Inside Minnetrista Museum and Gardens in Muncie, Indiana
At the Minnetrista Museum, physical objects are put to good use to help tell the story of Muncie and the surrounding region.
Sebastian Encina, Curator and Associate Director of Curation and Exhibition at the Minnetrista Museum and Gardens, explains, “The fascinating thing the three-dimensional objects tell us that documents don't often do is a physical presence of history. They tell us what actually happened as opposed to what was designed and what was planned. If I'm thinking of an exhibition and here is the story that I'm looking to tell, but objects tell a slightly different story, it's going to add a new chapter to an already exciting exhibition.”
And there are plenty of chapters waiting to be added. Here in the basement of Minnetrista, the Heritage Collection is home to more than 18,000 objects, many dating back to the founding of Muncie in the mid-19th century.
“One of the things that we really look for with artifacts being added to our collection is to make sure this piece has a full story,” says Mindy Price, Collections Manager at the Minnetrista Museum and Gardens.
Everyday Objects That Tell Local Stories
All these objects’ stories tie back to the area in some way. Many were manufactured here.
The Ball Corporation produced its iconic canning jars in Muncie for decades starting in the late 1800s, and Minnetrista has a wide variety of unique and unusual Ball memorabilia.
“Sometimes people preserved their beloved pets. In this jar is a canary from about the 1920s,” Price states.
It also has many objects related to the beloved PBS painter Bob Ross.
Price notes, “Right here, these are Bob Ross's overalls, which you might recognize from the intro scene of The Joy of Painting.”
That classic art instruction show was produced right here in Muncie by WIPB from 1983 to 1994. The former studio is now a popular site on Minnetrista’s grounds.
“One of my favorites is that we have a very large copper pan that he painted when he was stationed in Alaska in the ‘70s. It's just so different from everything else, and it's from his personal collection, which makes it really special,” says Price.
A number of the objects were everyday items.
“This is called a Pandiculator. It was supposed to give you ‘the ultimate stretch,’” Price points out.
“It is really important to still be able to tell the story of Muncie and what people were doing here throughout time,” Price explains. “We don't want to lose the story of the everyday person.”
Whether it's a utilitarian item, a work of art, or an everyday object, they're right here, waiting to tell their stories.
“This job is a great way to look at everyday items a little bit differently. It certainly makes me question: is this item something that I want to hold on to? Does this have a story that I want to live on beyond me? Even if it seems simple, maybe someone else will think it's a treasure. And that's really exciting,” Price concludes.
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The above video is a clip from Journey Indiana from WTIU. You can watch more segments and full episodes at pbs.org/show/journey-indiana/