Free Bowling in the Muncie Mall Created by a Local Artist
Malls and bowling alleys are two things that normally aren’t found in the same place, but because of Plyspace and a Muncie artist, it’s happening.
Heather Vanwinkle, an artist in residence for Plyspace, created her own bowling alley with a single lane, inside an empty store at the Muncie Mall.
“It’s been really fun and it’s another way to learn about talking about art,” Vanwinkle said. This is because her bowling lane is interactive and located in the mall, so it draws in more than just people who go to art galleries.
“People come at you with all of their different perspectives. Working alone as an artist, you don’t often have this kind of ongoing critique. It’s been really helpful,” Vanwinkle said.
The difference between Vanwinkle’s bowling lane and others of its kind is hers is made of soft wood with no oil on it. Therefore, when the ball hits the wood, it creates troughs and divots, so it becomes unpredictable where the ball can go and how many pins it will knock down.
Also, the bowling ball can fit in the palm of a person’s hand, instead of the normal heavier balls. The pins are also candlepins, which are skinnier and more spread out than normal bowling pins.
Since the bowling alley is homemade, Vanwinkle controls it manually, through pulling on ropes to straighten the candlepins after they’ve been knocked down, instead of by a machine.
The bowling alley will stay in the Muncie Mall until November 4. To find out times when the lane will be open, go to Plyspace’s Facebook page.
