♪ >> At the Minnetrista Museum, physical objects are put to good use to help tell the story of Muncie and the surrounding region.

>> The fascinating thing that 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.

So 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.

>> So we are about to head into object storage.

>> 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, we really look to make sure this piece has a full story.

>> All of these objects' stories tie back to the area in some way.

Many were manufactured here.

>> So what we have here are a number of items made by or collected by Ball Corporation.

>> The Ball Corporation produced their 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.

>> Minnetrista also has many objects related to the beloved PBS painter Bob Ross.

>> Right here, these are Bob Ross' 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 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.

>> A number of the objects were everyday items.

>> This is called a Pandiculator, and it was supposed to give you the ultimate stretch.

It is really important to still be able to tell the story of Muncie and what people were doing here throughout time.

You know, we don't want to lose the story of the everyday person.

>> And so, whether it's a utilitarian item, a work of art, or an everyday object, they are 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, you know, 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.

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