By Erin Williams—
Muncie, IN—PlySpace and Mid-Indiana Trails (MINT) have joined forces to provide an outdoor installation of permanent and temporary sculptural installations by PlySpace Summer 2020 Residents, Ashley Beatty and Jeff Schofield. This work will be on view at Prairie Creek into the fall.
PlySpace is an artist-in-residence program of the Muncie Arts and Culture Council which promotes community collaborative projects throughout the city of Muncie. During their residency at PlySpace this August, Beatty and Schofield have installed sustainably themed artworks along the south shore of Prairie Creek Reservoir where the Mid-Indiana Trails (MINT) are located. Visitors to the MINT hiking and bicycle trails can see a series of artworks made from natural materials and found objects that investigate human transgressions of natural settings. Signage has been posted along the trails identifying the locations of the work.
The project is located at Prairie Mountain Bike Trailhead. The work can be found at the eastern end of Prairie Creek Loop 1, in the “Maple Grove.” The parking lot is located along East 650 Service Road (E 650 S Rd) near the intersection with South County Road 544 East (S Co Rd 544 E).
Beatty and Schofield will host a self-guided walking tour of the sculptures on Saturday, Aug. 22, with a short artist talk and Q&A at 2 p.m. Attendees should meet at the trailhead parking lot. Visitors to the sites and trails must wear masks when unable to socially distance. Paper maps and descriptions of the project will be available at the site and online at plyspace.org/MINT.
Mid Indiana Trails was selected as a partner for this project due to the artists’ desire to work at a site that contemplates human transgressions in a natural setting. David Bradway of MINT notes, “Mid-Indiana Trails is very excited to be able to partner with PlySpace and provide an area for their resident artists to create. Ashley and Jeff have created incredible installations that are expressive while also fitting in well with the natural setting of Prairie Creek Trails.”
Ashley Beatty and Jeff Schofield each hold a master’s degree is fine arts from Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2019 where they began collaborating together on sustainability issues. They also attended Ox-Bow School of Art and Artist Residency in Saugatuck, Michigan. Beatty holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Schofield holds an Masters of Architecture from Columbia University in New York and a Bachelors of Art from Washington University in St Louis. As a collaborating duo, they have exhibited at art venues in the Detroit metro area including Forum Gallery and two urban art farms: Popps Emporium and Burnside Farm. Their collaboration extends to several artist residencies, including Spruill Farm Conservation Project and The Peanut Factory, both in North Carolina.
Other work created by the artists during the residency will be showcased in the PlySpace Gallery Online (plyspace.org/gallery) in lieu of a physical exhibition. The online opening is set for Aug. 27 and will be visible for one month.
More information about PlySpace Summer and Fall Term events can be found on the PlySpace website at www.PlySpace.org/events and the PlySpace Facebook page. Learn more about the residents by visiting www.PlySpace.org/our-residents. Questions or comments about the
PlySpace Residency program, events, and community collaborations can be directed to the Executive Director, Erin Williams, at hello@plyspace.org.
PlySpace is a program of Muncie Arts and Culture Council in partnership with the City of Muncie, Ball State University School of Art, and Sustainable Muncie Corporation. PlySpace is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.
