Arts and Cultural Events

I am grateful for the many ways in which arts and culture enrich our lives.

This year, I look forward to the numerous events and attractions that will help us celebrate our University’s commitment to nurturing creativity on our campus.

Please join me in patronizing the musical events, theater performances, and art exhibitions that await us as we admire the talents of our guest artists and exceptional students, faculty, and staff.

There will also be speakers to inspire us, visits to our greenhouse to connect us to nature, and opportunities to learn more about the night sky through programs offered by our state-of-the-art planetarium.

As you are about to discover, Ball State University is a regional destination for arts and culture in Indiana. We want to share our cultural programming and attractions with the members of our university community—and with all of you!

Geoffrey S. Mearns

President

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School of Art

Arts and Journalism Building | The Ned and Gloria Griner Gallery of Art | Marilyn K. Glick Center for Glass

With more than 57,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms and studio space, the School of Art is centrally located on campus within the Art and Journalism Building. The school’s Ned and Gloria Griner Art Gallery is a high-profile space for students, faculty, and visiting artists to showcase their work on the first floor near the Ball State Bookstore and the building’s main elevator and staircase.

Every year, nationally and internationally recognized artists, designers, and scholars are invited to share their distinct practices and voices. Faculty facilitate opportunities for students and the public to engage with the artists and scholars through lectures, screenings, performances, readings, conversations, studio critiques, and workshops.

We’re All Just Doing Our Best: An Artist Talk with Bridget Moser

Sep 06, 2023

Janina Myronova

Oct 18, 2023

Awaiting Light and Darkness - Catie Newell

Oct 25, 2023

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Charles W. Brown Planetarium

The Charles W. Brown Planetarium at Ball State University lets visitors experience the night sky as they have never seen it before. The planetarium is an immersive theatre where state-of-the-art technology transforms the 52-foot dome into a simulation of the night sky as seen from earth and from space. For example, the audience can “fly” through Saturn’s rings, land on Mars, or travel to distant stars and galaxies. Learn more.

"Eclipse: The Sun Revealed" Planetarium Show

Jun 09, 2023

"One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure" Planetarium Show

Jun 10, 2023

"Sky Skills" Planetarium Show

Jun 10, 2023

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David Owsley Museum of Art

The David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA) houses a world art collection with over 11,000 works from Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands, Europe, and the Americas. DOMA balances exciting interdisciplinary art exhibitions with engaging displays of the permanent collection in an educational environment that serves both the University and the east central Indiana region. Learn more.

Special Exhibition: A Wild Story: The David and Sarojini Johnson Print Collection

On view February 23 through May 21, 2023

This exhibition is the first public presentation of an outstanding Midwestern collection amassed over four decades by printmakers and educators David and Sarojini Johnson. These works are juxtaposed with several prints from the David Owsley Museum of Art’s collection that incorporate items acquired for the museum with David Johnson’s advice.

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Emens Auditorium

John R. Emens, who served as Ball State University’s sixth president from 1945–1968, had a dream. He envisioned a campus of the future, complete with an auditorium large enough to house most college functions as well as major symphonies, Broadway productions, ballets, and other entertainment for Muncie and east central Indiana audiences. Learn more.

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John J Pruis Hall

John J Pruis Hall is a 600-seat capacity venue used for a variety of Ball State functions including classes, convocations, freshman orientation, conferences, speakers, performing arts, and films. Learn more.

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Sursa Hall

Sursa Performance Hall is located within the Music Instruction Building, home for Ball State’s music performance and music media production programs. The building is a stunning physical space and technological wonderland with nearly 10,000 square feet of recording studio space in addition to rehearsal rooms, two state-of-the-art performance halls, and numerous teaching studios.

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Theatre and Dance

University, Strother, and Cave Theatres | Korsgaard Dance Studio

Intimate and powerful evenings of theatre await audiences within University Theatre. These productions showcase the talents of Ball State’s Department of Theatre and Dance by using simple, imaginative scenic pieces and costuming and emphasizing the immediacy of the actor/audience relationship. The 396-seat performance theatre showcases lighting and sound technical equipment. Strother Theatre hosts experimental, intense, and provocative performances while Cave Theatre features "bare-bones" workshop productions.

Korsgaard Dance Studio (KDS) is a versatile venue with adjustable bleachers, black curtains, and a small light grid so space can be used for classes, rehearsals, and performances.

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