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.