Strengthening a Culture of Community Art

MuncieArts plays a vital role in Muncie’s overall cultural, social, and economic development. MuncieArts, otherwise known as Muncie Arts and Culture Council, is the designated Arts Partner for the City of Muncie. They provide backbone support to the arts community and arts organizations across Muncie through wide-ranging opportunities, programs, and services that focus on arts experiences, community engagement, professional development, and public art.

Since 2009 The Community Foundation has provided support to the organization, and since 2015 annual grants supported capacity building and general operations.

MuncieArts also established a designated fund, the Muncie Arts and Culture Council Fund, in 2013 to provide longterm, sustainable support to the organization.

You may recognize the painted traffic signal control boxes around the community. MuncieArts manages Box! Box!, a program that engages local artists to design traffic control boxes, adding public art across the city. In alternating years, they also host the biennial Mayor’s Arts Awards and That One Film Festival. PlySpace is MuncieArts’ immersive Artist-in-Residence program that attracts artists from around the world to investigate and pursue their work and collaborate with community organizations around the city.

Since 2009, MuncieArts has also pursued the establishment of the Muncie Arts and Culture Trail to connect the city’s premier arts and culture destinations, including Ball State University, downtown Muncie, Minnetrista, and Heekin Park. As part of that work, MuncieArts supported the development of the first Public Art Plan for the City of Muncie in 2018 and a Public Art Committee. The plan’s implementation will be strengthened by the funds designated to MuncieArts by the city through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. MuncieArts will use this funding to initiate new public art infrastructure.

In late 2021, MuncieArts was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Funder Forum Collaborative to offset capacity and operating costs related to executing the ARP funding opportunity.

“Through 2024, MuncieArts will be deeply involved in implementing and executing compelling public artworks, sculptures, and murals,” said Erin Williams, executive director of MuncieArts. “We look forward to seeing more art across the community, especially in neighborhoods currently without public art.”