The Latest
Grants Awarded and Crowdfunding Now Live
We have exciting momentum to share, and we are asking for your support
If you help us reach our $18,000 goal, your donation will be DOUBLED.
And then clicking the ‘Support’ button. No amount is too small!
Close Encounters Muncie has received grant support from the Indiana Arts Commission’s Creative Convergence program—and we’ve officially launched our Creating Spaces crowdfunding campaign on Patronicity.
Phase One of the project centers on building and installing a sculptural outdoor pipe organ at Minnetrista that plays the iconic five-note motif from Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The interactive, light-integrated sculpture is scheduled to premiere at the Muncie Fireworks celebration on July 4, 2026. It will be playable, mobile, and designed to spark curiosity the moment people encounter it.
The Creative Convergence grant gives the project statewide exposure and recognizes the collaborative spirit behind this work—bringing together artists, tourism leaders, engineers, local manufacturers, and cultural organizations to create something distinctly Muncie. This project is more than a work of public art, it’s a tourism driver and a bold statement about our city’s cultural identity.
Now we’re inviting you to be part of it. Our Creating Spaces campaign on Patronicity is live.
Every dollar raised will directly support Phase One. Funding will go toward fabrication of the organ’s sculptural structure, the integrated lighting and musical systems, transportation and installation at Minnetrista, and the public debut celebration. Just as important, this campaign demonstrates community backing as we build toward Phase Two in 2027—a monumental iron sculpture of Bear Lodge Butte (AKA Devils Tower) and a choreographed drone light show marking the film’s 50th anniversary.
Close Encounters Muncie is led by sculptor Aaron Nicholson and Carl Schafer of Gordy Fine Art, in collaboration with Minnetrista, Destination Muncie, Horizon Convention Center, the Academy for Model Aeronautics, and the Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, among others.
You can support the campaign, share it with friends, and help us bring this iconic moment back to life—right here in Muncie.