Meet the Artists at First Thursdays in Downtown Muncie

Downtown Muncie, Indiana celebrates the arts on the first Thursday evenings of every month from 5 to 8 pm. Our many art galleries spotlight their exhibit openings for the month and host meet-the-artist receptions; and our specialty shops are open late on this evening for a free, family fun event. Visit www.munciedowntown.com for details.

Some of the gallery events at the next First Thursday, April 5, from 5 to 8pm:


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~ The Artist Within, 313 S Walnut Street - 765-289-7895 ~

April at the Artist Within will feature artwork by three Ball State University seniors. Megan King will exhibit multiple exposure photographs in her solo show entitled "Unconscious Prompts". Ben Beaty and Troy Reutebuch will have a two-man Senior Thesis Show of drawings and paintings. Both will be graduated from the Ball State University Art Department.

Megan is finishing her B.F.A. in photography at Ball State this May. Megan's work has been in several juried shows in this area. The Minnetrista Juried Show, the Ball State Student Show, and the LaFontaine Arts Council Regional Show are just a few of the places she has exhibited her work. Her work was also selected for national publication in Photographer's Forum Best of College Photography.
The photographs in this show are the result of her exploring spontaneous and uninhibited image making. All of the images are multiple exposure panoramics taken with a simple toy camera.

Ben is a Muncie native and attended Muncie Southside before entering Ball State. His love of comic books, especially the edgier and/or the more artistic ones has helped with his creativity and motivated him to find a way to incorporate cartoon-like imagery into a "high art" realm. Ben has exhibited work in various student shows at Ball Sate and at the Artist Within. He has also had work in the Minnetrista Juried show.

Troy has exhibited his work in several Ball State student shows, at the Artist Within, and will be in the Watercolor Exhibition forthcoming at the Lamp Gallery in Indianapolis. He has also had work published in The Child Stealers: A Jack Riley Adventure, 2005, Publish America.


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~ Gordy Fine Art & Framing, 224 E Main Street - 765-284-8422 ~

The intricate sculptures of BSU professor of art, Bill Zack, and landscapes and still life oil paintings of Margie Prim will grace the walls and pedestals of Gordy Fine Art and Framing during the month of April. An artists' reception will be held on the regular First Thursday, April 5th from 5 to 8 pm. Light refreshments will be served and the public is invited to meet the artists and view their works.

Bill Zack's sculptural pieces are architectural fantasies upon which figures play, dangle or dance. As a teacher, Zack has been inspiring students at Ball State for over twenty years in the classroom and as the Atrium Gallery Director since 2003. As an artist, he has been consistently active in both creating and exhibiting his works, and has won numerous awards throughout the United States. He is represented in numerous private and corporate collections.

Margie Prim is best known for her "plein air," or on site paintings of landscapes, river and cityscapes of east central Indiana. If Prim's earlier works remind viewers of the popular Impressionism, the newer paintings may favor the controlled wildness of the "Fauves," or "wild beasts" of the early 1900's: Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne.

The exhibit may also be viewed during normal business hours: Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5:30 PM, Saturday, 9 to 3, or by appointment. Gordy Fine Art & Framing is located at 224 East Main Street, next door to Civic Theatre in downtown Muncie. For more information call 765.284.8422 or visit www.gordyframing.com.

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~ Gallery 308 (formerly MPG), 308 E. Main Street - 765-289-8575 ~

Watermedia artist Marilynn Derwenskus will display new works in a new exhibit at Gallery 308 from April 4-28. The opening reception for the exhibit will be April 5 at the gallery. The event is a chance for the public to meet the artist. Light refreshments will be provided. Admission is free.

Derwenskus is a widely exhibited, award-winning artist. She holds a MFA degree from University of Chicago and currently is a painting professor at Ball State University. Prior to her BSU appointment, she taught at various other institutions including Wayne State University, Macomb Community College, and Henry Ford Community College. She has been the recipient of several study grants that have allowed her to travel throughout the US and abroad to pursue her research and experimentation. This has included work with egg tempera and encaustics. Her passion is teaching and she instills in her students a high degree of enthusiasm and confidence.

Gallery 308 is a nonprofit, community-supported art gallery, located at 308 East Main, Muncie. For information about Gallery hours and volunteer opportunities, call 765-289-8575.


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~ Artworks, 301 South Walnut Street ~

Artworks is an artist owned and operated sales gallery, featuring original works for sale by outstanding Indiana artists.


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Other downtown Muncie businesses may have art exhibits or special events during First Thursdays include:

~ Blue Bottle Coffee Shop, 206 S Walnut Street - 765-284-36300
~ Cortex Hair Salon, 112 W Jackson Street - 765-288-6685
~ Danner's Books*Gifts*Yarns, 1316 N Wheeling - 765- 288-1122
~ David Dale Designs, Interior Designs & Fine Art Gallery, 421 S Walnut Street - 765-284-4987
~ FB Fogg, 418 E Main Street - 765-289-7464
~ Glitterati in the Rose Court on Charles Street
~ Minnetrista, 1200 N. Minnetrista Parkway - 765-282-4848

Additionally, all of our independently owned bars and restaurants will be open and ready to serve you. For more information, visit www.munciedowntown.com.