Cultural and Personal Enrichment Programs

• Cost: $25
• Held at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center
• Reservations Required (under History) LIMITED SEATING!

Description

Join us for an evening of history and food as we explore how community cookbooks reveal stories far beyond the kitchen. The evening begins at 5:00 p.m. with exhibits featuring cookbooks, recipes, and aprons from local archives. At 5:30 p.m., a panel of historians will share insights into what can be uncovered by studying community cookbooks – highlighting women’s history, family and community life, organizational stories, food traditions, and cultural change. Following the presentation, guests will gather at 6:30 p.m. for a special dinner inspired by recipes from local cookbooks and other collections, bringing history to life through a thoughtfully curated menu.

Complimentary copies of Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathi and Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Keith Noble Maillard will be available courtesy of Muncie Public Library and a BIG READ grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Presenters

Melissa Gentry, Supervisor, Map collection, Ball State University Libraries
Sara McKinley, Carnegie Library Manager and Archivist, Muncie Public Library
Susan Smith, Archivist, Minnetrista Museum & Gardens
Karen Vincent, Executive Director, Delaware County Historical Society, and Delaware County Historian

• No Charge
• Registrations Required - REGISTER ONLINE (Under History)
• Limited Seating

For a period of 10 days in the summer of 2025, Chris followed some of the most pristine portions of the Lewis & Clark Trail that exist today.  He describes it as "the experience of a lifetime." He has had a lifelong interest in Lewis and Clark's early 1800's expedition, wondering what it must have been like to make that trip with nothing more than primitive transportation and limited supplies. As a recipient of a prestigious Teacher Creativity Grant from the Lilly Endowment, he was able to make some of those discoveries and "live out a childhood dream." He will share highlights of his journey using his own video, pictures, and journal entries.

In the 1920's, as the country prepared to celebrate the sesquicentennial of the American Revolution, there was significant local attention to the role George Rogers Clark played in securing the Northwest Territory for settlement. Community leaders served on state commissions and committees, and community organizations participated in events to commemorate his life. Interesting examples of those historic activities will also be shared.

Program offered by the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center in association with the Delaware County Historical Society. 

About the Presenter
Chris Smith has been an educator for nearly 30 years with almost 25 of them with Muncie Community Schools.  He has been a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and program director. He currently serves as an alternative education teacher at Muncie Central High School and as an all-level soccer official. He and his wife, Amy, are parents of a daughter, who teaches at Northview Elementary School, and a son who is an assistant golf pro in Fargo, ND. 

• No Charge
• Held at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center
• Reservations Required REGISTER ONLINE (under "History")

Description

John Sherman of Indianapolis grew up on a small family farm in Jay County, Indiana, in the 1940s. He will speak about rural life in that era and how profoundly separate it was from life in town, even though town lay only a few miles away.

He has often written and spoken about his experiences as the descendant of farmers, on both sides of his family, stretching back centuries in the U.S. and Europe. He has even visited his great-great-grandparents’ farm (sold in 1855, to come to Indiana) at the edge of a small village in Switzerland.

John is a writer and photographer, the author of nine books, and a former magazine editor, columnist, and reporter, as well as a classroom teacher of English and Journalism. Although he has lived and worked in five African countries, Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Washington, D.C., his roots remain firmly planted in that small farm and its bittersweet memories.

John’s program will include a series of photos of his family’s rural life. He will have his books and poetry CD available for purchase. (Books & CDs $5 each, cash or check)

He received a BA in English and Journalism from Indiana University and did graduate work in African Literature at the University of Ghana. His thesis was on the urban/rural conflict in African literature, calling also upon his own experiences and observations in rural Indiana.

Date

Tuesday, July 14, 6-7:30 p.m.
Held at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center

• No Charge - Reservations Required
• REGISTER ONLINE (Under History)
• Limited Seating
• Reception and book signing to follow presentation

Description

Join us for an engaging evening featuring award-winning writer, researcher, and editor Keith Roysdon, alongside Switzerland-based author, former journalist, and BSU alum Jill Blocker. Together, they will engage in a compelling discussion of their latest works and offer insights into their unique perspectives.

More information about their latest books forthcoming.

DATE

Wednesday, March 18, 8:30 - 11 a.m.

• No charge - Reservations required
• Register ONLINE (find in the "History" section)
• LIMITED SEATING

What can George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and other key Founders teach us about leadership in navigating today’s challenges? In this two-hour program, you will dive into real stories and pivotal moments from 1776 and discover how they apply to modern leadership challenges. This session will examine pivotal moments in the Founding—focused on the Union, Nation, and Constitution—through the lens of Washington’s leadership, while incorporating the critical contributions of other key figures.

Schedule
Continental Breakfast: 8:30–9:00 a.m.
Presentation: 9:00–11:00 a.m.

About the Presenter
This discussion will be led by Dr. Dan Miller, the founder of Historical Solutions, an organization dedicated to applying historical insights to enhance leadership practices. Dr. Miller has worked with CEOs, executives, community leaders, board members, directors, managers, and supervisors to help them improve their leadership through history episodes. He is the author of four books and is working on two more. Additionally, he has contributed entries to the Dictionary of Literary Biography, the Encyclopedia of Americans at War, and the Encyclopedia of the American Revolution.

Date and Details

Three Tuesdays, March 10, 17, and 24, 2026; 2:30–4 p.m.

• Cost: $55  
• REGISTER ONLINE (Literature & Writing Section)
• Limit of 12 students
• Held at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center 

Description

This class is for anyone looking to preserve their memories, whether for personal reflection, to share with loved ones, or to publish. It's ideal whether you've already begun a memoir or are just starting to explore writing about your life.

You'll create a series of vignettes, short scenes or snapshots from your life, written in whatever style speaks to you: prose, poetry, dialogue, or even playwriting. No matter the form, the focus is on translating your thoughts into words, and this class will help you build that essential skill.

Over three sessions, you'll respond to writing prompts designed to help you “capture your life” on the page. You’ll also have the chance to share your writing, ask questions, and exchange feedback and discoveries with the group.

This class is best suited for beginning and intermediate writers. It’s also designed to be repeatable, offering new prompts and insights each time you take it.

REGISTER ONLINE. Open to ages 18 and older.

Instructor

Lylanne Musselman is an award-winning poet, playwright, and visual artist. Her work has appeared in Pank, The New Verse News, Flying Island, Rose Quartz Magazine, Last Stanza Poetry Journal and The Ekphrastic Review, among others. Recently, one of her poems was selected as the featured poem in Tipton Poetry Journal, Issue # 48 Spring 2021. Musselman’s work has appeared in many anthologies, including The Indianapolis Anthology (Belt Publishing, 2021). She is the author of six chapbooks, including Paparazzi for the Birds (Red Mare 16, 2018) and is the co-author of Company of Women: New and Selected Poems (Chatter House Press, 2013), and is author of the full-length poetry collection, It’s Not Love, Unfortunately (Chatter House Press, 2018). Musselman is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, and her poems are included in the Inverse Poetry Archive, a collection of Hoosier poets, housed at the Indiana State Library. Musselman is currently working on several chapbooks and a new manuscript.

Date and Details

Three Tuesdays, May 12, 19, 26, 2026; 2:30-4 p.m.

• Cost: $55  
• REGISTER ONLINE (Literature & Writing Section)
• Limit of 12 students
• Held at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center 

Description

This class is for anyone looking to preserve their memories, whether for personal reflection, to share with loved ones, or to publish. It's ideal whether you've already begun a memoir or are just starting to explore writing about your life.

You'll create a series of vignettes, short scenes or snapshots from your life, written in whatever style speaks to you: prose, poetry, dialogue, or even playwriting. No matter the form, the focus is on translating your thoughts into words, and this class will help you build that essential skill.

Over three sessions, you'll respond to writing prompts designed to help you “capture your life” on the page. You’ll also have the chance to share your writing, ask questions, and exchange feedback and discoveries with the group.

This class is best suited for beginning and intermediate writers. It’s also designed to be repeatable, offering new prompts and insights each time you take it.

REGISTER ONLINE. Open to ages 18 and older.

Instructor

Lylanne Musselman is an award-winning poet, playwright, and visual artist. Her work has appeared in Pank, The New Verse News, Flying Island, Rose Quartz Magazine, Last Stanza Poetry Journal and The Ekphrastic Review, among others. Recently, one of her poems was selected as the featured poem in Tipton Poetry Journal, Issue # 48 Spring 2021. Musselman’s work has appeared in many anthologies, including The Indianapolis Anthology (Belt Publishing, 2021). She is the author of six chapbooks, including Paparazzi for the Birds (Red Mare 16, 2018) and is the co-author of Company of Women: New and Selected Poems (Chatter House Press, 2013), and is author of the full-length poetry collection, It’s Not Love, Unfortunately (Chatter House Press, 2018). Musselman is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, and her poems are included in the Inverse Poetry Archive, a collection of Hoosier poets, housed at the Indiana State Library. Musselman is currently working on several chapbooks and a new manuscript.

Date and Details

Tuesday, April 21, 2:30-4:30 p.m.

• Cost: $30
• REGISTER ONLINE (Literature & Writing Section)
• Limit of 15 students
• Instructor: Lylanne Musselman, award-winning poet, playwright, and visual artist
• Held at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center 

Description

You have your manuscript (or even a grouping of poems or a short story) ready to send out, but you’re not sure how to take the plunge into publication. Do you need an agent? How do you find one? Can you send it to more places than one? What if I get rejected…am I a failure? Where do you find places that will accept your manuscript? Do I pay big money to get published or do I get paid for my work? How do I get blurbs for my cover? Is self-publishing an option? We will cover these questions, your questions, and so much more in this two-hour workshop on how you can get published – by a big publishing house, smaller presses, or even online journals for a poem or a short story. You will walk away with a lot of ideas, inspiration, and places to get your manuscript or your shorter works published. 

Instructor

Lylanne Musselman is an award-winning poet, playwright, and visual artist. Her work has appeared in Pank, The New Verse News, Flying Island, Rose Quartz Magazine, Last Stanza Poetry Journal and The Ekphrastic Review, among others. Recently, one of her poems was selected as the featured poem in Tipton Poetry Journal, Issue # 48 Spring 2021. Musselman’s work has appeared in many anthologies, including The Indianapolis Anthology (Belt Publishing, 2021). She is the author of six chapbooks, including Paparazzi for the Birds (Red Mare 16, 2018) and is the co-author of Company of Women: New and Selected Poems (Chatter House Press, 2013), and is author of the full-length poetry collection, It’s Not Love, Unfortunately (Chatter House Press, 2018). Musselman is a three-time Pushcart Prize nominee, and her poems are included in the Inverse Poetry Archive, a collection of Hoosier poets, housed at the Indiana State Library. Musselman is currently working on several chapbooks and a new manuscript.

 

 

Date and Details

Wednesday, June 17, 6-8 p.m.

• No charge - reservations required
• REGISTER ONLINE (Literature & Writing Section)
• Held at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center 

Description

Join us for our inaugural poetry reading at the E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center. The program features the work of Lylanne Musselman—award-winning poet, playwright, visual artist, and writing instructor at the Center—alongside selections from her students. A reception will follow the readings.

Dates/Times

Six Wednesdays
May 6-June 10, 6-8 p.m.

• cost – $95  REGISTER ONLINE (Under Languages)

In this interactive class, you’ll:

• Learn fingerspelling and essential conversational skills in American Sign Language (ASL) and signed English.
• Build confidence communicating with deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals.
• Earn a Certificate of Completion for attending all six sessions.

Instructor: Laura Shadoin, a retired Muncie Community Schools teacher with 22 years of classroom experience and more than 25 years teaching sign language at the E.B. Ball Center. With her approachable teaching style, Laura makes learning ASL both engaging and practical.

Location: The class takes place at the historic E.B. and Bertha C. Ball Center, formerly a Ball Brothers family home, 400 Minnetrista Boulevard, in Muncie. Programs at the Center are open to adults age 18 and older.