04/01/2026
First Thursday Friends- I hope you will consider donating to this super fun project from Gordy Fine Art & Framing Company and artist Aaron Nicholson. They are building the playable pipe organ from the film "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." It will premiere at Muncie's July 4th fireworks celebration. Let's help bring a little piece of iconic cinematic history to life!
Details from Gordy's:
Building Muncie’s Playable Pipe Organ Sculpture to Celebrate Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the iconic Film set in Muncie
If you help us reach our $18,000 goal, your donation will be DOUBLED.
GIVE NOW directly on this page by selecting a reward or clicking the ‘Support’ button.
Premiering at the Muncie Fireworks display on July 4, 2026, we are launching Phase One of Close Encounters Muncie—and we are raising funds to design and build a sculptural outdoor pipe organ near Minnetrista that plays the film’s iconic five-note motif. Aaron Nicholson, a Muncie-based sculptor, and Carl Schafer of Gordy Fine Art, working with partners including the City of Muncie, Minnetrista, Destination Muncie, the Academy for Model Aeronautics, the Horizon Convention Center, The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, and the Indiana Arts Commission. Together, we are transforming Muncie’s connection to Close Encounters of the Third Kind into an interactive public artwork that you can see, hear, and play. Phase One is about creating this signature sculpture, debuting it during the July 4 celebration, and building community awareness through events, partnerships, and public engagement.
Building a sculptural outdoor pipe organ that plays the iconic five-note motif from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, debuting at the July 4, 2026 fireworks.
