Explore “Flash Point || Liminal Lost,” an art exhibition featuring works by UIS Visual Arts Program seniors

The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is pleased to present “Flash Point || Liminal Lost,” two exhibitions showcasing works of art created by graduating seniors in the UIS Visual Arts Program. The exhibitions will open on April 26 and run through May 12, 2021. A closing remote exhibition reception will be held via Zoom from 6-7 p.m. May 13. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Face masks are required on campus. 

“Flash Point || Liminal Lost” will be hosted in two locations:

• In the Access Gallery, located within the Visual and Performing Arts Gallery Building (VPA), from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday 
• In the Visuals Arts Gallery, Room 201 in the Health and Science Building (HSB), from 12-5 p.m. Monday-Wednesday 

The exhibits explore the boundaries of realism that are blurred as artists evoke emotions and memories that transcend the real and virtual world. “Flash Point || Liminal Lost” features a diversity of media including digital media, installation, mixed media and photography. Works by seniors Kortney Correa, Aaron Elmore, Claude Henry, Zoey Pritchett, Megan Roberts and Elizabeth Shumake will be featured. 

The artists have prepared works that expand the emotional impact the world has on us – both physically and digitally – encouraging the viewers to ponder their own liminal experiences as they explore the exhibition.

For more information, visit the UIS Visual Arts Gallery website at uis.edu/visualarts/gallery or contact the gallery at 217-206-6506 or alach3@uis.edu. 

UIS Music program to hold virtual panel discussion, “From Diversity to Inclusion: Arts Advocacy and Racial Equality in the 21st Century”

The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program will host a virtual panel discussion, “From Diversity to Inclusion: Arts Advocacy and Racial Equality in the 21st Century,” at 6 p.m. Monday, April 5, 2021, via Zoom. This event is free and open to the public and will be followed by an open discussion session with the audience. 

Panelists will discuss their efforts to engage the arts to tackle issues of silencing, prejudice and racism and to encourage greater equity and inclusiveness in the arts. Each speaker will present for 12 minutes. 

Panelists will include Tiffani Saunders, UIS sociology/anthropology and African American studies lecturer; Kathryn Harris, winner of the 2020 State Journal-Register First Citizen Award; Reggie Guyton, a local performance artist, Charles Gentry, lecturer at the University of Texas at San Antonio; and Sarah Webb, UIS assistant professor of English. The discussion will be moderated by Yona Stamatis, UIS associate professor of ethnomusicology and director of the UIS Music Program. 

Saunders specializes in race and ethnicity, family, mental health and the scholarship of teaching and learning. She is a Maryland native and alum of Bowie State University, Maryland’s oldest historically black college. Saunders is a classically trained violinist and avid volunteer. Her commitment to both learning about and giving back to the community has resulted in creative projects like the Hip Hop Xpress which came to Springfield in September 2020, as well as countless panels, workshops, and awards. 

Harris is the first woman and the first African American to serve as the president of the Abraham Lincoln Association since its inception in 1909, serving as president from 2006-2018. After more than 25 years of service, Harris retired in 2015 from her position as the library services director at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library (formerly the Illinois State Historical Library). Harris presents one-woman first-person performances which honor historic 19th century African American women. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and master’s degree in library science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Guyton currently works as a historical actor at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum where he not only performs in the famous “Ghosts of the Library.” He is the author of a monologue on Robert Smalls, a Black man who escaped slavery and later served in South Carolina’s House of Representatives. Additionally, he has acted in many local theater productions including “A Raisin in the Sun” (2016), “Dreamgirls” (2011) and “The Spirit of Lincoln” (2020) as well as directed “Memphis: The Musical.” Aside from his efforts in theater, Guyton strives to marry storytelling and art with activism and understanding.

Gentry is a versatile interdisciplinary scholar who works as a lecturer in the African American Studies Program at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and a researcher with the UTSA Center for Cultural Sustainability. He also teaches in the UTSA Department of History and the Johns Hopkins University Cultural Heritage Management Program. He received a doctoral degree from the University of Michigan in American culture and a bachelor’s degree from UTSA in American studies. His interests include African American history, film and media studies, performance studies, arts management and cultural policy. 

Webb teaches writing and cultural studies. She launched the website Colorism Healing in 2013 to raise awareness and create change. Since then, she has reached thousands of people across the globe through her international writing contest, anthologies, articles, media interviews, presentations and workshops. Webb has recently co-authored such articles as “Colorism and the Poetics of Resistance Among Black Youth: An Application of the Colorist-Historical Trauma Framework” in the Journal of Black Studies and “How Colorist Microaggressions have Eluded Social Work: A Literature Review” in the Journal of Ethnic & Cultural Diversity in Social Work. 

The virtual Zoom panel discussion can be accessed by visiting uis.edu/music and clicking on the link on the main page.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery to hold its online Silent Auction and Benefit starting Monday, Nov. 16

TheUniversity of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery Silent Auction and Benefit is moving online for 2020. The Silent Auction and Benefit, featuring original works of art donated by local and regional artists, will launch on Monday, Nov. 16 and will remain active until final bidding at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 3.

Artwork up for auction can be viewed and bids can be placed online at 32auctions.com/uisvisualartsgallery.

Proceeds from the annual auction provides for gallery programming throughout the year and allows the UIS Visual Arts Gallery to bring the Springfield-area ambitious exhibitions by emerging and established artists. The auction will feature a variety of media: painting, collage, ceramics, sculpture, prints, glass and more, donated by artists and donors in Springfield, central Illinois, St. Louis and Chicago.  

Springfield artist Corrin Smithson McWhirter is one of many local artists that supports the UIS Visual Arts Gallery auction every year. 

“As an artist, I donate artwork to support contemporary art access for young collectors,” McWhirter said. “As a bidder I love getting artist's work into the community and supporting a local gallery sharing contemporary work.”

Jeff Williams, another prominent local artist, shares his enthusiasm for this annual fundraising event.

“I love supporting the UIS Visual Arts Gallery,” Williams said. “It's one of the mainstays and flavors of the area's visual and conceptual arts community. The energy of bidding on different pieces is always something I like… even when someone sneaks a bid in on a piece you want at the last minute!”

As always, the UIS Visual Arts Gallery looks to the loyal community to champion their work. Community members are encouraged to visit the online auction and bid – or donate directly to the gallery as a show of their support. NPR Illinois is the media sponsor for the 2020 UIS Visual Arts Gallery Silent Auction.

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

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents “Hindsight 20/20” virtual exhibition showcasing senior artwork

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is proud to present “Hindsight 20/20,” a virtual exhibition showcasing the creativity and skill sets of senior visual arts majors at UIS.

As a result of the public health concerns regarding COVID-19, and in keeping with UIS policies in place to protect our students, faculty, staff and patrons, this special exhibition will take place online. The virtual exhibition will launch on April 30. An exhibition catalog will complement the exhibition and will be available as a free, downloadable PDF.

Once launched, the exhibition can be viewed at hindsight-2020.weebly.com.

"Hindsight 20/20” features works by UIS Visual Arts graduating seniors that, together, explore how visual language can more clearly express those experiences that are difficult to communicate through words alone. Exhibiting artists include Logan Baskett, Kelsey Cleary, Kailee Harris, Rachel Lewis, Dominic Miraldi and Merrick Wilderman. This exhibition will feature animation, digital media, painting, screen printing and sculpture.

Each of the student artists have created works that collectively strive to transport the viewer, inviting individuals to immerse themselves and recognize not only how our surroundings affect our emotions, but also how individuals impact the environment and the world around them. These works are especially poignant in light of recent develops and the hardships many now face as a result of the global pandemic. “Hindsight 20/20” serves as a reflection and testament to the hard work of these students in the midst of these challenging times.

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

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents “Convergence,” a solo exhibition by Associate Professor Shane Harris

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery presents “Convergence,” an exhibition of recent works by UIS Associate Professor of Visual Arts Shane Harris. The exhibit will open on Thursday, Feb. 27, and run through Thursday, April 9 and is free and open to the public. An opening reception will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 in the Visual Arts Gallery.

“Convergence” presents new sculptural works that combine various technologies, such as 3D printing, vacuum forming, laser cutting and mold making -- along with additional various mixed media. Through the use of technology and combining it with mixed media, Harris further explores the background and the base on which a couplings of objects exist. The repetition of colors, textures, materials, and shapes that occur in both the background and couplings illustrate the concept that who we are and how we relate to our environment are connected. These objects, similar to people, have different personas depending on where they are and who they are with. In experimenting with the pieces and with the environments he placed them in, Harris discovered the personality of the objects changed depending on its context.

Harris will present an artist lecture from 12-1 p.m. Tuesday, March 17 in the Visual Arts Gallery. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

Harris was born in DeKalb, Illinois. He received a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in ceramics in 2003 and sculpture in 2004. He earned his master’s degree in fine arts from Indiana University in 2007.

His work has been displayed in national exhibitions including the Tampa Contemporary Museum of Art, Manifest Gallery, Kolva-Sullivan Gallery and the Archie Bray Gallery. He has work in private collections, such as the Kinsey Institute. His work has been published in “The Best of 500 Ceramics: Celebrating a Decade in Clay” and “500 Sculptures.”

Harris is the recipient of the Windgate Fellowship at the Archie Bray Foundation in Helena, Montana and the University of Illinois Springfield College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ Scholarly Enhancement Grant. At UIS, he teaches courses in ceramics, sculpture, 3-D design and professional skills.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

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.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents “To Unmake a Fold,” a group exhibition curated by director Jeff Robinson

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “To Unmake a Fold,” a group exhibition that features Chicago-based artists Mark Blanchard, Cass Davis, bena foli and Kelly Kristin Jones. The exhibition will open on Monday, Jan. 13 and run through Thursday, Feb. 20. A reception for the exhibit will take place from 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23 in the Visual Arts Gallery.

“To Unmake a Fold” is one of two synchronous exhibitions. The companion exhibition, “Tracing Faults,” is on view at Chicago Artists Coalition (CAC) in Chicago, Illinois. Both exhibitions are curated by Jeff Robinson who works as HATCH curatorial resident at CAC and as director of the UIS Visual Arts Gallery.

In geology, faults and folds refer to tectonic activities that result from immense stress and pressure below the Earth’s surface. These environmental tensions trigger groundbreaking events that reshape the visible landscape. As joint exhibitions, “Tracing Faults” and “To Unmake a Fold” use these seismic actions as an analogy for the social, cultural, and political rifts that permeate our present human condition, and consider how these quandaries prompt opportunities for collective renewal and redemption.

An Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series lecture that explores the structure of and themes within the exhibitions will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, Feb. 10 in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of UIS Brookens Library. Artists Mark Blanchard, Cass Davis, bena foli and Kelly Kristin Jones will take part in a panel discussion moderated by Jeff Robinson. A closing reception and catalog release will follow from 7-8 p.m. in the UIS Visual Arts Gallery.

Individuals with disabilities attending the ECCE Speaker Series event who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217-206-6245 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance.

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.

UIS Music Program presents “Viva America” Concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents “Viva America”, featuring an eclectic set up American pieces by the UIS Chorus joined by the Lincoln Land Community College Choir.

WHEN: Noon Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2019

WHERE: UIS Student Union Ballroom Lobby

DETAILS: Bring your lunch to this exciting musical event! Join the UIS Chorus under the direction of See Tsai Chan as they perform selections including “Bring Me Little Water” by Silvy Huddie Ledbetter and arranged by Moira Smiley, “Old Joe Clark” arranged by Greg Gilpin, “The Huron Carol” arranged by Dan Forrest and more!

The Lincoln Land Community College Choir, led by Laurie Lewis-Fritz, will perform “Down in the River to Pray” arranged by David L. Mennicke and “Your Soul is Song” by Jake Runestad. The choirs will come together to perform “I Wanna Be Ready” arranged by Rosephayne Powell to close the concert.

Donations are welcome and will be used to benefit student recipients of UIS Music scholarships. For more information please call 217-206-6240 or email music@uis.edu.

UIS Music Program presents “Along the Silk Road”

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents “Along the Silk Road” featuring UIS Adjunct Professor of Voice Yichen Li and UIS Adjunct Professor of Piano Hana Lim as part of the new UIS Music Faculty Recital Series. The performance is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 25, 2019

WHERE: Studio Theatre, located in the Public Affairs Center at UIS

DETAILS: The Yangtze Evening Post described UIS Adjunct Professor of Voice Yichen Li as “a rising star, who has become one of the most outstanding countertenors in China.” Professor Li will be joined by UIS Adjunct Professor of Piano Hana Lim, winner of the Presentation Society Competition, the Sinfonia da Camera Concerto Competition and the Summer Institute Piano Concerto Competition. They will perform works by Vivaldi, Clara Schumann Weijie Gao and more.

Donations are welcome and will be used to benefit student recipients of UIS Music scholarships. For more information, contact the UIS Music Program at 217-206-6240 or music@uis.edu.

UIS Music Program presents “Out of This World” concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents “Out of This World,” a musical and visual multimedia experience featuring performances by the UIS Band, Flute Choir and Trombone Choir.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, 2019

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

DETAILS: Come get lost in space as the UIS Band, Flute Choir and Trombone Choir perform music including “Beyond the Cosmos” by David Shaffer, “Saturn the Ringed Planet” by Rob Romeyn, “Journey Through Orion” by Julie Groux, “Out of This World” by John Williams and more. A dramatic evening of awe-inspiring music, storytelling and still and animated visual representations by UIS Associate Professor of Digital Media Brytton Bjorngaard awaits.

Under the baton of UIS Band Director Bill Mitchell, the band will also perform “Starship” by Y. Nishimura, a work for band inspired by a Japanese story of two star-crossed lovers, as well as “Laniakea” by Jack Wilds. The namesake refers to the galaxy supercluster that is home to the Milky Way and means “immense heaven” in Hawaiian. Abigail Walsh, UIS Flute Choir director, will lead the ensemble in Catherine McMichael’s “La Lune et Les Étoiles” (The Moon and the Stars). The Trombone Choir will perform “Hymn from Jupiter” from Gustav Holst’s “The Planets” under Mitchell’s direction as well.

Donations are welcome and will be used to benefit student recipients of UIS Music scholarships. For more information, call 217-206-6240 or email music@uis.edu.

UIS Music presents “Jazz Café” concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program will present its first “Jazz Café” concert as part of a new series. The concert is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, 2019

WHERE: Studio Theatre, located on the lower level of the UIS Public Affairs Center

DETAILS: Come join the UIS Jazz Ensemble for an evening of exciting music featuring “Hay Burner,” arranged by Sammy Nestico; “Isfahan,” arranged by Billy Strayhorn; “At Last,” arranged by Jack Bastow and more.

Under the direction of Benjamin Nichols, this concert marks the premiere of the new “Jazz Café” series here at UIS where audience members can enjoy live jazz music in a relaxed café style setting.

The concert is free, however donations are welcome and will be used to benefit student recipients of UIS Music scholarships. For more information, call 217-206-6240 or email music@uis.edu.

UIS Music Program presents "The Saxophone through Time"

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents “The Saxophone through Time” featuring UIS Jazz Ensemble Director Ben Nichols as part of the new UIS Music Faculty Recital Series. The performance is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, 2019

WHERE: Studio Theatre, located on the lower level of the UIS Public Affairs Center

DETAILS: The event will feature both classical and jazz genres including Alexander Glazunov’s “Concerto in E- Flat Major,” as well as “Lester Leaps In” by Lester Young, “Blues for Alice” by Charlie Parker and “26-2” by John Coltrane. Nichols will be accompanied by classical pianist Ieng-Ieng (Kevina) Lam and jazz pianist Joshua Bell.

Nichols has been featured on dozens of recordings and hundreds of performances around the world. He wrote and performed horn lines as part of the Ryan Innes Band (“American Idol,” “The Voice,”) which won by popular vote the $10,000 grand prize at the Stadium of Fire in 2012 and opened for the Beach Boys. Nicholas earned a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied with jazz legends Jerry Bergonzi, Miguel Zenon, Donny McCaslin and Jason Moran.

The concert is free, however donations are welcome and will be used to benefit student recipients of UIS Music scholarships. For more information, call 217-206-6240 or email music@uis.edu.

UIS Theatre to present six performances of “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza

The University of Illinois Springfield Theatre Program will present six performances of “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza opening on Friday, Oct. 25 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 (Oct. 27), which will begin at 2 p.m. Opening weekend performance dates include Oct. 25-27. The following week, the play will be performed on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1-2.

In “God of Carnage,” a playground altercation between 11-year-old boys brings together two sets of Brooklyn parents for a meeting to resolve the matter.

“At first, diplomatic niceties are observed, but as the meeting progresses, and the rum flows, tensions emerge and the gloves come off, leaving the couples with more than just their liberal principles in tatters,” describes Dramatist’s Publishing Company.

“God of Carnage” is the winner of the 2009 Tony Award for best play. According to the New York Times, the play is “a study in the tension between civilized surface and savage instinct, this play is itself a satisfyingly primitive entertainment.”

UIS Associate Professor and Director of Theatre Eric Thibodeaux-Thompson will direct the production with scenic design by UIS Associate Professor of Theatre Dathan Powell.

Cast members include UIS students Ivy Thomas, Will Moffett and Jenna Fleming, along with community member Sam Fogleman.

The production staff includes UIS students Alex Herter, Amirah Baker, Aaliyah Adams, Adrian Ishmael, Jonathan Strepek, Claire Larson, Franklin Aguilar, Sierra Buske and Alyssa Nino. UIS staff members Sabrina Holmes and Chip Deiss are also part of the production staff along with community members Cassie Reiterman, Janet Ferry-Campbell and Mary Wheeler.

Ticket prices are $15 for adults; $10 for UIS faculty/staff with a valid, current i-card; and $8 for UIS students with a valid, current i-card. Please note that service charges are not included in the prices above.

Tickets can be purchased between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at the UIS Ticket Office, located on the second level of the UIS Public Affairs Center. Patrons may call the UIS Ticket Office at 217-206-6160 or visit uis.edu/theatre for more information.

UIS Visual Arts Gallery presents an exhibition and discussion by Chicago artist Hương Ngô

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery presents “Her Name Escapes Me,” an exhibition of recent works by Chicago artist Hương Ngô opening with a reception from 6:30-8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24. The free exhibit will remain open to the public through Thursday, Nov. 21. Ngô’s work connects language and power in the understanding of how colonial ideology is enacted on bodies of women.

In conjunction with this exhibit, Ngô will present an ECCE Speaker Series visual lecture from 5:30-6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24 in Brookens Auditorium, located on the lower level of Brookens Library. As part of her ECCE Speaker Series presentation, Ngô will deliver a visual lecture entitled “To Name It is to See it: Identity and Misrecognition” that articulates her use of visual art and performance to examine issues of colonialism, immigration, citizenship, intersectionality, marginalization and resistance.

Ngô was born in Hong Kong, often works in France and Vietnam and is currently based in Chicago where she is an Assistant Professor in Contemporary Practices at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Through her artwork, she engages histories of colonialism and migration, particularly in relationship to language, structures of power, and ideologies. The body and, alternately, its absence and its traces are strongly present in her work, which often asks how we might make visible the process of our own subject formation.

This exhibition incorporates Ngô’s experimentation with materials that sit on the edge of visibility, including serigraph prints of figures from colonial postcards that emerge from darkness to haunt the space and books overprinted with thermochromic ink, revealed only when touched. Sharing the same title as the exhibition is a work that was prompted by her research in the National Archives of Overseas Territories, where she learned about the activities of women involved in the anti-colonial movement and the violence from both the state and their fellow comrades that they often had to endure, only to be forgotten by history.

Ngô’s research and archive-based practice began while she was a studio fellow at the Whitney Independent Study Program in 2012. She was recently awarded the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant in Vietnam (2016) to realize a project, begun at the National Archives of Overseas Territories in France, recently exhibited at DePaul Art Museum (2017) and continued through the Camargo Core Program (2018). The project examines the colonial history of surveillance in Vietnam and the anti-colonial strategies of resistance vis-à-vis the activities of female organizers and liaisons. Her work has been described as “deftly and defiantly decolonial” by New City and “what intersectional feminist art looks like” by the Chicago Tribune. Ngô has exhibited at the MoMA, MCA Chicago, Nhà Sàn Collective, and Para Site and is supported by 3Arts, Chicago Artists Coalition, DCASE and Sàn Art, among others.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Individuals with disabilities attending the ECCE Speaker Series event who anticipate the need for accommodations should contact the UIS Speaker Series Office at 217-206-6245 or speakerseries@uis.edu in advance.

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.

UIS Speaker Series to examine the myths about the “essence” of women’s evil nature

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents “Salome’s Image Throughout History as an Example of Myths’ Creation about Women.”

WHEN: 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28, 2019

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

DETAILS: The story of Salome has long been linked to the beheading of John the Baptist, as described in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, since Salome was the supposed catalyst for the prophet’s execution. Evangelists have used the story throughout history to define the “essence” of women’s evil nature.

The history of the myth describes the process by which that myth was created, the roles that art, literature, theology and music played in that creation and how Salome’s image as evil varied from one period to another according to the prevailing cultural myths surrounding women.

UIS Associate Professor Rosina Neginsky will discuss the major cultural, literary and artistic works which developed and propagated it as an example of the creation of myths about women and developing the ideology that had been determining women’s place in society.

This event is cosponsored by the Department of Art, Music and Theatre.

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/.

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.

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 Café
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 Visual Arts Gallery presents “Tectonic Soliloquy” by Minnesota-based artist Liz Miller

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to present “Tectonic Soliloquy,” an immersive mixed-media installation by Minnesota-based artist Liz Miller. The exhibition will open on Monday, August 26, and run through Thursday, September 19. A reception for the exhibit will take place from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 5 in the Visual Arts Gallery.

Miller’s exhibit explores the fallibility of infrastructure and the precariousness of perception, as seen through a materially-intensive, process-based lens. She utilizes undulating planar forms in conjunction with fabric and rope as a metaphor for shifting landscapes, altered topographies, and imagined realities. References to the natural world and the built environment collide in interludes that are alternately beautiful, absurd, menacing, and poetic, alluding to the complexity of our world. Tensions between fact/fiction and dimensionality/flatness are endlessly intriguing to her, playing out in her work as a dialogue between reality and illusion.

Miller received her bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the Rhode Island School of Design and her master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Minnesota. Her installations and works on paper have been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad. Her awards include a McKnight Professional Development Grant from Forecast Public Art, a McKnight Foundation Fellowship for Visual Artists, a Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant, a Jerome Foundation Fellowship and five Artist Initiative Grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board.

Miller recently completed residencies at the Joan Mitchell Center in New Orleans and the McColl Center for Art + Innovation in Charlotte. She lives and works in Good Thunder, Minnesota and is a professor of installation and drawing at Minnesota State University-Mankato.

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 through Thursday.

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

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 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 Visual Arts Gallery announces a curatorial walkthrough for “The Magnificently Mundane”

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery is pleased to announce a curatorial walkthrough for its current exhibition, “The Magnificently Mundane,” a group exhibition that presents works selected from the field of graphic design. Brytton Bjorngaard, UIS assistant professor of digital media and curator of this exhibit, will lead a walkthrough of the exhibition where she will guide the audience through the works on display and share contextual information about both the works and field of graphic design.

The exhibition walkthrough for “The Magnificently Mundane” will take place on Wednesday, March 27, 2019, from 2 to 3 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

“The Magnificently Mundane” features works from designers throughout the country, among them Thom Caraway (Spokane, Washington), James Ewald (Edmond, Oklahoma), Lisa Hammershaimb (Chicago, Illinois), Jessica Hawkins (Shreveport, Louisiana), Alma Hoffmann (Mobile, Alabama), Laura Huisinga (Fresno, California), Taekyeom Lee (Boone, North Carolina), Jeanne Komp (Royersford, Pennsylvania), Renee Meyer Ernst (Davenport, Iowa), Shannon McCarthy (Richmond, Kentucky), Ed Outhouse (Joplin, Missouri), Chris Sickels (Greenfield, Indiana), Becky Simpson (Nashville, Tennessee), RJ Thompson (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), Teruko Tsubaki (Omaha, Nebraska), Natalie Tyree (Bowling Green, Kentucky) and Neil Ward (Des Moines, Iowa).

At UIS, Bjorngaard teaches courses in graphic design and digital media, including technology, print, typography, web, animation, digital and film photography and professional skills. In addition to teaching, she is a freelance graphic designer, exhibiting artist, a Springfield Art Association board member and was a member of DEMO Project (a former artist-run contemporary and alternative project gallery space in Springfield).

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

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