickets at home to be scanned. There is no need to visit Will Call prior to the performance. 

Parking

Parking is available in the McKinley Parking Garage (entrance on Ashland Avenue) located immediately south of Sursa Hall. Metered parking is available on the first floor of the garage until 7 p.m. at which time parking is free.