by webmaster | Jul 8, 2020 | News/Blog
The question is often asked why Garfield is used on the Muncie Visitors Bureau logo. The answer is quite simple…Jim Davis, the creator of Garfield.
Jim Davis was born and raised in neighboring Grant County. He attended Ball State University where he studied art and business. Jim Davis started publishing his character Garfield in 1978. Garfield is one of the world’s most widely syndicated comic strips. Davis’s other comics works include: Tumbleweeds, Gnorm Gnat and Mr. Potato Head. Jim lives and has had his creation studio, Paws Inc., located in Delaware County for decades.
It is an honor to be the home of the famous Emmy winning feline. The Muncie Visitors Bureau is extremely grateful to Jim Davis and Paws, Inc. for allowing the use of Garfield as a marketing tool for the community.
On your next visit to Muncie, be sure to travel the Garfield Statue Trail. Twenty-five statues created during Garfield’s 25th birthday celebration are located throughout the community. Maps with statue locations are available at the Muncie Visitors Bureau office or by contacting the office at 765-284-2700
Are you a Garfield Fan? During your next visit to Muncie stop by the Visitors Bureau and see the large selection of Garfield and Muncie items for sale. Also be sure to visit www.garfield.com and www.professorgarfield.org.
by webmaster | Jul 8, 2020 | News/Blog
– In 1887, the Ball family moved its glass manufacturing business from Buffalo, NY to Muncie. Ball Brothers Glass Company became one of America’s best known manufacturers of canning jars. The Ball family purchased most of the land along the north bank of the White River between Wheeling and Granville pikes in 1893. The name chosen by the family for the property was taken from a Sioux word, “mna” (pronounced mini) which means “water” and combined with the English word “tryst” to form “Minnetrista”, or “a gathering place by the water”. The origin of the Minnetrista Cultural Center dates back to 1978, when Margaret Ball Petty wrote to her cousin Edmund F Ball, suggesting that the Ball Brothers Foundation provide a museum in which to exhibit fine art along with some Ball Jar artifacts. Every year Ball Jar collectors from all over the US will travel to Muncie for a convention to show off their antique collection of Ball Jars.
by webmaster | Jul 8, 2020 | News/Blog
– Over the years Muncie has been defined by 2 things, the history of the community and Ball State University. These have helped shape the community, physically and culturally. The area has a rich heritage of Native American culture which slowly developed into what the early pioneers referred to as “Munsee Town”. The Gas Boom of the late 1800’s drastically changed Muncie from an agricultural community to a leading manufacturing center in just a short time. As new businesses came to take advantage of the natural gas for energy, the workforce and population grew. In 1880, 5200 individuals lived in Muncie and by 1910, this number had risen to 24,000. This new economic development brought the Ball Family, internationally famous for manufacturing of the canning Ball Jars, to the community. The 5 Ball Brothers made Muncie their home where they stayed for several years manufacturing their products. Ball State University opened as a small teachers college over 100 years ago. Now Ball State has transformed into a world-class university preparing students to meet the challenges of the 21st century. Two famous alumni of Ball State University left their mark in the community. The David Letterman Communication and Media Building is named after TV late night talk show legend. And Ball State Alumni, Jim Davis (creator of Garfield the Cat) has called Delaware County home for many years. Muncie is now a place that nurtures artists, science, agriculture, philosophers, athletes, and musicians. It has become a community of excitement, ideas and inspirations. With every year filled with exciting events, attractions, local commerce, and festivals….You don’t want to miss a moment of what is going on in Muncie and Delaware County! 
by webmaster | Jun 3, 2020 | News/Blog
On October 29, 2020, Minnetrista will open the Bob Ross Experience. This will be accompanied with a week-long celebration and programming. More information to come.
Robert Norman Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He was the creator and host of The Joy of Painting, an instructional television program that aired from 1983 to 1994 on PBS in the United States, and also aired in Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Ross went from being a public television personality in the 1980s and 1990s to being an Internet celebrity in the 21st century, becoming popular with fans on YouTube and many other websites after his death.
Ross was well known for the catchphrases he used while painting such as “happy little trees”. Ross wore clothes that he believed would be a “timeless look” (jeans and a button-down shirt). He also used a minimalist set and spoke as if he were only addressing one viewer. During each half-hour segment, Ross would instruct viewers in oil painting using a quick-study technique from the imagination that used a limited palette of paints and broke down the process into simple steps. Art critic Mira Schor compared him to Fred Rogers, host of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, noting that Ross’ soft voice and the slow pace of his speech were similar.
The TV show, The Joy of Painting, was filmed by PBS station WIPB in Muncie, Indiana. The studio was set up in the L.L.Ball Home on the property of Minnetrista (Cultural Center). The Bob Ross Experience will open in October of 2020, in the same location that it was filmed. There you will see many of his work
by webmaster | Apr 6, 2020 | News/Blog
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