Visual Art | Thursday, May 16,2013

ARTIFICATION of Springfield

A mural project is set to bring beauty to downtown

“It used to be scary down this way.”Barry Friedman, owner of the Alamo, 115 N. Fifth St., is reminiscing about conditions in downtown Springfield prior to the 2005 opening of the Abraham L

Music | Thursday, May 9,2013

Symphony season goes out on a high note

Maestro Alastair Willis has great expectations for coming years

By Scott Faingold

This past weekend marked the end of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s 20th anniversary season, which was the first under the musical direction of Maestro Alastair Willis. Willis did not conduct

Performing Art | Thursday, March 21,2013

Gus’s new gig

Gus Gordon takes the helm of the Hoogland Center for the Arts

By Scott Faingold

“At a certain point I realized I was a clone,” says Gus Gordon of his 22-year tenure as chief meteorologist at WICS-TV Channel 20. His tone is more amused than bemused, and entirely withou

Visual Art | Thursday, February 28,2013

Feet first

Kimberly Conner’s Jump In has red carpet premiere

By Scott Faingold

Midway through the filming of Jump In, director Kimberly Conner of Springfield faced a day of personal reckoning.“We were on day five of a 10-day shoot,” she recalls. “My emotions we

News | Thursday, February 21,2013

Housing with Hope

Hope Springs Apartments helps build independence for tenants with mental disabilities

By Scott Faingold

“I love this palace,” beams Joann, sitting on a flower-patterned couch as mid-morning sunlight floods her one-bedroom apartment. A Spongebob Squarepants episode plays muted in the backgrou

Music | Thursday, January 31,2013

One hell of an awards show for Springfield hip-hop

Torch Tuesday blows the roof off the sucka… respectfully

By Scott Faingold

Nobody can accuse the crowd at Torch Tuesday of not knowing how to party. Springfield’s most prominent showcase for regional hip-hop talent presented the second annual Torch Tuesday Awards on Ja

Performing Art | Thursday, January 17,2013

Genders bent here

Hedwig is a “transformative” rock musical

By Scott Faingold

“The word of the day is ‘immersion,’” says Legacy Theatre owner Scott Richardson, and truthfully there are few more appropriate terms to describe the Legacy’s production

Culture | Thursday, December 20,2012

Art for every need

The arts scene in Springfield finds vitality in niche markets

By Scott Faingold

“We’re grateful that we still have this nice space to be in. It’s really made a big difference to what we’ve been able to deliver to the community,” says Janet Seitz Carl

Music | Thursday, October 4,2012

Henry Rollins brings a ‘talking show’ to the Hoogland

Former Black Flag singer is on a tour of state capitals

By Scott Faingold

Henry Rollins is no Abe Lincoln.But that doesn’t stop the 51-year-old punk rock icon, TV personality, author and blogger from incorporating sections of the 16th president’s 1838 speech to

Music | Thursday, August 23,2012

Art, bikes and rock ’n’ roll

Jeff Williams of NIL8 has been creating music and art in Springfield for 30 years

By Scott Faingold

Rock musician. Fine artist. Cycling champion. If lifelong Springfield resident Jeff Williams does not qualify as a genuine renaissance man, he’ll have to do until one comes along. In addition, t