ART | Library with vision Saturday afternoon plan a two-hour visit to the Chatham library to meet and hear
local artists Chris Britt, Louisa Boshardy (Hybiscus pictured above), George Atkisson, Bob Dixon, Jeff Garland and Michael Dunbar
speak about their artwork showcased at the opening of the library’s new civic art collection, Promise in Vision. The recently acquired oil paintings and sculptures were specifically selected
for the collection because of their relationship to the mission and theme of
the library and Chatham community, one that promotes lifelong learning,
literacy and recreational needs of a growing and diverse population. There will
be a tour of the pieces, light refreshments, and the opportunity to explore the
remodeled and expanded library, including the Bank & Trust Café and Bahlow Book Store.
Chatham Civic Art Collection Opening Show
Saturday, Apr 25
2-4pm
Chatham Area Public Library
600 East Spruce St.
483-2713
Free
FESTIVAL | Sense explosion You won’t want to miss the huge celebration of creativity this weekend as The Revolution
Music and Art Festival unites for its second year, taking place at Feitshans
School. Twenty-one bands, both local and from out of town, will perform. Also
part of the festival: a singer/songwriter stage, pottery demonstrations, art
and music workshops, songwriting demonstrations, a silent art auction, food
vendors and more. This large gathering of the arts began after Joshua Foster
was shot in 2006 and rallied to make a difference in others’ lives. With a lifetime passion for music and art, he started the event to make
a positive impact on young people so they would be inspired to make their lives
better, not like the man who shot him. The soon-to-be nonprofit, The Revolution’s You, grew out of the festival, and both just keep growing.
The Revolution Music and Art Festival
Saturday, Apr 25
11am-7pm
Feitshans Academy Elementary School
1101 S. 15th Street
$7, adults, $5, sixth grade and up
$5, adult with child
Free, fifth grade and under
HEALTH | Assistive exposition The convention center opens its doors Monday and Tuesday to a statewide
gathering of assistive technology manufacturers, disability service providers,
individuals, caregivers and families of people with disabilities to showcase
technologies available to assist a range of needs. Approximately 100 booths
include demonstrations, accessible rock climbing wall, accessible video gaming
and more. In addition, free entertainment, door prizes and special events are
planned. The event is sponsored by the Illinois Assistive Technology Program,
the Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living, the Coalition of
Citizens with Disabilities in Illinois and Personal Mobility/United Access in
conjunction with the Annual Disability Rights/Independent Living Conference.
For more info, visit www.expo-ilx.org.
Independent Living Expo 09
Monday, Apr 27
10am-7pm
Tuesday, Apr 28
8am-5pm
Prairie Capital Convention Center
852-5110
Free
BULLETIN BOARD |Being green Learn the latest about environment-friendly homes and gardens at the Green Home
and Garden Show this Friday and Saturday at the fairgrounds. Sixty exhibits,
hourly workshops and national speakers on green building will help you learn
about energy efficiency and conservation. Ron Jones and Sara Gutterman, with Green Builder Magazine, are among Saturday’s featured speakers. The event is hosted by the Springfield Area Home Builders
Association, Lincoln Land Community College and Capitol Radio Group. Partial
proceeds go to Springfield’s Southwind Park, that will house Erin’s Pavilion, a certified leader in energy and environmental design.
The Green Home and Garden Show
Friday, Apr 24
4-8pm
Saturday, Apr 25
9am-7pm
Orr Building
Illinois State Fairgrounds
698-4941
$3
BAND SPOTLIGHT | Gypsy Collabo In 2003 when local rock band Tipsy Gypsys intermingled with area hip hop group
Collabo, out came a Gypsy Collabo. The fun-loving, music-making bunch soon
released a CD, Live at Five, then left town for a couple of years to play music in Hollywood, Calif. After
returning to Springfield in 2006, the group added a fifth member for the
current lineup of Derek Anderson aka: The Phantom,â¨David Hale III aka: DH3,â¨Jon
McGrath aka: JG,â¨John Peterson aka: Stretch,â¨and Matt Scherer aka: Rooney. The
band then released another recording, The Family Tree, started their AhmenRah Music label, and most recently shot a music video for
their latest single, VISA. These guys are everywhere at once, playing two steady weekly gigs, doing The
Revolution’s You Festival on April 25, the Haymarket Festival May 1, and opening for
Crucial Conflict at the Planet May 2, plus making several more summer festival
appearances in Springfield and Chicago.
Gypsy Collabo
The Revolution’s You Festival
Folksy’s on Sundays
Bar Oasis on Wednesdays
www.myspace.com/gypsycollabo
This article appears in Apr 16-22, 2009.
