My list of favorite books changes frequently depending on my mood and season of life. One that nearly always tops the list is a novel by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ called Stay with Me. Whenever I recommend …
The Realness, written by Idris Goodwin in 2016, is a story combining elements of rap and hip-hop with a romance for the emotional resonance and a history lesson for the intellectual one. Goodwin’s play How …
Ah, November. Whether you are eyeing the end of the school or academic semester and the chaos that brings, or preparing for the barrage of holidays, it’s safe to say the last two months of …
On Thursday October 26th, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts’ production of Jonathan Larson’s Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical drama Rent (1996) opened at the Virginia Theatre. Rent famously re-creates the Parisian bohemians of …
Artist E. Ainsley has just completed a new mural at the Boneyard Creek Crossing. Prismatic Undercurrents debuted this past weekend with an opening reception and artist talk. The mural, sponsored by the Urbana Arts and …
The second production of the Station Theater’s 2023–24 season opened on October 26th. The play Without Rule of Law (WROL) is about a group of eighth graders who take a stand against environmental and social …
Editors note: The date and location for the festival has changed since publication. The article has been updated to reflect the updated event information. The 2023 Tagore Festival is going to be held on November …
This season, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is bringing the fan-favorite musical Rent to the stage. The Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical written by Jonathan Larsen initially premiered in 1996. Rent “follows a year …
As a kid, I never read a choose your own adventure book, but I recently discovered it is never too late to try out the genre. I decided to read The Murder at Old Willow …
I first encountered Sara Jahn’s paintings at this year’s Crystal Lake Arts Fair. I was immediately drawn to her dark and moody paintings of skulls with pops of red set against a black backdrop in …
Last week I had the opportunity to attend the great authors series at the Champaign Public Library. For the first time, there was an afternoon music event and an evening talk with book signing. I …
Ahead of October Dance, I spoke with concert director Sara Hook about the planning and preparation for the annual dance showcase put on by the University of Illinois’ Department of Dance. This year’s performance was …
A few weeks ago, the result of a community art project was unveiled at Anita Purves Nature Center. The art piece was created by Cris Hughes of Secret Gardens CU with items foraged and donated …
Introduced in the fall of 2018, Busey Bank Wealth Management held its first annual art exhibition at its Urbana building’s second and third floors. The exhibition was entitled The 1868 Collection because Busey Bank was …
October Dance, formerly November Dance, is the annual dance showcase put on by the University of Illinois’ Department of Dance as their first event of the year. As I wrote in my Five things in …
October always feels to me like the start of holiday season. It’s finally safe to do some themed decorating (unless you are one of those people who puts up Halloween decorations in September), it’s time …
This was my first Unreliable Bestiary performance, and although I had seen photos and video clips from previous iterations, and even had the honor of interviewing co-directors Deke Weaver and Jennifer Allen, I still wasn’t …
Sometimes I like to write a longer introduction to give you, the reader, more background about my subject. My hope is that you’ll feel like you know them as you read. For this article, there …
Shakespeare’s MacBeth lends itself well to creative re-imaginings. Alan Cummings performed the play as a one-man show set in a psychiatric unit. A 2010 film adaptation starring Patrick Stewart set the film in 1960s Romania …
Laurie Rumery moved to Illinois 46 years ago when her husband accepted a teaching position at the University of Illinois, and she has lived in the area ever since. When her daughter was getting ready …
If you’ve seen High in Fiber Rugs at any of the numerous arts events and markets around town (including West Side Arts, Boneyard, and even the Urbana Farmers Market), you already know how creative (and …
As a Millennial, nothing gives me more nostalgia than a great burned CD. It immediately takes me back to sitting in class where there would always be a few people who could make exceptional mixes. …
Artist, actor, and performer Deke Weaver has embarked on an incredible endeavor: create a performance representing a threatened animal or habitat for every letter of the alphabet. The first installment of this life-long project, The …
One of the PYGMALION performances I’m looking forward to is Arushi Jain with the University of Illinois National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Jain is a musician, radio DJ, and modular synthesist. She draws on …
After rain took center stage at Crystal Lake Arts Fair, I was hopeful that West Side Arts wouldn’t suffer the same fate. Luckily, the weather was perfect for the second year of this juried art …
When most people hear PYGMALION, they think “music.” And it’s true — there are tons of excellent music events happening. But, as I wrote in my recent interview with poet Deon Robinson, I want to …
PYGMALION is right around the corner, and as I mentioned in my five things in arts this month, there’s plenty to do at the festival even if you aren’t into the music scene. Ahead of …
As you walk down East Main Street in Downtown Urbana, between Race and Vine, you’ll notice a large cinema marquee. Outside, the interior looks dark, maybe even foreclosed. But Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. …
This year’s Boneyard Arts Festival, my first event as Arts Editor, introduced me to the work of many talented local artists. One of my favorite things that I encountered was quite simple in theory: a …
In many ways, John Milas is a product of Champaign-Urbana. He grew up in Champaign, attended public school, completed a year at Parkland before enlisting in the Marine Corps, and returned to complete his undergraduate …
Fall is around the corner, campus is bustling, and school is back in session. Although there were a number of great events over the summer (my favorites included Art Around the Block and My Little …
Photographer and artist Marcus Flinn started out like the rest of us, taking photos of himself on his phone…and then it turned into something more. Flinn’s self-portraits are incredible: from conception, design, to execution, you …
Currently at Krannert Art Museum there is a most interesting and unique exhibition on contemporary American arts since 1948 on display. As the curator of Art Since 1948 Amy L. Powell pointed out: “Drawn from …
I often think of consuming poetry as being a lot like listening to a new album: most people will read a single poem or listen to a song or two, but reading an entire poetry …
I will admit, although I often read novels, fantasy is something that I have not read for a couple of years. I’ve sort of banished that subgenre in my mind, taking to other books instead. …
When I attend a theatre performance, I try to appreciate the amount of work that goes into putting on a show. While I can appreciate the actors, the set design, and the costumes, unless you …
Out of all the art forms we cover in this section, theatre is probably the area that I know the least about. I’ve gone to theatre productions, of course, but when the Station Theatre announced …
If you were at Delight Flower Farm this July, you probably noticed an addition to their regular lineup of flowers: a gorgeous series of ghost lily sculptures created by their artist-in-residence, Melissa Pokorny. Pokorny is …
I recently wrote how I learned about My Little Titus Andronicus (a play combining the children’s toy My Little Pony with the gruesome Shakespeare tragedy) in a late-night email, convinced myself I had dreamed it, …
Last weekend was the fifth year for the Crystal Lake Art Fair, hosted by 40 North and the Urbana Park District (you can read about last year’s fair here). This was my first year attending, …
As founder of Japan House and professor emeritus of the School of Art and Design, Shozo Sato is a pillar of the Champaign-Urbana arts community. His kabuki adaptations of western classics are well-loved, and he …
After last week’s heatwave, it may be hard to believe, but the end of summer is near. The pools are closing soon, kids go back to school in a few weeks, and campus and fall …
When I asked Vivian Krishnan to tell me about herself, she described herself as “an artist and art advocate, wannabe homesteader, and mother of chickens.” This does not even begin to cover her many talents …
As a ballroom dancer, I know how to swing dance, but I’ve never tried lindy hop before. I was completely surprised to learn that there is an entire Swing Dance Society of Lindy Hoppers here …
When I attended this year’s Art Around the Block at Giertz Gallery at Parkland, I was immediately drawn to an abstract piece by an artist I wasn’t familiar with: Yeong Choi. In my review of …
I love a good thriller. And I really love a good domestic thriller. As I recently described to a friend, “you know, the kind when there is some scandal, and it turns out someone had …
Just before July the 4th, our country’s Independence Day holiday celebration, I revisited Champaign County Park District’s Springer Cultural Center to see the art exhibition titled The Near, the Dear and the Faraway. This exhibition …
We have written about the amazing new mural at Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD) a few times already since it made its debut. As someone with no talent for drawing or painting, I could not …
Typically, when I learn about a new artist or exhibition, I spend some time on their website or social media getting a feel for their work before I decide how best to cover the event. …
