Articles by Mike Rhodes

By: Sarah Shaffer— Muncie, IN—Cornerstone Center for the Arts is excited to announce Exclusively Online Classes for the 2020 Summer Session. In these trying times the arts are even more important. Creativity is vital to personal and societal health. While social distancing we can still come together as a community. A selection of our most popular Arts Education programming will be available exclusively online beginning the week of June 1 and ending July 23. Classes will be held virtually on a weekly basis via an interactive streaming service. No in-person classes will be taught at this time. Registration is available…

By: Bryan Ayars, CEO, Open Door Health Services— Muncie, IN—We’ve heard it said many times during crises, and we’ve heard it during the COVID-19 pandemic: Look for the helpers. Our community has rallied to support our vulnerable populations over the last several weeks—and the truth is, we’re all vulnerable in one way or another during COVID. In the past month, thirty percent of us have postponed healthcare, and more than 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment benefits after losing a job. The next couple paragraphs touch on some of the pains our friends and family are experiencing during COVID-19, particularly in the…

By: Joanna Robertson— Muncie, IN—With schools closed nationwide due to COVID-19 stay-at-home-orders, supporting students and their families with the basic tools for learning has become critical. The Back To School Teachers Store, a non-profit providing free essential learning tools and supplies to teachers, students and families in Delaware County, has provided 5,000 students with remote learning supplies since mid-March. “Pencils, pencil sharpeners, erasers and books are the top requested items from teachers year after year,” said Stacy Wheeler, executive director of the Back To School Teachers Store. “These essential school supply items support both cognitive and fine motor skills for…

By: Michelle Kinsey— Muncie, IN—The Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MACC) board is pleased to announce the appointment of its new executive director, Erin Williams. Williams, who has worked at the MACC for two years as the PlaySpace Residency Coordinator, replaces Braydee Euliss, who left MACC at the beginning of 2020. “As the first person to manage [PlySpace], Erin was instrumental in shaping it and connecting the visiting artists to the Muncie community,” said Betty Brewer, MACC board immediate past president. “Erin’s experience as an arts administrator, educator and an artist made her a natural choice to step up into…