UIS Orchestra presents a “World of Dance” concert and meet and greet

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Orchestra will perform dance music from around the world during its “World of Dance” spring concert. Following the performance, a meet and greet will be held for high school students and parents who want to learn more about the UIS Music Program.

WHEN: Concert at 3 p.m., meet and greet at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, May 5, 2019

WHERE: UIS Sangamon Auditorium, located in the Public Affairs Center

DETAILS: The UIS Orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Christopher Raymond, will lead the program with music from Strauss, Manuel de Falla,, Tchaikovsky, Huanzhi and Brahms. Additionally, the UIS Cello Choir will perform and the Springfield Ballet Company will join the orchestra on stage to dance during Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake Suite”.

After the concert, high school students and parents can meet and speak with UIS music professors and students to learn about new opportunities in the UIS Music Program, including course offerings in musicology, ethnomusicology, music technology, music theory and performance, the music minor degree offered at UIS and individual instrumental and vocal instruction. Students and parents can also learn about music scholarships for non-majors, including the $10,000 Camerata Scholarships, as well as various musical opportunities on campus.

The concert is free, but donations used to benefit the UIS Music Student Merit Award are welcomed. The UIS Music program began in 2001 and is comprised of students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as Springfield community members, all with a variety of skill levels.

For more information, contact Abigail Walsh, UIS applied music specialist, at 217/206-8583 or awals2@uis.edu.

UIS Music Program presents Spring Showcase Concert on April 26

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents its Spring Showcase Concert featuring performances by the UIS Orchestra, UIS Chorus and UIS Band. The performance is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2019

WHERE: Sangamon Auditorium, located in the Public Affairs Center at UIS DETAILS: The event will feature a wide array of music including the Overture to Johann Strauss II’s “Die Fledermaus,” “The Seal Lullaby” by Eric Whitacre and Holst’s “Suite in F” for concert band. This concert will also feature UIS Music Soloist Competition winners Sherri Mitchell (soprano) and Ender Kunz (trombone), who will perform with the orchestra, and Gabrial Cofield who will perform a marimba solo.

The UIS Orchestra, under the direction of guest conductor Christopher Raymond, will lead the program with music from Strauss, David, Donizetti and Brahms. Two of the works that will be performed serve as preview for the highly anticipated “World of Dance” concert that the group will present on at 3 p.m. on May 5 in Sangamon Auditorium in combination with the UIS Cello Choir and the Springfield Ballet Company.

Directed by Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology Sharon Graf, the UIS Chorus will perform a set of pop and classical song selections including Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition,” “Brindisi” by Giuseppe Verdi and Paich/Porcaro’s popular hit “Africa.”

The UIS Band will end the program under the direction of Applied Music Specialist Abigail Walsh. The program will begin with Rossano Galante’s “Whispers from Beyond,” followed by Chance’s “Variations on a Korean Folk Song,” Texidor’s “Amparito Roca” and John Williams’ “Catch Me If You Can” featuring alto saxophone faculty soloist Robert Brooks.

Donations are welcome and will be used to benefit the UIS Music Student Merit Award. The UIS Music program began in 2001 and is comprised of students, faculty, staff and alumni, as well as Springfield community members, all with a variety of skill levels.

Anyone who is interested in joining the UIS chorus, band or orchestra may contact Abigail Walsh at 217/206-7549 or music@uis.edu.

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents "Three-I Baseball & Forgotten Voices of Illinois"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Office of Advancement, Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society presents “Three-I Baseball & Forgotten Voices of Illinois” as part of the Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30, 2019

WHERE: UIS Student Union Ballroom, 2251 Richard Wright Drive, Springfield

DETAILS: Bill Kemp, archivist and librarian at the McLean County Museum of History, will explore the Three-I professional baseball league (Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League) and how it shaped the history of professional sports in the Midwest from 1920-1940.

John Hallwas, award-winning author and editor of more than two dozen books related to Illinois history and literature and professor emeritus of English at Western Illinois University, will present “Forgotten Voices: Six Illinois Authors You Need to Know.”

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $23/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. The registration deadline is one week prior to each event.

These lunch-time programs will stimulate thinking as they build upon the University’s tradition of open and intelligent dialogue.

Visit https://go.uis.edu/LLspring2019 to register online. For more information, contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217/206-6058 or email advancement@uis.edu.

UIS Theatre presents Sarah Ruhl’s "Dead Man’s Cell Phone" opening April 12

The Theatre Program at the University of Illinois Springfield will present Sarah Ruhl’s “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” opening Friday, April 12.

Six performances will be presented in the Studio Theatre, on the lower level of the Public Affairs Center at UIS. All shows will begin at 7:30 p.m., except the Sunday performance (April 14), which will begin at 2 p.m. Show dates include Friday, Saturday, Sunday, April 12, 13, 14 and Thursday, Friday, Saturday, April 18, 19, 20.

According to the Samuel French Play Service, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is “a work about how we memorialize the dead–and how that remembering changes us–it is the odyssey of a woman forced to confront her own assumptions about morality, redemption, and the need to connect in a technologically obsessed world.” The play begins with “an incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café, a stranger at the next table who has had enough, and a dead man–with a lot of loose ends.”

The play was written by MacArthur “Genius” Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl. Among her most popular plays are “Eurydice,” “The Clean House,” and “In the Next Room.”

Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson, UIS associate professor and director of theatre, will direct the production with scenic design by guest artist scenic designer Bobbie Bonebrake.

Cast members include UIS students Katie Simpson, Sherri Mitchell, Claire Starling and Kov Magana, along with UIS staff member Mike Krcil and community member Sam Fogleman.

The production staff includes UIS students Jeff Nevins, Claire Larson, Denise Gibson, Kim Riddle, Chip Deiss, Alyssa Nino, Jack Hulvey and Jacara Brown. UIS staff members Sabrina Holmes, Jeff Sudduth, Janet Campbell and Nikkie Stefan are also part of the production staff along with community members Cassie Reiterman and Laura Allison Maruna.

Ticket prices are $14 for adults; $12 for senior citizens (65 or older with a picture I.D.); $10 for UIS Faculty/Staff; $8 for UIS students (and all other college-level students) with a valid, current i-card or college I.D. card; and $6 for 17 and under. Please note that service charges are not included in the prices above.

The UIS Theatre Box Office is open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Visual and Performing Arts Building (VPA 127). Patrons may call the UIS Theatre Box Office at 217/206-PLAY (7529) or visit www.uis.edu/theatre to purchase tickets online or learn more information.

UIS Visual Arts Program to present multiple exhibits featuring alumni and students’ work

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Program will present multiple exhibits featuring the work of its alumni and current students. All exhibits will open on Thursday, April 18, and run through Thursday, May 9, 2019. A reception for the alumni and student exhibits will take place simultaneously from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in the UIS Visual Arts Gallery and the Access Gallery. A shuttle will provide transportation between the two locations. Both exhibits are free and open to the public.

Alumni exhibit “Perfect Tens” 

“Perfect Tens” features the work of ten UIS Visual Arts Program alumni, selected from the past ten years of graduates. The artwork will be displayed in the UIS Visual Arts Gallery, located in the Health and Science Building, Room 201. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

A perfect ten indicates a high score, or perfected condition. Visual Arts Program exhibiting alumni in “Perfect Tens” are artists that have continued their trajectory in visual arts and demonstrate notable skill, growth and sophistication in their work. The UIS Visual Arts Program faculty have selected and invited these ten exhibiting artists, as a reflection of the Visual Arts Program and to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates.

“Perfect Tens” will feature a range of media that will include painting, video, sculpture and ceramics, among others. Exhibiting artists include Brad Balster (2012), Christina Hanula (2017), Judah Johnson (2011), Skan Jolly (2012), Grace Katalinich (2017), Allan J. Masterson (2013), Abigail McKinnie (2018), Tyler Phibbs (2016), Almendra Rodriguez (2017) and Darrin Simmons (2016).

Student exhibits “(un)noticeable” and “Forthcoming” 

Two student exhibits “(un)noticeable” and “Forthcoming” will be presented in the UIS Access Gallery, located in the Visual and Performing Arts Building (VPA). Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“(un)noticeable” features work by UIS Visual Arts graduating senior Tyrone Burnett. The exhibit explores the idea of a man who notices the things that are not seen. The exhibit will feature ceramic sculptures that give form to humans as emotions, stereotypes and experiences. Burnett uses symbols to represent both good and bad emotions that humans cannot see or understand, dealing with the idea of fearing what you can become.

Held in conjunction, “Forthcoming”, curated by Tyrone Burnett, will feature work by UIS students Cameron Seibert, Zoey Pritchett, Cheyenne Drink and Hasani Cannon. This exhibit will feature ceramics, painting, drawing and mixed media.

For more information on the multiple exhibits, contact the UIS Visual Arts Program at 217/206-6240 or art@uis.edu.

UIS Student Technology, Arts & Research Symposium to showcase research, creativity and innovation

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield presents the 8th annual Student Technology, Arts & Research Symposium (STARS). The three-day event showcases student research and creative activities during the academic year. Events are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.

WHEN: 4 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 17
            5 to 10 p.m. on Thursday, April 18
            9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, April 19

WHERE: UIS campus – with various presentations in the Student Union, Public Affairs Center and Brookens Auditorium

DETAILS: UIS undergraduate and graduate students will present their research and creative activities through short talks, poster presentations, art exhibitions, musical and theatrical performances. The symposium gives the community a chance to learn about the variety of work being done by students and gives businesses the opportunity to network with potential new talent.

Wednesday, April 17

• Business students will present their pitches and oral presentations starting at 4 p.m. in the Public Affairs Center.
• UIS faculty members Peter Boltuc (Philosophy) and Elham Khorasani Buxton (Computer Science) will present an Artificial Intelligence Workshop at 5:30 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium.
• Keynote Speaker David Gunkel, a professor at Northern Illinois University, will speak at 6 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium on “How to Survive the Robot Apocalypse.” Gunkel is an award-winning educator and scholar, specializing in the philosophy of technology with a particular focus on information & communication technology. 

Thursday, April 18

• The Launch of the “Alchemist Review”, a literary journal, takes place in Brookens Auditorium at 5 p.m.
• Amina Gautier, author of three short story collections and winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award, will be reading her fiction work at 6 p.m. in Brookens Auditorium.
• UIS Theatre, in the Dept. of Art, Music, and Theatre, presents “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” a play by Sarah Ruhl, at 7:30 p.m., in the Studio Theatre, followed by a talk-back at approximately 9:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $14 for adults, $12 for senior citizens (65 or older with a picture I.D.), $10 for UIS faculty/staff, $8 for UIS students (and all other college-level students). Purchase tickets by calling 217/206-PLAY (7529) or visit www.uis.edu/theatre.

Friday, April 19

• Student oral presentations will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. in the Student Union second floor conference rooms.
• Art and poster sessions will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Student Union pre-function area.
• A UIS Music Recital, featuring the UIS Jazz Band, will close out the symposium at 1 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. 

For the full STARS schedule, visit http://go.uis.edu/stars/. Questions may be directed to Tammy Craig at 217/206-8379 or STARSymposium@uis.edu.

UIS Health & Wellness Fair to offer free health screenings and information

WHAT: University of Illinois Springfield Campus Recreation and Health Services presents the annual Health & Wellness Fair. The event will offer health screenings, information and door prizes. The fair is free and open to the public, students, faculty and staff.

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, 2019

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) at UIS
2171 University Drive, Springfield

DETAILS: The Health & Wellness Fair will offer information targeting all aspects of wellness: physical, nutritional, emotional, social, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational and spiritual. There will be fitness testing, health screenings, free food and giveaways.

The Central Illinois Community Blood Center will also be hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) for those interested in donating or blood typing.

For more information, contact Alexandria Cosner, UIS Campus Recreation assistant director of fitness & wellness, at acosn2@uis.edu or 217/206-7103