Thursday, September 19, 2019

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents “Footprints of Sangamon”

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Office of Advancement, Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society presents “Footprints of Sangamon” as part of the Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2019

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

DETAILS: Richard Hart, an Elijah Iles House Foundation trustee, will present “The Strawbridge-Shepherd House: The First Footprint of Sangamon State University.” The Elijah Iles House Foundation led restoration of the Strawbridge-Shepherd House, the oldest physical structure on campus.

Judith Everson, UIS professor emerita of English, will present “The Early Days of Sangamon State University: A Retrospective from a Founding Faculty Member.”

The cost for the hot buffet lunch and program is $25/per person. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. The registration deadline is one week prior to each event.

Other upcoming Lunch & Learn events include the “Second Annual Illinois Statehood Day Symposium” on Dec. 3. These lunch-time programs are designed to stimulate thinking as they build upon the UIS’ tradition of open and intelligent dialogue.

Visit go.uis.edu/LunchFall19 to register online. For more information, contact the UIS Office of Advancement at 217-206-6058 or advancement@uis.edu.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

UIS Speaker Series explores #MeToo in Muslim America

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will explore why the experiences of Muslim women within the #MeToo movement are critical to realizing the movement’s vision of empathy, support and change.

WHEN: 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Associate Professor of Philosophy Saba Fatima, Ph.D., will discuss the unique and specific challenges facing Muslim American women within the #MeToo movement through an intersectional lens.

Her research investigates how religious justifications can hinder the progress of #MeToo at the expense of Muslim women, including justifications that appeal to the establishment of an ideal society, the segregation of sexes and unity within the Muslim unmah (nation).

Fatima also considers how the #MeToo movement is hijacked and co-opted within a Western political context toward a neoliberal agenda in ways that ultimately harm women in communities of color.

This event is cosponsored by the New Voices in Racial Justice Series, the UIS Diversity Center, Women’s Center and the Department of Philosophy.

Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217-206-6245 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance. For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents “Value Added” by Springfield native Patrick Collier

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “Value Added,” an exhibition of mixed media sculptures by Springfield native and Oregon-based artist Patrick Collier. The exhibition will open on Thursday, Sept. 26, and run through Thursday, Oct. 17. A reception for the exhibit will take place from 5:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Collier is a visual artist and arts writer residing in Corvallis, Oregon. His approach to art-making is multidisciplinary, including sculpture, drawing, photography, video and poetry, periodically utilizing all of the above disciplines in the same artwork or installation.

“Value Added” is a term used in agriculture (among other types of industry) that describes a marketing and production strategy. A farmer may grow and harvest one type of product, and while there may be a set and steady market for that product, as a grower, the farmer only sees income from that raw material. In an attempt to expand the revenue stream for the farm, a farmer will develop other products from what they grow and sell those as well. A good example would be a lavender farm that makes its own scented soaps, candles, essential oils, etc., all under the farm’s name.

“While I first encountered the term in a former life as a farmer, ‘Value Added’ takes on a slightly more indirect meaning in my art,” said Collier. “Products I have purchased to meet my day-to-day consumer needs have been culled, and sometimes saved from the landfill to be incorporated into my sculpture. I do not pretend to think there is much of an actual commercial market for these things I make, yet I would like to think they do have some value, if only cultural.”

Collier’s artwork has been exhibited widely in Oregon, including Portland State University’s Broadway Gallery and Nine Gallery in Portland, Oregon State University’s Concourse Gallery, CEI Artworks in Corvallis and the Schneider Museum of Art at Southern Oregon University in Ashland. Another exhibition of note was at The Suburban in Oak Park, Illinois. Collier writes art criticism for the cultural website Oregon ArtsWatch and is the author of numerous artist catalogue essays. Born in Springfield, Illinois, Collier has a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a master’s degree in English literature and bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.

The Visual Arts Gallery is centrally located on the UIS campus in the Health and Science Building, Room 201, and is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Thursday.

For more information, visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at uis.edu/visualarts/gallery or contact the gallery at 217-206-6506 or alach@uis.edu.

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

UIS Friday Night Star Parties to be held in a temporary location for the rest of the fall season

The University of Illinois Springfield’s popular Friday Night Star Parties will be held in a temporary location for the rest of the fall season. Star Parties will be held from 8-10 p.m. on Sept. 13, 20, and 27 and Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25, weather permitting, on the outside patio of the old Public Affairs Center (PAC) Food Emporium.

Star Parties are hosted by John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy/physics. Multiple telescopes will be used to view a number of celestial objects, including the planets Jupiter and Saturn; the Moon, when visible; the Ring Nebula; globular star clusters M13 and M15 and other double stars and star clusters.

Fundraising is now underway for UIS Observatory renovations, including the redesign and replacement of the original deck, improved accessibility for people of all abilities and re-imagining the telescope enclosure. Individuals interested in donating towards the renovation effort can learn more at go.uis.edu/ASPFundraising.

Friday Night Star Parties are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required and groups are encouraged to attend. Star Parties begin with a welcome and a quick tour of the constellations in the night sky. Visitors are invited to view the skies through telescopes and ask questions. Participants are welcome to arrive and leave as they wish between 8-10 p.m.

Star Parties may be canceled due to cloudy weather. Questions about whether the weather is suitable for viewing should be directed to 217-206-8342 at 7 p.m. on the evening of the Star Party. Participants may also follow the UIS Observatory on Twitter (@UISObservatory) for updates.

Anyone who has accessibility issues with regular Friday Star Parties should contact John Martin at 217-206-8342 or jmart5@uis.edu about Accessible Star Parties. Learn more on the UIS Astronomy website at uis.edu/astronomy/about/starparties/.

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

University of Illinois Springfield Music Program proudly presents its fall 2019 concert season

The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program is proud to present its fall 2019 concert season.

The roster includes the Faculty Recital Series, the Brown Bag Concert Series, Chamber Concerts by Camerata Scholarship students, and performances by the UIS Band, Cello Choir, Chorus, Flute Choir, Jazz Ensemble and Orchestra.

All events are free and open to the public.

Tuesday, Sept. 24 – Estampe Duo
12 p.m. - Student Union Ballroom pre-function area
Yeonwoo Seo, cello, Hana Lim, piano

Saturday, Sept. 28 – Romance and Passion
7:30 p.m. – Studio Theatre
Estampe Trio & Yichen Li, voice

Tuesday, Oct. 22 – Camerata Chamber Music I 
12 p.m. – Student Union Ballroom pre-function area
UIS Music Scholarship Recipients

Thursday, Nov. 7 – The Saxophone Through Time 
7:30 p.m. – Studio Theatre
Benjamin Nichols, Saxophone

Tuesday, Nov. 12 – Camerata Chamber Music II 
12 p.m. – Student Union Ballroom pre-function area
UIS Music Scholarship recipients

Saturday, Nov. 16 – Jazz CafĂ©
6 p.m. – Studio Theatre UIS
Jazz Ensemble, Benjamin Nichols, director

Tuesday, Nov. 19 – Camerata Chamber Music III 
12 p.m. – Student Union Ballroom pre-function area
UIS Music Scholarship Recipients

Friday, Nov. 22 – Out of this World 
7:30 p.m. – Sangamon Auditorium
UIS Band, Bill Mitchell, director

Sunday, Nov. 24 – Spanish Caprice 
7:30 p.m. – Sangamon Auditorium
UIS Orchestra, Yona Stamatis, director

Monday, Nov. 25 – Along the Silk Road
7:30 p.m. – Studio Theatre
Yichen Li, countertenor 

Wednesday, Dec. 4 – Viva America! 
12 p.m. – Student Union Ballroom pre-function area
UIS Chorus, See Tsai Chan, director

Thursday, Dec. 5 – UIS Music Student Recital 
12 p.m. – Polly Roesch Music Room, VPA 33
UIS & UISCMS Student Recital

For more information on the UIS Music Program, visit uis.edu/music/. Questions may be directed to Yona Stamatis at 217-206-6240 or music@uis.edu.

UIS Speaker Series kicks off Queertober with a historical look at the 1973 arson murders in a gay club

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will kick off Queertober with author Robert W. Fieseler reading from his book “Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation.”

WHEN: 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30, 2019

WHERE: UIS Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library

DETAILS: Forty-three years before the Pulse nightclub shooting became the largest mass murder of gays in the United States, an arsonist set fire to the Up Stairs Lounge in New Orleans, killing 32 people.

Journalist and nonfiction author Robert Fieseler, a Naperville, Illinois native, will share excerpts from his book, which recounts the tragic fire that happened on June 24, 1973. Fieseler uses survivor interviews and extensive research to weave a story with memorable characters living in a closeted, but thriving world before the fire.
       
Fieseler’s story of the forgotten history also reports the political and societal change that followed the fire with a supported and emerging gay rights movement.

This event is cosponsored by UIS Brookens Library, Friends of Brookens Library and the UIS Office of Gender and Sexuality Student Services.

Individuals with disabilities who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217-206-8507 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance. For a list of other upcoming ECCE Speaker Series events, visit www.uis.edu/speakerseries/.