Walk to the corner of Madison and Jackson in downtown Muncie, and you'll find people welding, sewing, brewing beer, hanging from aerial silks, and pitching new business ideas, all under the same roof and sometimes on the same night.  

Ten years ago, that same 80,000-square-foot building sat empty, a former industrial laundry facility with no clear future. Today, it's MadJax Maker Force, one of downtown Muncie's most surprising spaces, a growing hub for making, entrepreneurship, and community gathering that more people are discovering every month.

Red-tail Land Conservancy traces its roots to 1999, when more than 80 community members gathered at Minnetrista Museum and Gardens to explore a shared vision for land conservation in East Central Indiana. What began as an all-volunteer effort has since grown into a trusted regional organization, working to protect and steward some of the area’s most important natural spaces.

Muncie Arts and Culture Council was established in 2011 to celebrate and support arts in Muncie. Since then, MACC (now known as MuncieArts) has evolved significantly.

Today, MuncieArts finds itself at an important moment. Following the completion of several major public art projects, the launch of a new monthly newsletter, the revival of community programs like Box!Box!, and preparation for a new strategic plan, the organization is reimagining its role as a backbone organization for Muncie's creative sector.

Four Indiana independent colleges are the recipients of the 2026 Ball Venture Fund competitive grant program: Butler University, Manchester University, Indiana Institute of Technology, and the University of Saint Francis. They will share $100,000 in seed funding for initiatives to stimulate creativity and innovation and foster collaboration among the state’s 28 private, non-profit campuses.