It is a well-kept secret that you can watch a live performance of New York City’s Metropolitan Opera right here at our local AMC Springfield 12 movie theater. The Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series brings the magic of the Met to movie theaters in more than 70 countries worldwide, including here in Springfield. The […]
Karen Ackerman Witter
Karen Ackerman Witter started freelance writing after a 35-year career in state government holding various senior leadership positions. Prior to retiring she was associate director of the Illinois State Museum for 14 years. She is the past president of the Kidzeum Board of Directors and is an active volunteer with the Rotary Club of Springfield Sunrise, Women for Women giving circle of the Community Foundation, NPR Illinois and other community organizations.
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Illinois State Museum gives cultural artifacts back to Australian Aboriginal peoples
For over 75 years, cultural items handcrafted by Australian Aboriginal peoples rested quietly at the Illinois State Museum (ISM), cared for by museum curators. Last Wednesday marked the beginning of their journey home. They will play a dynamic role in revitalizing Aboriginal traditions and culture. Many of the objects were made with simple tools 100 […]
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Illinois State Museum returns artifacts to Australia
The Illinois State Museum is making national news in Australia. The Australian government recently announced that 42 culturally significant objects will soon be brought home from the United States. They include secret/sacred, ceremonial and secular objects. The ISM is the first institution in the world to return culturally significant objects as part of the Return […]
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Study abroad changes lives
“I learned so much about myself and discovered how to deal with situations in a different way,” says Maia Ojugbele, a Rotary Youth Exchange student who spent a year in Taiwan. Maia, Mandy Lynn and Yasmin Martinez-Powell are all Springfield High School students who traded a year at SHS for a year overseas. Mandy went […]
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Bringing farmers and eaters together
The Illinois Stewardship Alliance promotes eating local, wholesome foods and supports local food producers. The Buy Fresh, Buy Local Central Illinois campaign – to connect farmers with eaters – is just one example of how the organization works to connect local farmers with community members, restaurants and retailers. Proceeds from the group’s annual Harvest Celebration […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The art of the fair
Mention the Illinois State Fair, and things like corn dogs, lemon shakeups, the giant slide, concerts in the Grandstand, animal barns, dizzying rides and all types of food on a stick come to mind. But a professional art exhibition is also a stalwart of the Illinois State Fair. There has been a professional art exhibition […]
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Women who go the distance
Women runners and walkers are encouraged to turn out in force on July 13 at Washington Park to celebrate the 40th annual Springfield Women’s Distance Festival (WDF). The first was July 26, 1980. Why is a two-mile race called a distance festival? Debbie Huffman, who codirected the first WDF with George Anne Daly, explains that […]
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2019 Women’s Distance Festival
Whether you are an avid runner, a walker or have never thought about participating, this is a great year for women to sign up for the race. Everyone who registers gets a race shirt and swag bag with goodies and is entered to win door prizes. Previous race directors are invited to attend and be […]
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Six trailblazers
Many of the women who have participated in the Women’s Distance Festival over the years continue to run and live a life of exercise and fitness. Each has a different story as to how she got involved in running and stuck with it, but they all cite the lasting friendships they have forged and the […]
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New ISM director nationally recognized
The Illinois State Museum has hired a leader in the museum field to serve as its director. Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko will assume her new position Sept. 9. She comes to the Illinois State Museum from Bar Harbor, Maine, where she directed the Abbe Museum for a decade. Prior to leading the Abbe as president and CEO, […]
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Her flag
Marilyn Artus, a visual artist from Oklahoma City, was in Springfield as part of a 14-month collaborative art project commemorating the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Artus came up with the idea to create an enormous flag with stripes made by women artists from each […]
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Please touch the art
“Please Touch the Art Gently” is not your typical sign posted in an art gallery. But, that is the message in a new exhibit at the Springfield Art Association from June 1-29. “What Art Feels Like” features metal and wood sculptures, paper, fiber, collage, glass, woodturning, ceramics and paintings made by 14 Illinois artists and […]
