Dear Friends of Minnetrista,

I hope you enjoy this issue of Columns! Our staff have put together some exciting information about new exhibitions and programs you can enjoy, plus some favorite places on our campus to enjoy for summer fun. We also honor two of our founders, Ed and Virginia Ball, and remember their exciting journey to the North Pole, recently discussed during the 25th anniversary presentation of the documentary, Ed Ball’s Century.

I am particularly fond of our new exhibition, Good Night Forest, developed in partnership with the Indiana State Museum and generously supported by Ball Brothers Foundation and George and Frances Ball Foundation. Filling two of our galleries in the Center Building, Good Night Forest is a multi-sensory exhibition celebrating the wonders of the nearby natural world, offering visitors the chance to learn about the outdoors and the animals that emerge in our neighborhoods and woods after the sun goes down.

We have some wonderful new programs, including new floral painting classes and Bob Ross workshops designed for children, as well as Camp Cryptid, our interactive mystery program. The Minnetrista staff challenge each other to come up with new programs to delight our members, and they continue to surpass my expectations.

While we continue to offer a full menu of exhibitions, programs, events, and other activities for you to enjoy, please remember that you always are welcome to wander Minnetrista’s grounds. Years ago, a college professor opined that human beings are mammals who try to live like insects—we organize, plan, and work, work, work, when we really should be remembering to stroll through the gardens and sit in the grass under a tree. We have acres of gardens, wooded paths, and lawns, plus a seven-acre nature area to explore. Our campus can help you reconnect with nature, with yourself, and with those you care about, and you can forget your concerns—at least for a little while.

I hope you all find time to enjoy the summer, and that you can relax and recharge. Thank you for being friends of Minnetrista.

Dulcie Holcomb, Hospitality Manager, firmly believes that most significant memories in life are linked to the food we serve to celebrate those moments or the people who have made those recipes with love. Growing up all over the country, she was exposed to cultures spanning from the Indigenous people of the Shoshone-Bannock reservation near her home in Idaho, to the Vietnamese family befriended when she was a young child in North Dakota, to the vibrant Latino cultures in New Mexico and southern Florida. Being able to help shape the important celebrations in the lives of others while respecting their personal cultures and traditions is what keeps Dulcie excited about what she does here at Minnetrista!

Megan Barry, Digital Communications Coordinator, is a proud Muncie resident. She has a degree in Public Relations from Ball State University and a love of storytelling. She’s an avid reader and pet parent, and she can often be found on Minnetrista’s campus, camera in hand. Whether capturing the beauty of the gardens or the buzz of the Farmers Market, Megan enjoys connecting people to the magic of Minnetrista.

Editor Jennifer Parks-Strack

Designer Megan Wright

Contributing Writers
Joseph Durham, Bob Ross Programs Coordinator
Sebastián Encina, Associate Director of Curation & Exhibitions
Kirsten Novotny, Theatre & Events Manager
Jennifer Parks-Strack, Director of Development
Ellis Smalley, Grants Manager
Brian A. Statz, President & CEO

Photographers
Megan Barry
Chris Carroll
Brea Cunningham
Megan Wright

ISSN: 2152-6176

Columns magazine is published three times each year and
distributed by Minnetrista without charge to its members.
Comments or questions should be directed to Jennifer Parks-Strack
at 765.287.3504, or jparks-strack@minnetrista.net.

1200 North Minnetrista Parkway
Muncie, IN 47303–2925

Thank you to our Columns sponsor.

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