History of Muncie gets Garfield treatment thanks to Ball State's IDIA Lab

Ball State University’s IDIA Lab, in partnership with Muncie officials and Paws Inc., has created a special video in honor of the city’s sesquicentennial celebration.

Garfield, created by alumnus Jim Davis, virtually hosts the montage, which features historical imagery and clips of Muncie mentions in pop culture.

"We wanted to create something fun and tongue-in-cheek but also positive and optimistic about the city’s future," said John Fillwalk, director of the Institute for Intermedia Arts and senior director of the university's Hybrid Design Technologies initiative.

The video premiered during an Oct. 1 ArtsWalk event sponsored by DWNTWN, Muncie’s downtown development campaign.

"John and his team’s creative ability to take an idea from conception to completion has been awesome," said Cheryl Crowder, events coordinator for DWNTWN. "It was great working with him on this project."

Other community partners of the sesquicentennial video include the Delaware County History Society, Muncie Arts and Culture Council, Center for Middletown Studies and Ball State University Libraries.