It’s the darnedest thing: Landscape painter Marina Mangubi paints on two-by-four boards. That’s right, lumber. Her curious miniature panoramic scenes of rural Ohi]]> “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]]> The Springfield Art Association has an interesting new exhibit planned to open Friday, Jan. 4, that includes images and stories of local people. The Stories Behind the Faces, features a combination of]]> Carol Watts and Mary Selinski enjoyed a watercolor class together years ago. Neither could have guessed that in 2012-13 they would collaborate on a sizable statewide watercolor exhibit and contest.Car]]> Paris, Florence, Berlin, Rome, New York, Athens – when famed art-related cities of the world come up in conversation, Springfield, Ill., is not generally on the list. That’s not likely to ]]> Fred Jarosz is a talker. To meet him, the executive director of the Hoogland Center for the Arts, and ask him about the health of the arts in Springfield is to be taken on a whirlwind aural tour of bo]]> The Springfield Art Association is offering two exciting opportunities for the community to explore ceramics and pottery-making over the summer months. A kickoff event, ROASTED:%u2008Hot Pots or Pork,]]> Nearly 400 photographs were submitted by 117 Illinois amateur photographers to the first Prairie Art Alliance Images of Illinois Amateur Photography Contest, sponsored by Illinois Times. The images sp]]> Last month Bob Waldmire made public what he has known for some time – that he has colon cancer and he probably won’t live much longer. Last Sunday, Nov. 22, “Bob’s Last Art Sho]]> Though war, poverty and tough economic times have some of us living in a state of despair, the journey to peace and solace can begin with Springfield’s biennial Liturgical Arts Festival. Held Ma]]> Digital cameras that are affordable and easy-to-use, including those cameras and image-sharing apps in our smartphones, have sparked a photo craze. Who could have predicted that so many Americans woul]]> America has a dark little secret. We imprisoned 120,000 fellow citizens during World War II in U.S. concentration camps or, as some call them, internment camps. Artist Roger Shimomura tells this troub]]> Seen through a camera lens is a world of extremes.Extreme poverty, disease and death. And then there’s the love, hope and courage it takes to remedy them.These are displayed through the images o]]> After a 24-year dream of opening his own gallery, Norman Calmese is now the owner of Springfield’s newest treasure of the art world. He is also a musician, playwright, artist and teacher.Minor&r]]> Being sedated in a darkness that is so disturbing and beautiful that it makes the viewer comatose is a unique experience. Welcome to the complex mind of Felicia Olin. Her creations]]> When Rob and Michele DeLong ventured downtown for the celebrated Old Capitol Art Fair, they saw something that sparked their interest: a “For Lease” sign. After some thinking, th]]> Why would someone voluntarily undergo several hours of a needle stabbing them several thousand times per minute? The simple answer is for the sake of art, but the long answer is a bit more complicated]]> When a guy from Stratford-upon-Avon, England, began writing plays in London, stages were little more than raised platforms with no “sets” of decorative art convey]]> Quincy philanthropist John Willis Gardner accomplished two goals in one stroke when he founded the Gardner Museum of Architecture & Design in 1977, preserving important pieces of Quincy&]]> At first glance, the 80-plus paintings on display at Prairie Art Alliance are a circus of styles, techniques, and colors, ranging from black-and-white to psychedelic. What's striking is the diversity ]]>