Tyehimba Jess' advice to young poets is "Don't give up and revise, revise, revise, and have a decent understanding of American history or of the history of the country you're living in and the country that your people came from."
Nearly a decade ago, a project local to Brooklyn began a pilot campus program at the University of Illinois that would prove to be successful beyond its creators’ wildest dreams.
When asked about her ongoing investigation of empty spaces, artist Drea Aarons says "Life is full of a bunch of junk, and we’re busy pretending otherwise."
Kristina Boerger talks about her life and career after leaving Champaign-Urbana.
Author and Zed Talks creator Z Snyder says "a lot of the things I’ve learned have come from learning to ignore bad advice."
What happens when dancers can’t be within a few feet of each other, let alone touch?
"Seeing the creative decisions of three different illustrators together in one drawing is fascinating. Our approaches were as varied as the weirdos we ended up creating," says Urbana-based woodcut illustrator Lydia Puddicombe.
The pros and cons of virtual performance are more complex than what first meets the eye.
Why has cross stitch become pandemic staple? Crass Stitching's Lisa Conner says "All of the sudden, folks were at home with that craft they swore they’d make time for and now they have nothing but time and they caught the creating bug.
"I believe that the role of the poet laureate is above all to bring people together," says Ashanti Files. "It is to expose our neighbors to our hidden talents."
According to Urbana-based artist and author Marc-Anthony Macon, the best part of working in the Absurdist style is that "no one can tell me I’m doing it wrong. Just get to skip that step altogether."
"Apply, Dear Reader. Your creative work is worthy. Find collaborators, dream big, and bring innovative arts and culture projects to the City of Urbana. There is a place for it here," Rachel Lauren Storm, City of Urbana Arts & Culture Program Coordinator.
The Arts Section strives to celebrate our community's rich and vibrant artistic scene, from theatre to local authors, film, performance art, and everything in between.
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