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 Visual Arts Gallery announces the 2019 silent auction and benefit fundraising exhibition

The University of Illinois Springfield Visual Arts Gallery will hold its annual silent auction and benefit fundraising exhibition starting on Monday, Dec. 2. The auction is open to the public.

The auction will feature original works of art donated by local and regional artists. Ceramics, photography, glass, painting and drawing, crafts and more will be part of the auction. Many works will be auctioned off at steeply discounted prices.

Bidding begins on Monday, Dec. 2 and a closing event, along with final bidding, will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5 in the Visual Arts Gallery, Room 201 in the Health and Science Building on campus. The event will include food, drinks and fun in support of the UIS Visual Arts Gallery’s mission.

All proceeds from the silent auction will benefit UIS Visual Arts Gallery programming throughout the year.

The Visual Arts Gallery is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through 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 “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 "Spanish Caprice" concert

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Music Program presents “Spanish Caprice” featuring performances by the UIS Orchestra and Cello Choir.

WHEN: 3 p.m. Sunday, November 24, 2019

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

DETAILS: Enjoy an afternoon of Latin rhythms and beautiful melodies performed by the UIS Orchestra and Cello Choir including Georges Bizet’s dramatic “Carmen Suite,” Artuto Marquez’s “Danzon No. 2,” Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Cappriccio Espagnol, Op. 34” and more.

Under the baton of UIS Orchestra Director Yona Stamatis, the orchestra will also perform David Burndett’s “Flamenco Fantastico.” UIS Adjunct Professor of Cello Jun Seo will lead the Cello Choir in performing “The Doll’s Burial” from the “Album for the Young Op.39” by Tchaikovsky as well as “Mellow Cellos Tango” by Michael Kibbe.

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.

Businesses and organizations are invited take part in Career Connections Expo at UIS

Businesses and organizations are encouraged to register now for the Career Connections Expo at the University of Illinois Springfield. The Expo will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020 at the Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus. In addition to the Expo, registered employers are invited to participate in a pre-Expo networking event known as Coffee and Conversation which will give them the opportunity to connect with faculty and staff before the Expo gets underway.

The annual event is being hosted by UIS and Lincoln Land Community College and is intended to bring students, alumni, community members and employers together to discuss career opportunities and build professional connections. Organizations who are recruiting candidates for job and internship opportunities are invited to participate in the event. The event has an average attendance of more than 300 students, alumni and community members and more than 120 employer participants.

Table assignments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis. Employers are encouraged to register as soon as possible as space is limited. The preferred deadline to register is on or before Jan. 24, 2020.

Employers can register for the Expo through the UIS Career Development Center’s online system called “CareerConnect” accessible at uis.edu/career. The “CareerConnect” system allows employers to establish a company profile and post career opportunities at no cost. UIS students and alumni are then able to view and apply for positions directly through the system.

For more information or to register for the event, contact the UIS Career Development Center at 217-206-6508 or employerrelations@uis.edu.

UIS and the Illinois State Historical Society to co-host the Illinois Statehood Day Symposium

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield and the Illinois State Historical Society will co-host the second annual Illinois Statehood Day Symposium. Illinois became a state on Dec. 3, 1818. The symposium’s programs will cover topics related to the history of women’s suffrage, sculpting Abraham Lincoln and the aesthetics of smell.

WHEN: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019

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

DETAILS: Symposium speakers will include April Karlene Anderson-Zorn, Ph.D., an Illinois State University archivist; Debra M. Dudek, author and head of adult and teen services in the Fountaindale Public Library District; John McClarey, an internationally renowned sculptor from Decatur, Illinois; Larry Shiner, Ph.D., UIS professor emeritus of philosophy, history and visual arts; Tina Beaird, a geneaology and local history librarian from the Plainfield School District; and Bernard H. Sieracki, Ph.D., author and instructor of public administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology and UIS.

Members of the public are invited to participate in the morning and afternoon sessions from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 1:30-3:30 p.m. free of charge. For a full schedule go to go.uis.edu/LunchFall19.

As part of the Lunch & Learn Series, a hot buffet lunch at a cost of $25/per person is available for those who attend the 11:30 a.m. presentation. Reservations for the lunch presentation are requested, as seating is limited. The registration deadline is one week prior to the event.

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.

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.

Actor, author, speaker and wounded U.S. Army veteran J.R. Martinez to speak at UIS

WHAT: Actor, author, speaker, “Dancing with the Stars” winner and wounded U.S. Army veteran J.R. Martinez will speak at the University of Illinois Springfield on Veterans Day about overcoming adversity and facing life’s challenges head on. The Chatham VFW Post 4763 will provide a color guard for the event, which is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, 2019

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

DETAILS: While serving as an infantryman in Iraq in 2003, Martinez’s Hummer drove over a roadside bomb that caused severe burns to more than 34% of his body. He spent the next 34 months of recovery at the Brooke Army Medical Center and underwent countless plastic surgeries and skin grafts. His message as a motivational speaker is centered on making the most of every situation and using resilience and optimism to overcome life’s challenges.

In 2008, Martinez was cast in the popular ABC soap opera “All My Children” as Brot Monroe, an Army veteran who was injured in combat. In 2011, he was cast on ABC’s hit show “Dancing with the Stars” where he won the season 13 competition. In 2012, he published his New York Times bestselling memoir “Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength and Spirit.” A year later, he was cast in a new syndicated action-drama series called “SAF3” in a recurring role he portrayed till 2014.

At the event, the new UIS Veterans Emergency Grant will be announced. The grant will help student veterans cover the cost, up to $500, of bills, food, medical expenses and travel in emergency situations. A crowdfunding effort will be launched to help support the fund.

UIS will also hold a Veterans Day flag raising ceremony at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 11 in front of the Public Affairs Center.

For more information, contact Mark Dochterman, assistant vice chancellor for student engagement, at 217-206-8448 or mdoch2@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 Speaker Series looks at the impact of community organizing in Chicago’s Little Village

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series welcomes Kim Wasserman, executive director of Chicago’s Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, who will speak about “Community-based Environmental Justice and Beyond.” This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019

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

DETAILS: For 20 years Kim Wasserman’s group, Chicago’s Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, has turned anger into positive energy in a series of grass-roots campaigns addressing issues including safe schools, public transportation, youth empowerment, community gardens, superfund site remediation, open space and the closure of two polluting coal fired power plants.

Wasserman’s work addresses crucial questions for society, including “what does it mean to organize within communities,” and “how can communities support each other?”

Wasserman also serves as the chair of the Illinois Commission on Environmental Justice and was the 2013 winner of the Goldman Environmental Prize for North America.

This event is cosponsored by the UIS Department of Environmental Studies, UIS Students Allied for a Green Earth (SAGE) and the UIS Campus Senate Committee on Sustainability.

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 uis.edu/speakerseries/.

UIS presents the 42nd annual International Festival

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield invites the Springfield community to join us for the 42nd annual International Festival. The longest running student-led program in the history of the University, the festival features fun and games from around the globe, cultural performances and exhibits, plus a variety of ethnic foods. Admission is free.

WHEN: 5-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, 2019

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC), located on the south side of the UIS campus. Parking is available in lots F and I, located next to TRAC. A map of the campus is available at uis.edu/maps/.

DETAILS: For 42 years, the University of Illinois Springfield family has celebrated its rich international and cultural diversity with the annual International Festival. Many of our friends from the greater Springfield community will be joining UIS students, faculty, and staff to share an evening of cultural exhibits, artistic performances and food tasting.

Guests are invited to pick up a program as they enter so they can find their way to the many exhibits, food tastings and performances. Guests are encouraged to spend some time getting to know people you have never met before, literally from every part of our world.

According to Fall Semester 2019 census numbers, a total of 257 international students are enrolled at UIS from 32 countries.

For more information, please contact the Office of International Student Services at 217-206-6678 or iss@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 Speaker Series examines human rights atrocities happening in western China

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series presents a lecture and discussion on “Terror Capitalism: Uyghur ‘Reeducation’ and the Chinese Security Industrial Complex.” This event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 8, 2019

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

DETAILS: Darren Byler of the University of Washington will present his research on the current human rights atrocities in western China, where the People’s Republic of China has detained, without trial, an estimated one million Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other Turkic Muslim minorities in concentration camps, called “reeducation centers.” Byler believes China is working to criminalize and eradicate Muslim culture.

Byler’s extensive ethnographic field work in western China with both Uyghurs and Han Chinese argues that this system of “reeducation” is, in fact, a social engineering system that works in concert with a Chinese form of illiberal capitalism. His fieldwork is able to provide an insider perspective on both populations.

This event is cosponsored by the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois; the UIS Departments of History, Global Studies, and Sociology/Anthropology; the UIS Division of Student Affairs; UIS Office of International Student Services and the UIS Diversity Center.

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 uis.edu/speakerseries/.

UIS Speaker Series examines the first U.S. town founded by an African American

Kate Williams-McWorter and Gerald McWorter - Photo by L. Brian Stauffer

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will present “Free Frank’s New Philadelphia, Illinois: First U.S. Town Founded by a Black Man.” The lecture will discuss the history of the now-vanished town that was located near Barry in Pike County, Illinois. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019

WHERE: UIS Student Union Ballroom

DETAILS: Learn the personal history and living legacy of Free Frank McWorter, who founded New Philadelphia, an abolitionist town situated in Illinois, only 20 miles from slavery, and purchased the freedom of 16 of his family members, including himself.

The biracial community was founded before the Civil War and was one of the stations along the Underground Railroad. The town site has been added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark.

Gerald A. McWorter, a descendant of Free Frank McWorter, and Kate Williams-McWorter will share more of the history and legacy of the town and excerpts from their recent publication “New Philadelphia.”

This event is cosponsored by the UIS Black History Month Academic Ad Hoc committee; UIS Brookens Library; the UIS Departments of History, Sociology/Anthropology, African American Studies; the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum; UIS Capital Scholars Honors Program; the UIS Diversity Center and UIS Archives.

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 uis.edu/speakerseries/.

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.

Mary and James Beaumont endowed Lincoln Legacy Lecture to focus on immigration and citizenship

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Center for Lincoln Studies is proud to host the 2019 Lincoln Legacy Lecture, which will focus on Abraham Lincoln, immigration and citizenship.

WHEN: Reception with light refreshment at 6 p.m., lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019

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

DETAILS: Join professors Jason H. Silverman and Mark E. Steiner, both scholars in the field of Lincoln studies, as they discuss Lincoln’s views on immigration and citizenship. Professor Michael Burlingame, the Chancellor Naomi B. Lynn Distinguished Chair in Lincoln Studies at UIS, will moderate.

Silverman taught history for more than three decades at South Carolina’s Winthrop University. He specializes in the history of the old South and the Civil War. Silverman is the author or editor of 11 books, including “Lincoln and the Immigrant” and “Immigration in the American South.”

Steiner is a professor of law at the South Texas University School of Law in Houston, specializing in immigration law and American legal history. He is the author of “An Honest Calling: The Law Practice of Abraham Lincoln” and “Lincoln and Citizenship,” soon to be published.

This lecture series will now continue on in perpetuity thanks to a generous endowment gift from Mary and James Beaumont. This event is also cosponsored by the Abraham Lincoln Association, Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series, Looking for Lincoln Heritage Coalition, NPR Illinois, UIS College of Business and Management, UIS College of Education and Human Services, UIS College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, UIS Performing Arts Center and UIS Student Affairs.

This event is free and open to the public. Those unable to attend can watch the webcast at uis.edu/technology/uislive. For additional event information, visit uis.edu/advancement or call 217-206-6058.

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 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.

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/.

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.

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/.

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 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/.

Friday Night Star Parties to return in Sept. at the UIS Observatory

The University of Illinois Springfield’s popular Friday Night Star Parties will resume the Friday after Labor Day. Star Parties will be held from 8-10 p.m. on Sept. 6, 13, 20, and 27 and Oct. 4, 11, 18 and 25, weather permitting, at the UIS Observatory on the roof of Brookens Library.

Star Parties are hosted by John Martin, UIS associate professor of astronomy/physics. The observatory’s 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.

A typical Star Party begins with a presentation as visitors ascend the stairs to the observatory, learning about galaxies, the sun and stars along the way. On the roof observation deck 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.

Friday Night Star Parties are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required, and groups are encouraged to attend. The entrance to the campus observatory is located outside Brookens Library on the southeast corner of the building.

Star Parties may be canceled for 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/Physics website.

UIS Lunch & Learn Series presents “New Salem & Stephen A. Douglas”

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield’s Office of Advancement, Alumni SAGE Society and the Illinois State Historical Society presents “New Salem & Stephen A. Douglas” as part of the Lunch and Learn Series.

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2019

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

DETAILS: Mark B. Pohlad, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of History of Art and Architecture at DePaul University, will present “The Reconstruction of New Salem: A Brief, Passionate History.”

Reg Ankrom, author of “Stephen A. Douglas: The Political Apprenticeship” will present “The Rise of Stephen A. Douglas: Illinois Politician, American Statesman.”

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. A discounted series subscription is available for $65/per person but is only available through September 3, 2019.

Other upcoming Lunch & Learn events include “Footprints of Sangamon” on October 8 and the “Second Annual Illinois Statehood Day Symposium” on December 3. These lunch-time programs will stimulate thinking as they build upon the University’s 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 email advancement@uis.edu.

UIS Speaker Series explores the right to free speech in a Constitution Day event

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will take an in-depth look at free speech with committed peace activist John Tinker.

WHEN: 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 12, 2019

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

DETAILS: In February 1969, John Tinker made history when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that First Amendment rights applied in school, thus reminding young people that they have a voice.

Tinker’s case started when, at age 15, he wore a black arm band to school protesting the Vietnam War. He was threatened with suspension and challenged the school district in his right to protest.

In the 50 years that followed the Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District ruling, Tinker has remained a committed peace activist. He and his wife currently run a non-profit radio station in Fayette, Missouri with volunteers in their community.

As president of the John F. Tinker Foundation, he also helps educate students, teachers and school administrators regarding the First Amendment rights of students.

This event is cosponsored by the UIS Department of Legal Studies.

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/.

Four UIS faculty members to present their research during public presentations on campus

Four faculty members from the University of Illinois Springfield will present their research as part of the Fall Semester 2019 Faculty Scholarship Series. All presentations are free and open to the public.

The series starts with Kenneth Kriz, UIS professor and director of the Institute for Illinois Public Finance. He will present “Tax Increment Financing and the Future of Community and Economic Development” from 2 to 3 p.m. on Sept. 5 in the Public Affairs Center (PAC) Conference Room H.

Sarah Webb, UIS assistant professor of English, will discuss the results from her ongoing project to engage the public through art and writing, called “ReVision: Colorism Healing Through Creative Writing,” from 4 to 5 p.m. on Oct. 3 in PAC Conference Room G.

From 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 14, Jason Pierceson, UIS professor of political science, will present his sabbatical research results on “From José Sarria to Danica Roem and Mayor Pete: LGBTQ+ Candidates Past and Present” in PAC Conference Room H.

Finally, from 6 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 6 John Transue, UIS associate professor and chair of political science, will discuss “White Racial Identity and Support for Black Political Candidates” in PAC Conference Room G.

The purpose of the Faculty Scholarship Series is to highlight research at UIS and to share these results with the larger Springfield community.

For more information, contact Keenan Dungey, UIS associate vice chancellor for research and institutional effectiveness, at 217/206-8112 or kdung1@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 Prairie Star 5K run/walk to raise money for the local non-profit Triple Heart Foundation

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield will hold the fourth annual Prairie Star 5K run/walk to raise money for the Triple Heart Foundation, a local non-profit organization. The Prairie Star 5K run/walk is open to UIS students, faculty, staff and community members.

WHEN: 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 7, 2019

WHERE: The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) on the UIS campus

DETAILS: The flat and fast race course will begin outside of The Recreation and Athletic Center (TRAC) and go east along scenic University Drive before entering the heart of campus. The race will end near TRAC on Eliza Farnham Drive where door prizes and awards will be distributed.

This year’s race will benefit the Triple Heart Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides books to parents with newborns in the intensive care unit. Research has shown that reading to these babies not only helps brain development, but also helps to create a special bond between the parents and their baby. Each book is given to a NICU family, allowing them to create a library of books and memories during their hospital stay.

The cost to register for the Prairie Star 5K run/walk is $8 for UIS students and $13 for faculty, staff, alumni and community. Registration is available online at www.uis.edu/campusrec/. You may also call 217/206-7103 or stop by TRAC in person to register for the race.

The deadline to register for the race and be guaranteed a t-shirt is Tuesday, Sept. 3 at 12 p.m. Participants may also register on the day of the race from 7:30 to 8 a.m., however they are not guaranteed a t-shirt.

The run/walk is made possible by UIS Campus Recreation, the Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, UIS Cross Country and Track & Field and Stokes Race Timing Services.

For more information, contact Anna Schoenherr, at 217/206-7103 or ascho3@uis.edu.

Classical violinist who escaped Syria to kick off the UIS Speaker Series

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Engaged Citizenship Common Experience (ECCE) Speaker Series will kick off the semester by hosting a musical presentation and performance titled “A Tribute to Syria” featuring world-renowned and award-winning violist Mariela Shaker.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, September 10, 2019

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

DETAILS: Mariela Shaker, who began playing the violin at age nine, will share her harrowing story of escape from Syria through inspiring words and music.

Full-ride scholarships to both Monmouth College and DePaul University in Illinois allowed her to escape the war in her home country. She is now a violin professor at Monmouth College helping students develop their full potential through their own personal voice and expression.

Shaker has performed with the Mesopotamian Symphony Orchestra and gave her debut recital at the Kennedy Center in celebration of World Refugee Day. She was named a Champion for Change for World Refugees by President Barack Obama and has played all over the world at the request of international leaders. She received the first-ever Anne Frank Promisekeeper Award in 2018 and is the peace ambassador for the World Council of Arameans.

This event is cosponsored by the World Affairs Council of Central Illinois.

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/.

UIS to co-host special Star Party viewing for Perseid meteor shower

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Astronomy-Physics Program, Lincoln Memorial Garden and the Sangamon Astronomical Society will host a special Star Party to view the annual Perseid meteor shower.

WHEN: 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. on Monday, August 12, 2019

WHERE: Lincoln Memorial Garden, 2301 East Lake Shore Drive, Springfield, Illinois

DETAILS: The Perseid meteor shower takes place annually in the beginning of August when the Earth passes through a stream of debris crossing the Earth’s orbit from the Swift-Tuttle. The 2019 shower is predicted to peak between August 11 and 13.

The Perseid meteor show is known for producing more fireball type meteors than any other meteor shower. In a dark location on any given night, between three and five meteors per hour can be spotted. During the peak of a shower, like the Perseids, there could be up to 60 meteors per hour.

People attending the event at Lincoln Memorial Garden should park in the spaces just off East Lake Shore Drive. Observing will be done in Crawley Meadow across the street from the nature center. Attendees are encouraged to wear bug repellant, dress appropriately for the weather and bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on.

The meteor viewing may be cancelled for cloudy weather. Questions about suitable weather viewing should be directed to 217/206-8342 after 6 p.m. on August 13. Updates will also be posted on the UIS Observatory Twitter feed (@UISObservatory).

Please note that this event in on Monday, August 12. Some of the Star Parties posters printed and distributed have the wrong date on them.

For more information on UIS Star Parties, contact John Martin, UIS associate professor of Astronomy-Physics, at 217/206-8342 or jmart5@uis.edu.

UIS Astronomy-Physics Program to co-host Summer Star Party at Centennial Park

WHAT: The University of Illinois Springfield Astronomy-Physics Program and the Sangamon Astronomical Society will host a Star Party telescope viewing event to celebrate International Astronomy Day. The event is free and open to the public.

WHEN: 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2019

WHERE: Centennial Park Tennis Courts, 5529 Bunker Hill Rd, Springfield

DETAILS: International Astronomy Day is a worldwide event that occurs each spring and fall. The UIS Astronomy-Physics Program will celebrate the day with telescope viewing at the Centennial Park Tennis Courts. On the evening of May 11, after sunset, the Moon and the planet Mars will be visible. The Sangamon Astronomical Society will be on hand to share views of the night sky through several telescopes including several favorite spring time objects like the Beehive Star Cluster and the globular star cluster M13.

The International Astronomy Day viewing event will begin at 8 p.m., however participants may arrive any time before 10 p.m. to see the show through telescopes and take guided tours of the summer sky.

This event may be cancelled due to cloudy weather. Questions about suitable weather viewing should be directed to 217/206-8342 after 6 p.m. on May 11. Updates will also be posted on the UIS Observatory Twitter feed (@UISObservatory).

For more information on other Summer Star Parties, visit go.uis.edu/summerstarparties. Questions may be directed to John Martin, UIS associate professor of Astronomy-Physics, at 217/206-8342 or jmart5@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 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.